Robot dogs can be used to carry a wide variety of items. Getting them to work together to carry heavier loads is easier said than done. PACC explores the idea of using a passive arm to get two robot dogs to carry heavy payloads. As the researchers explain, this mechanical robot arm has its joint displacements to guide the robots’ motion. It uses a “Model Predictive Controller that incorporates an approximation of the arm dynamics and the estimation of the external forces from the collaborative carrying.”
[HT]