Control Fusion for Safe Multi-robot Coordination

Published

May 9, 2014

Author(s)

Roger V. Bostelman, Jeremy A. Marvel

Abstract

Future smart manufacturing systems will include more complex coordination of mobile manipulators (e.g., robot arms mounted on mobile bases). The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Performance of Collaborative Robot Systems Project has been researching safety and performance control aspects of multi-robots using a mobile platform (automatic guided vehicle with an onboard manipulator). Safety standards for these independent robots mandate their failsafe control with little overlap between standards when the two systems are combined and their independent controllers have collaborative decisions to make for safe movement. This paper references and briefly discusses previously uncovered gaps between AGV and manipulator standards and detail decision sharing for when manipulators and AGVs are combined into a collaborative, mobile manipulator system. Tests using the NIST mobile manipulator with various control methods were performed and are described along with test results and plans for further, more complex tests of implicit and explicit coordination control of the mobile manipulator.

Proceedings Title

SPIE-DDS

Conference Dates

May 5-9, 2014

Conference Location

Baltimore, MD

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

mobile manipulator, safety, safety standards, test methods, control, coordination

Citation

Bostelman, R. and Marvel, J. (2014), Control Fusion for Safe Multi-robot Coordination, SPIE-DDS, Baltimore, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=915915 (Accessed April 18, 2025)