Robotics
Mobile manipulator
ActivePublished
Key
innovation
Combining a mobile base with an arm and whole-body control, uniting navigation with manipulation.
Category
Robotics
Abstraction level
Paradigm
Operation level
Robot controlSystem
How it works
The mobile base provides navigation and positioning within the workspace, and the arm provides grasping and manipulation. Advanced systems use whole-body control, combining base and arm degrees of freedom in a single task (e.g. reaching while moving), and integrate perception, motion planning and force control.
Problem solved
A stationary arm has limited reach, while a mobile base alone cannot manipulate; many tasks (logistics, care, services) require both moving around and acting on objects.