A car transportation system grasping two drive wheels

Abstract

This article describes the concept of a novel car transportation system including two mobile robots with a lift mechanism for single wheel. The system lifts only two drive wheels of a front-wheel-drive vehicle or a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, and transports them. However, the system has nonholonomic constraints because all wheels of a vehicle are not lifted by the system. This article also describes a motion control method and a vehicle's wheelbase estimate algorithm for the proposed system in order to maneuver the vehicle. The motion control method is based on control theory for a three-wheeled cycle system. On the other hand, the vehicle's wheelbase estimate algorithm includes impedance control, and the system estimates the vehicle's wheelbase from constraint forces during transporting the vehicle. Finally, two experiments show that the proposed system can maneuver the vehicle. © 2012 IEEE.