Adaptive control using resolved acceleration scheme for flying robot

An adaptive algorithm of a resolved acceleration scheme for a free-flying space robot is presented to handle unknown parameters. The algorithm is based on Slotine and Li's adaptive control for ground-fixed manipulators. The flying robot handles various objects in various kinds of frames and consumes propellant if it has gas jet thrusters. The situation can be considered as one in which the masses of the end effecters and/or the main body are changed. The presented algorithm enables propulsion of the flying robot and precise movement of the end effecters in joint space, the inertial frame, the main body frame of the robot or their combination, and allows accurate estimation of the unknown parameters. We verified them by numerical simulation. A new orientation expression is also introduced to control the orientation of the flying robot and the end effecters intuitively, and we compared the expression with one using Euler angles.