Visual-based Feedback Control of Casting Manipulation

In this paper, we present a method to control casting manipulation by means of real-time visual feedback. Casting manipulation is a technique to deploy a robotic end-effector at large distances from the robot’s base, by throwing the end-effector and controlling its ballistic flight using forces transmitted through a light tether connected to the end-effector itself. The tether cable can also be used to retrieve the end-effector and exert forces on the robot’s environment. Previous work has shown that casting manipulation is able to catch objects at a large distance, proving it viable for applications such as sample acquisition and return, rescue, etc. In previous experiments, the position of the target object was known exactly. In this paper, we present a first attempt at closing a real-time control loop on casting manipulation using visual feedback of moving targets. As accurate planning methods developed for off-line open-loop planning cannot be used in real-time, we develop a simplified model and control algorithm, whose effectiveness is demonstrated through experiment

Dynamic lifting motion for humanoid robots

Abstract-This paper describes a motion generation method for dynamic lifting by a humanoid robot. The proposed technique suggests the possibility of taking advantage of the whole body motion in order to facilitate the lifting movement. In particular, the idea is to perform a preliminary motion in order to generate a momentum which is instantaneously transferred to the object as an impulsive force. This allows the humanoid to lift up an object that could not be lifted up only by continuous force. However an impulsive force may make the humanoid unstable. Then, we propose to set the center of percussion (CoPn) of the whole system at the center of the support polygon of the humanoid when it lifts up the object. We also propose a design method of a preliminary motion of the humanoid that generates a sufficient momentum to lift up an object without any slip, tumble and hop of the whole system. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by simulation and experiment