Tree organization method for structuring cluster space-based rover formations with applications to multi-object transportation

"In this work, concepts of cluster space approach are extended through a novel formulation, namely Tree Organization Method (TOM), to systematically arrange formations of mobile robots. TOM consists in analyzing the =-robot cluster as an open kinematic chain with multiple branches, where robots remain linked as they move according to this virtual mechanism, by ensuring the specified formation’s geometry during all the navigation time.TOMallows to easily generate synchronized reference trajectories for all robots involved in the formation, and this formulation is applied to the particular case of an arranged 7-robot cluster tasked to transport 3 spheres along a predefined trajectory. This scenario is recreated in a realistic cooperative simulation interfacing MSC ADAMS and MATLAB, where multi-body dynamic modeling, cluster specification under TOM and robust tracking controllers are developed for this multi-robot application."