Leader-follower tracking and simulation for two robotic manipulators

Abstract

This project investigates the tracking and simulation of two robotic manipulators in a leader-follower configuration. The goal is for a follower robotic manipulator to precisely track a leader robotic manipulator as it moves while maintaining a desired distance between their end effectors. Coordinated control of multiple robotic manipulators is a crucial aspect in various fields like healthcare, manufacturing, and exploration. The leader-follower control method is a common approach of multi-robotic control, where a leading robot dictates the trajectory and other robot(s) follow accordingly. It is commonly used in teleoperation and cooperation. In teleoperation, a human controls the leader, and the follower replicates the motion in a different location. In cooperation, both robots share a workspace, with the follower working with the leader to accomplish a task that is challenging for just one robot, such as lifting long, heavy objects. The follower can obtain the leader’s position through various methods, such as joint sensor data or computer vision. Using joint data means simpler calculations and avoids vision limitations like occlusion but requires reliable communication and a cleanly planned workspace. Alternatively, computer vision and sensors allow for more information to be gathered about the environment that can be factored into tracking, but at the same time may be affected by factors such as obfuscation by obstacles. This report aims to explore, design, and simulate leader-follower tracking strategies in a virtual CoppeliaSim environment using two 3-DOF robotic manipulator models