Dynamics and control of nonholonomic mobile robot systems

Abstract

The positional degrees of freedom of a mobile robot are reduced by nonholonomic constraints further to a smaller number of motional degrees of freedom. It is shown how the equations of motion can be reduced to a minimal number using generalized coordinates and generalized velocities. The theoretical results are applied to an actively controlled robot with stiff tires. One scalar control variable provides full controllability of the position of the robot moving on a plane surface. A control strategy is found for stationary and instationary motions.