Coordinated task execution of a human and a mobile manipulator

This paper deals with a coordinated task between a human and a mobile manipulator in which the human operator takes an initiative of the task execution. The task trajectory can be modified arbitrarily by the human, and the mobile manipulator will follow the trajectory while executing the task together, e.g., transporting a large object. This requires two issues to be resolved simultaneously, that is, the coordination of locomotion and manipulation and the task execution such as carrying an object. Force control scheme is integrated with the coordination algorithm of locomotion and manipulation. The force control part sustains the object while the coordination between the manipulator and the platform is maintained at position level such that the manipulator does not fully extend or retract. Computer simulations are provided to show the efficacy of the proposed approach