26 Mobile Robotic Systems Introduction Fundamental Issues Definition of a Mobile Robot • Stanford Cart • Intelligent Vehicle for Lunar/Martian Robotic Missions • Mobile Robots — Nonholonomic Systems Nenad M. Kircanski University of Toronto Dynamics of Mobile Robots Control of Mobile Robots Introduction This subsection is devoted to modeling and control of mobile robotic systems. Because a mobile robot can be used for exploration of unknown environments due to its partial or complete autonomy is of fundamental importance. It can be equipped with one or more manipulators for performing mission-specific operations. Thus, mobile robots are very attractive engineering systems, not only because of many. | 26 Mobile Robotic Systems Nenad M. Kircanski University of Toronto Introduction Fundamental Issues Definition of a Mobile Robot Stanford Cart Intelligent Vehicle for Lunar Martian Robotic Missions Mobile Robots Nonholonomic Systems Dynamics of Mobile Robots Control of Mobile Robots Introduction This subsection is devoted to modeling and control of mobile robotic systems. Because a mobile robot can be used for exploration of unknown environments due to its partial or complete autonomy is of fundamental importance. It can be equipped with one or more manipulators for performing mission-specific operations. Thus mobile robots are very attractive engineering systems not only because of many interesting theoretical aspects concerning intelligent behavior and autonomy but also because of applicability in many human activities. Attractiveness from the theoretical point of view is evident because no firm fundamental theory covering intelligent control independent of human assistance exists. Also because wheeled or tracked mobile robots are nonholonomic mechanical systems they are attractive for nonlinear control and modeling research. In Section of this chapter fundamental issues are explained regarding nonholonomic systems and how they differ from holonomic ones. Although we will focus attention mostly on wheeled mobile robots those equipped with tracks and those that rely on legged locomotion systems are addressed as well. The term mobility is addressed from the standpoint of wheeled and tracked platform geometry. Examples provided are also showing how different platforms have been built in practice. Section covers dynamics of mobile robots. Models range from very complex ones that include dynamics of deformable bodies to relatively simple models mostly used to facilitate development of control algorithms. The discussion concludes with some model transformations that help obtain relatively simple models. The next section is devoted to .
