Online Non-linear Centroidal MPC for Humanoid Robots Payload Carrying with Contact-Stable Force Parametrization

https://github.com/ami-iit/paperelobaid2023icrawalkingwithpayloads/assets/36491318/fdda31c2-f015-4539-8252-d29681b9eefb

Abstract

In this paper we consider the problem of allowing a humanoid robot that is subject to a persistent disturbance, in the form of a payload-carrying task, to follow given planned footsteps. To solve this problem, we combine an online nonlinear centroidal Model Predictive Controller - MPC with a contact stable force parametrization. The cost function of the MPC is augmented with terms handling the disturbance and regularizing the parameter. The performance of the resulting controller is validated both in simulations and on the humanoid robot iCub. Finally, the effect of using the parametrization on the computational time of the controller is briefly studied.

Installation

The main difference with respect to the original centroidal-mpc is not on the application side, but on the bipedal-locomotion-framework side. In our case we build a version of the framework that implements the parametrized Reduced model controllers component.

General dependencies and robotology-superbuild

It is recommended that you follow the installation guidelines for the robotology-superbuild

Make sure that you set in the CMake options, the following profiles are set

- ROBOTOLOGY_USES_GAZEBO - ROBOTOLOGY_ENABLE_DYNAMICS - ROBOTOLOGY_ENABLE_DYNAMICS_FULL_DEPS

Ad-hoc installation guidelines

Once the robotology-superbuild installation is followed correctly. You need to follow the following instructions

clone this repo

then clone this repo

git clone https://github.com/ami-iit/paper_elobaid_2023_icra_walking_with_payloads.git

then go to the bipedal-locomotion-framework repo

cd /where/you/cloned/robotology-superbuild/src/bipedal-locomotion-framework/src git checkout feature/CentroidalMPC

You need to replace the contents of the folder ReducedModelControllers in the bipedal-locomotion-framework with the folder of the same name found in this repo, then

cd /where/you/cloned/robotology-superbuild/builde/src/bipedal-locomotion-framework cmake . [sudo] make && make install the sudo option in case the CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX was not set to a local path.

Now we clone and build the application provided in this repo

cd /where/you/cloned/this/repo/application && mkdir build cd build ccmake .. [sudo] make && make install

Finally, to be able to use the gazebo worlds provided by this repo, you need to set the following environment variables

``` export YARPDATADIRS=$YARPDATADIRS:/where/you/installed/this/repo/application/world/centroidalmpcergocub

export GAZEBOMODELPATH=$GAZEBOMODELPATH:/where/you/installed/this/repo/application/world/centroidalmpcergocub ```

Usage

To use the application and reproduce the experiments, follow the instructions below

1. set up the robot name

export YARP_ROBOT_NAME="icubGazeboV3"

1. run a yarpserver

yarpserver --write

1. launch the gazebo world

export YARP_CLOCK=/clock gazebo -slibgazebo_yarp_clock.so /where/you/installed/this/repo/application/world/world

1. run a yarprobotinterface

YARP_CLOCK=/clock yarprobotinterface --config launch-wholebodydynamics.xml

1. run the application using the correct config files

``` cd /where/you/installed/this/repo/application/src/centroidal-mpc-walking/config/robots/iCubGazeboV3

/where/you/installed/the/application/cwm ```

to plot the data, use matlab to run the script plot_data.m

Citing this work

If you find the work useful, please consider citing:

bibtex @ARTICLE{mebbaid2023ICRA, author={Mohamed Elobaid, Giulio Romualdi, Gabriele Nava, Lorenzo Rapetti, Hosameldin Awadalla Omer Mohamed, Daniele Pucci}, title={Online Non-linear Centroidal MPC for Humanoid Robots Payload Carrying with Contact-Stable Force Parametrization}, booktitle={2023 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)}, year={2023}}

Maintainer

This repository is maintained by:

| | | |:---:|:---:| | | @mebbaid |