Multi-Robot Cooperative Transportation of Irregular Objects by Multi-Objective Optimization With Distributed Control

To enhance the efficiency of cooperative transportation by multiple mobile robots, we propose a transportation strategy based on multi-objective optimization of robot configurations. The system consists of multiple omnidirectional robots equipped with passively rotatable linkages, enabling the application of forces in arbitrary directions on the object. Based on the irregular shape of the object, we design a multi-objective function considering three criteria, namely robot position dispersion, maximum torque capacity, and shape closure. In addition, a rigid distributed model predictive control (DMPC) scheme based on local consensus is developed to coordinate the transportation task while maintaining a fixed formation. Real-world experiments validate the proposed method, demonstrating its effectiveness and robustness in transporting irregular objects.