Kinodynamic Motion Planning for Collaborative Object Transportation by Multiple Mobile Manipulators

TL;DR

This paper introduces a kinodynamic motion planning method for multiple mobile manipulators to collaboratively transport objects in dynamic environments, combining global path planning with local trajectory optimization.

Contribution

It presents a novel integrated planning approach that considers kinodynamic constraints and obstacle avoidance, including a new algorithm for narrow region detection.

Findings

Efficient trajectory planning in dynamic environments demonstrated through simulations.

The method reduces control efforts and avoids self-collision effectively.

Hardware experiments validate the approach's practical applicability.

Abstract

This work proposes a kinodynamic motion planning technique for collaborative object transportation by multiple mobile manipulators in dynamic environments. A global path planner computes a linear piecewise path from start to goal. A novel algorithm detects the narrow regions between the static obstacles and aids in defining the obstacle-free region to enhance the feasibility of the global path. We then formulate a local online motion planning technique for trajectory generation that minimizes the control efforts in a receding horizon manner. It plans the trajectory for finite time horizons, considering the kinodynamic constraints and the static and dynamic obstacles. The planning technique jointly plans for the mobile bases and the arms to utilize the locomotion capability of the mobile base and the manipulation capability of the arm efficiently. We use a convex cone approach to avoid self-collision of the formation by modifying the mobile manipulators admissible state without imposing additional constraints. Numerical simulations and hardware experiments showcase the efficiency of the proposed approach.