# Motion Planning for Multi-Mobile-Manipulator Payload Transport Systems

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a hierarchical, real-time motion planning algorithm for multi-mobile-manipulator systems to enable collision-free payload transport, validated through simulations in dynamic environments.

## Contribution

A novel hierarchical approach combining virtual bounding boxes and decentralized model-predictive control for scalable, real-time multi-robot payload manipulation.

## Key findings

- Successfully plans collision-free trajectories in simulations
- Scalable to multiple robots in dynamic environments
- Real-time performance demonstrated

## Abstract

In this paper, a kinematic motion planning algorithm for cooperative spatial payload manipulation is presented. A hierarchical approach is introduced to compute real-time collision-free motion plans for a formation of mobile manipulator robots. Initially, collision-free configurations of a deformable 2-D virtual bounding box are identified, over a planning horizon, to define a convex workspace for the entire system. Then, 3-D payload configurations whose projections lie within the defined convex workspace are computed. Finally, a convex decentralized model-predictive controller is formulated to plan collision-free trajectories for the formation of mobile manipulators. This approach facilitates real-time motion planning for the system and is scalable in the number of robots. The algorithm is validated in simulated dynamic environments. Simulation video: https://youtu.be/9EKj7RwRs_4.