Tethered Variable Inertial Attitude Control Mechanisms through a Modular Jumping Limbed Robot

TL;DR

This paper introduces SPLITTER, a tethered modular jumping robot that uses inertial morphing and model predictive control to stabilize in-flight without traditional flywheels, enhancing mass efficiency for planetary exploration in low gravity.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel inertial attitude control mechanism using tethered modular robots with MPC, eliminating the need for flywheels in low-gravity environments.

Findings

Successful simulation of attitude stabilization during jumps

Demonstration of inertial morphing for attitude control

Mass-efficient control strategy suitable for small planetary robots

Abstract

This paper presents the concept of a tethered variable inertial attitude control mechanism for a modular jumping-limbed robot designed for planetary exploration in low-gravity environments. The system, named SPLITTER, comprises two sub-10 kg quadrupedal robots connected by a tether, capable of executing successive jumping gaits and stabilizing in-flight using inertial morphing technology. Through model predictive control (MPC), attitude control was demonstrated by adjusting the limbs and tether length to modulate the system's principal moments of inertia. Our results indicate that this control strategy allows the robot to stabilize during flight phases without needing traditional flywheel-based systems or relying on aerodynamics, making the approach mass-efficient and ideal for small-scale planetary robots' successive jumps. The paper outlines the dynamics, MPC formulation for inertial morphing, actuator requirements, and simulation results, illustrating the potential of agile exploration for small-scale rovers in low-gravity environments like the Moon or asteroids.