Maintaining rescue posture of articulated double tracked robot based on model predictive control

Abstract

Robots for extreme conditions are in the spotlight as their capability of replacing manpower being put into regions where injuries or death accidents commonly occur, such as battlefields, disaster areas, or danger areas. Rescue robot is developed for these issues. Its purpose is to safely transport injured soldiers in the battlefield. The robot is built with a manipulator on an upper body for carrying soldiers, and a variable configuration double-tracked platform as a lower body suitable for maneuvering through rough terrains. This thesis will apply Model Predictive Control (MPC) to maintain the rescue posture of the robot while moving through rough terrains and to verify its performance through simulation using a multi-body dynamics simulation software called RecurDyn. A scaled down model of the actual design was prototyped to verify the algorithm which was proved to be valid through simulations and to find any further improvements.