Researchers from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore, led by Professor Ben M. Chen, have developed a novel hybrid aerial-terrestrial vehicle (HATV) called Tilt-Ropter. This innovative vehicle combines tilt rotors with passive wheels to achieve energy-efficient multi-mode locomotion, potentially offering significant benefits for the energy sector.
The Tilt-Ropter stands out from existing HATVs due to its fully actuated design, which enables decoupled force and torque control. This design enhancement greatly improves the vehicle’s mobility and adaptability to various environments. The researchers developed a nonlinear model predictive controller (NMPC) to track reference trajectories and manage contact constraints across different locomotion modes. Additionally, a dedicated control allocation module was created to exploit actuation redundancy, achieving energy-efficient control of actuators.
To further enhance robustness during ground contact, the team introduced an external wrench estimation algorithm. This algorithm estimates environmental interaction forces and torques in real time, ensuring the vehicle’s stability and efficiency. The system was validated through both simulations and real-world experiments, including seamless air-ground transitions and trajectory tracking. The results were impressive, with low tracking errors in both aerial and terrestrial modes and a notable 92.8% reduction in power consumption during ground locomotion.
The practical applications for the energy sector are significant. The Tilt-Ropter’s energy-efficient design and robust control systems could be particularly useful for inspecting and maintaining energy infrastructure, such as wind turbines, power lines, and pipelines. The vehicle’s ability to transition seamlessly between aerial and terrestrial modes allows for versatile and efficient monitoring and maintenance operations, reducing the need for multiple specialized vehicles and lowering overall energy consumption.
The research was published in the journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, highlighting the potential of the Tilt-Ropter to revolutionize energy sector operations.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.