Sliding Mode Control of Pendulum-Driven Spherical Robots

Abstract

In this paper, the dynamics and control aspects of longitudinal motion of pendulum-driven spherical robots are investigated. A simplified dynamic model is established for a spherical robot, which is an underactuated mechanical system. Based on this dynamic model, a hierarchical sliding mode controller is proposed. The stability of the whole system is verified through Lyapunov analysis, and the asymptotic stability of the sub-sliding surfaces is proved with mathematical techniques. The validity of the proposed controller is illustrated through a simulation study.