Dynamic stability analysis of modular, self-reconfigurable robotic systems

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Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Turkey

Approval Date: 2005

Student: TEVFİK ALİ BÖKE

Supervisor: REŞİT SOYLU

Abstract:

In this study, an efficient algorithm has been developed for the dynamic stability analysis of self-reconfigurable, modular robots. Such an algorithm is essential for the motion planning of self-reconfigurable robotic systems. The building block of the algorithm is the determination of the stability of a rigid body in contact with the ground when there exists Coulomb friction between the two bodies. This problem is linearized by approximating the friction cone with a pyramid and then solved, efficiently, using linear programming. The effects of changing the number of faces of the pyramid and the number of contact points are investigated. A novel definition of stability, called percentage stability, is introduced to counteract the adverse effects of the static indeterminacy problem between two contacting bodies. The algorithm developed for the dynamic stability analysis, is illustrated via various case studies using the recently introduced self-reconfigurable robotic system, called I-Cubes.