Mobile manipulator and method of controlling the mobile manipulator for tracking a surface

A mobile manipulator for tracking a surface, the mobile manipulator comprising:

• a mobile base movable in an axial direction of the mobile manipulator;
• a manipulator supported on the mobile base having an end effector adjustable in a lateral direction of the mobile manipulator;
• and
• a controller configured for controlling the mobile base and the manipulator, the controller comprising:
• a surface detection module configured to detect the surface from the mobile manipulator, including positions of the surface at points along the surface;
• a reference path determining module configured to determine a reference path for the end effector to track based on an offset from the surface detected;
• a tracking error determining module configured to determine a tracking error in the reference path determined;
• and
• an adjustment module configured to adjust a position of the end effector in the lateral direction based on the tracking error to compensate for the tracking error in the reference path determined.

A computer program product, embodied in one or more computer-readable storage mediums, comprising instructions executable by one or more computer processors to perform a method of controlling a mobile manipulator for tracking a surface, the mobile manipulator comprising a mobile base movable in an axial direction of the mobile manipulator and a manipulator supported on the mobile base having an end effector adjustable in a lateral direction of the mobile manipulator, the method comprising:

• detecting the surface from the mobile manipulator, including positions of the surface at points along the surface;
• determining a reference path for the end effector to track based on an offset from the surface detected;
• determining a tracking error in the reference path determined;
• and
• adjusting a position of the end effector in the lateral direction based on the tracking error to compensate for the tracking error in the reference path determined.