Design and Control of a Novel Multi-Mode Aerial Ground Robot With Variable Configuration

The mobile robots possess immense application potential in planetary exploration, field investigation and other related fields. Adopting suitable movement modes in multiplex task scenarios and flexible modes transformations significantly enhance the flexibility and mobility efficiency of robots. Therefore, a novel multi-modal mobile robot with various ground and aerial movement modes is proposed. Notably, different modes transformation and aerial manipulation can be smoothly performed during aerial maneuvers, thereby improving the deployment efficiency of robots. Firstly, the proposed multi-modal robot achieves high-integration and high-mobility efficiency in all modes through the iterative optimization design. Subsequently, a comprehensive hybrid dynamic model of the robot is established. Based on the dynamic model, the leg motion trajectory during the aerial transformation is planned by optimizing the coupling torque, minimizing the motion’s interference on the flight system. Additionally, controllers for various movement modes are designed, including a novel flight controller based on the trajectory linearization control (TLC) method with an extended state observer (ESO), compensating for the time-varying inertial parameters of the robot and coupling or external disturbances, improving the agility and stability of the system in aerial. Finally, the practicability and effectiveness of robot’s multi-modal mobility, modes transformations and aerial manipulation are validated through simulations and real-world experiments. Note to Practitioners—Mobile robots are playing an increasingly significant role in industrial production, as demonstrated by their use in inspection and transportation. However, industrial environments often feature three-dimensional obstacles and uneven surfaces, which place high demands on robot adaptability. Although multi-modal mobile robots can enhance environmental adaptability, current solutions are limited by inflexible mode transitions and reduced functionality (e.g., manipulation). In response, we propose a novel multi-modal mobile robot that integrates both ground and aerial modes. To mitigate the adverse effects of dynamic variations and coupling force disturbances, comprehensive system dynamics model is established. A trajectory optimization-based approach combined with a novel nonlinear flight controller is then employed to compensate for these disturbances, thereby enabling seamless aerial transitions and agile aerial manipulation through leg-arm reuse.