Autonomous Landing of a Quadrotor on a Moving Platform via Model Predictive Control

Landing on a moving platform is an essential requirement to achieve high-performance autonomous flight with various vehicles, including quadrotors. We propose an efficient and reliable autonomous landing system, based on model predictive control, which can accurately land in the presence of external disturbances. To detect and track the landing marker, a fast two-stage algorithm is introduced in the gimbaled camera, while a model predictive controller with variable sampling time is used to predict and calculate the entire landing trajectory based on the estimated platform information. As the quadrotor approaches the target platform, the sampling time is gradually shortened to feed a re-planning process that perfects the landing trajectory continuously and rapidly, improving the overall accuracy and computing efficiency. At the same time, a cascade incremental nonlinear dynamic inversion control method is adopted to track the planned trajectory and improve robustness against external disturbances. We carried out both simulations and outdoor flight experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed landing system. The results show that the quadrotor can land rapidly and accurately even under external disturbance and that the terminal position, speed and attitude satisfy the requirements of a smooth landing mission.

Trajectory planning of a 4-RR(SS)2 high-speed parallel robot

The trajectory-planning method for a novel 4-degree-of-freedom high-speed parallel robot is studied herein. The robot’s motion mechanism adopts RR(SS)2 as branch chains and has a single moving platform structure. Compared with a double moving platform structure, the proposed parallel robot has better acceleration and deceleration performance since the mass of its moving platform is lighter. An inverse kinematics model of the mechanism is established, and the corresponding relationship between the motion parameters of the end-moving platform and the active arm with three end-motion laws is obtained, followed by the optimization of the motion laws by considering the motion laws’ duration and stability. A Lamé curve is used to transition the right-angled part of the traditional gate trajectory, and the parameters of the Lamé curve are optimized to achieve the shortest movement time and minimum acceleration peak. A method for solving Lamé curve trajectory interpolation points based on deduplication optimization is proposed, and a grasping frequency experiment is conducted on a robot prototype. Results show that the grasping frequency of the optimized Lamé curve prototype can be increased to 147 times/min, and its work efficiency is 54.7% higher than that obtained using the traditional Adept gate-shaped trajectory.

Analysis and compensation control of passive rotation on a 6-DOF electrically driven Stewart platform

With the development of motor control technology, the electrically driven Stewart platform (EDSP), equipped with a ball screw or lead screw, is being widely used as a motion simulator, end effector, and vibration isolator. The motor drives the lead screw on each driven branch chain to realize 6-DOF motion of the moving platform. The control loop of the EDSP adopts the rotor position as a feedback signal from the encoder or resolver on the motor. When the moving platform of the EDSP performs translational or rotational motion, the lead screw on each driven branch chain passively generates a relative rotation between its screw and nut in addition to its original sliding motion. This type of passive rotation (PR) of the lead screw does not disturb the motor; hence, it cannot be detected by the position sensor attached to the corresponding motor. Thus, the driven branch chains cause unexpected length changes because of PR. As a result, the PR generates posture errors on the moving platform during operation. In our research, the PR on the EDSP was modeled and analyzed according to the geometry configuration of EDSP. Then, a control method to compensate for the posture errors caused by the PR was proposed. Finally, the effectiveness of the analysis process and compensation control method were validated; the improvement in pose accuracy was confirmed both by simulation and experiments.

Dynamics modelling and analysis of a large-load swinging platform

Swing platform is widely used to simulate the motion attitude of vehicles, ships and aircraft while carrying large loads. Aiming at the excessive driving force and output power of the driving parts caused by the large load swing platform, a new swing platform which can bear the large load was established. The swing platform is equipped with four spring branch chains between the moving platform and the static platform of the 6-UPS parallel mechanism, so as to offset the gravity of the large load and the inertia force of the large load in the process of motion, and the driving force of each branch chain is reduced. In this paper, the structure of the swing platform is introduced, and the dynamics of the swing platform is modeled using the Newton-Euler dynamics equation. Finally, the driving force of each branch chain of the swing platform is obtained by simulation of the dynamics of the swing platform. The simulation results show that the swing platform with four spring branch chains can effectively reduce the driving force of each branch chain compared with the traditional 6-UPS parallel mechanism swing platform.

Analysis of rotation capacity of a novel 2R1T mechanism based on origami of thick panels

A foldable and symmetrical lower-mobility parallel mechanism was proposed based on Waterbomb origami of thick panels. It consists of a moving platform, a base plate and three deployable foldable legs between moving platform and base plate. Firstly, constraint wrenches of each leg were formulated based on screw theory and the results illustrated that the moving platform is in possession of two degrees of orientation freedom and one translational degree of freedom. Secondly, it was approved that base and moving platform are always symmetrical about a middle plane and the moving platform can rotate continuously about any axis chosen freely on this plane. Solving models including forward and inverse position problems were established to determine the maximum rotational angle and workspace. Finally, performance indexe of maximum rotational angle of the PM was analyzed, and effects of two structural variables to the performance were summarized. Conclusions obtained can provide a theoretical basis for the structural design and engineering application of this 2T1R parallel mechanism.