Maneuvering and stabilizing control of a quadrupedal robot using a serpentine robotic tail

This paper analyzes the control of a mobile robotic system that utilizes a serpentine robotic tail to assist in the maneuvering and stabilization of quadrupedal locomotion. The goal of this research is to reduce the design and control complexity required in the robot's legs by providing a separate mechanism to help the mobile robot steer and recover from disturbances. The design and dynamic models for a quadrupedal robotic platform's yaw, pitch and roll are presented, along with the design and dynamic model of the roll-revolute-revolute robotic tail (R3-RT). Dynamic tail configuration controllers are designed to enable different system functionalities, including yaw-angle turning and pitch/roll-angle stabilization. Case studies are simulated in MATLAB to demonstrate the proposed functionalities.