Cooperating Control of Multiple Nonholonomic Mobile Robots Carrying a Ladder with Obstacles

A cooperating control algorithm for two nonholonomic mobile robots is proposed. The task is composed of collision avoidance against obstacles and carrying a ladder. The front robot and the rear robot are called the leader and the follower, respectively. Each robot has a nonholonomic constraint so it cannot move in perpendicular directions. The environment is initially supposed to be unknown except target position. The torque that drives leader is determined by distance between the leader and the target position or the distance between it and the obstacles. The torque by target is attractive and the torque by obstacles is repulsive. The two mobile robots are supposed to be connected by link that can be expanded and contracted. The follower computes its torque using position and orientation information from the leader by communication. Simulation results show that the robots can drive to target position without colliding into the obstacles and maintain the distance in the allowable range.