Design, analysis, and robust control of inertially actuated two wheeled inverted pendulum

Abstract This paper introduces an inertially actuated wheeled baton robot that can generate various locomotion patterns via inertial actuation. The proposed design not only functions as a simple wheeled mobile robot but also uses its wheels to generate inertial effects, enabling high mobility and in-air acrobatics maneuvers. Additionally, the robot can uniquely perform locomotive and non-locomotive tasks on low-friction surfaces. A comprehensive mathematical model of the robot is developed, and different motion modes of the system are analyzed. The mode transitions are characterized in the modal transition flow diagram, which is based on actuation torques. It is demonstrated that different locomotion patterns are achieved through distinct sequences of motion mode transitions. Moreover, a nonlinear adaptive tracking controller is designed to regulate the robot’s motion to achieve different locomotion patterns. Finally, numerical analysis is conducted to validate the proposed design concepts.