On the Optimal Control of a Rolling Ball Robot Actuated by Internal Point Masses

Abstract: The controlled motion of a rolling ball actuated by internal point masses that move along arbitrarily-shaped rails fixed within the ball is considered. Application of the variational Pontryagin's minimum principle yields the ball's controlled equations of motion, a solution of which obeys the ball's uncontrolled equations of motion, satisfies prescribed initial and final conditions, and minimizes a prescribed performance index.