Shared Object Manipulation with a Team of Collaborative Quadrupeds

Abstract-- Utilizing teams of multiple robots is advantageous for handling bulky objects. Many related works focus on multi-manipulator systems, which are limited by workspace constraints. In this paper, we extend a classical hybrid motion-force controller to a team of legged manipulator systems, enabling collaborative loco-manipulation of rigid objects with a force-closed grasp. Our novel approach allows the robots to flexibly coordinate their movements, achieving efficient and stable object co-manipulation and transport, validated through extensive simulations and real-world experiments. I. INTRODUCTION Controlling a team of collaborative robots has become a hot research topic, as these teams enable the handling of large and bulky objects that would be impossible for a single robot.