Kinematic reconfigurability control for an environmental mobile robot operating in the Amazon rain forest

This paper addresses the active control problem of reconfigurable mobile robots on irregular terrain. Different kinematic control strategies to improve robot mobility are proposed based on (a) ground clearance and orientation, (b) ground clearance and stability margin, and (c) wheel traction efficiency. Owing to conflicting objectives associated with these strategies, a multi‐objective optimization approach is formulated to determine a set of optimal solutions and establish a trade‐off optimal solution. The proposed control is validated through numerical simulations and experimental tests using an amphibious wheel‐legged robot, named Environmental Hybrid Robot, designed for environmental monitoring in the Amazon rain forest. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.