System modeling and tracking control of mobile manipulator subjected to dynamic interaction and uncertainty

Trajectory tracking of a mobile manipulator is a challenging research because of its complex nonlinearity and dynamics. This paper presents an adaptive control strategy for trajectory tracking of a mobile manipulator system that consists of a wheeled platform and a modular manipulator. When a robot system moves in the presence of sliding, it is difficult to accurately track its trajectory by applying the backstepping approach, even if we employ a non-ideal kinematic model. To address this problem, we propose using a combination of adaptive fuzzy control and backstepping approach based on a dynamic model. The proposed control scheme considers the dynamic interaction between the platform and manipulator. To accurately track the trajectory, we propose a fuzzy compensator in order to compensate for modeling uncertainties such as friction and external disturbances. Moreover, to reduce approximation errors and ensure system stability, we include a robust term to the adaptive control law. Simulation results obtained by comparing several cases reveal the presence of the dynamic interaction and confirm the robustness of the designed controller. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness and merits of the proposed control strategy to counteract the modeling uncertainties and accurately track the trajectory.