Robotic yoyo playing with visual feedback

Robotic yoyo playing is a challenging, open-loop unstable game, which requires dynamic dexterity to stabilize. The switching control strategy proposed here stabilizes the yoyo by determining when to start its activation. A straightforward implementation is presented and demonstrated, using continuous state estimation provided by visual feedback and the previously developed dynamic model. The discrete return map associated with the original continuous system is analyzed and shown to possess a single physically relevant fixed point. Stability is guaranteed as long as the control parameter, which determines the magnitude of the acceleration, is above a certain level. The stabilizing power of the proposed control algorithm is successfully demonstrated on a real-time robotic yoyo playing system. Theoretical predictions regarding the fixed point of the return map are confirmed experimentally, providing further support for our modeling and analysis.