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Behavioral control of unmanned aerial vehicle manipulator systems

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Abstract

In this paper a behavioral control framework is developed to control an unmanned aerial vehicle-manipulator (UAVM) system, composed by a multirotor aerial vehicle equipped with a robotic arm. The goal is to ensure vehicle-arm coordination and manage complex multi-task missions, where different behaviors must be encompassed in a clear and meaningful way. In detail, a control scheme, based on the null space-based behavioral paradigm, is proposed to handle the coordination between the arm and vehicle motion. To this aim, a set of basic functionalities (elementary behaviors) are designed and combined in a given priority order, in order to attain more complex tasks (compound behaviors). A supervisor is in charge of switching between the compound behaviors according to the mission needs and the sensory feedback. The method is validated on a real testbed, consisting of a multirotor aircraft with an attached 6 Degree of Freedoms manipulator, developed within the EU-funded project ARCAS (Aerial Robotics Cooperative Assembly System). At the the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that an UAVM system is experimentally tested in the execution of complex multi-task missions. The results show that, by properly designing a set of compound behaviors and a supervisor, vehicle-arm coordination in complex missions can be effectively managed.

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Acknowledgments

This research has been supported by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Program under Grant Agreement No. 287617 (IP Project ARCAS-Aerial Robotics Cooperative Assembly system) and Grant Agreement No. 608849 (IP Project EUROC-European Robotics Challenges), and by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Program under Grant Agreement No. 644271 (IP Project AEROARMS-AErial RObotic system integrating multiple ARMS and advanced manipulation capabilities for inspection and maintenance).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mines Douai, IA, 59508, Douai, France

    K. Baizid

  2. Univ. Lille, 59000, Lille, France

    K. Baizid

  3. University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy

    G. Giglio, F. Pierri & F. Caccavale

  4. Center for Advanced Aerospace Technologies (CATEC), Seville, Spain

    M. A. Trujillo & A. Viguria

  5. University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, Italy

    G. Antonelli & S. Chiaverini

  6. University of Seville, Seville, Spain

    A. Ollero

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  1. K. Baizid
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  2. G. Giglio
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  4. M. A. Trujillo
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  5. G. Antonelli
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Correspondence to F. Pierri.

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Baizid, K., Giglio, G., Pierri, F. et al. Behavioral control of unmanned aerial vehicle manipulator systems. Auton Robot 41, 1203–1220 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10514-016-9590-0

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