HGAR: A Transformable Ground–Aerial Robot with Dual-Mode Manipulation and Robust Control for Autonomous Pick-and-Place Tasks

HGAR: A Transformable Ground–Aerial Robot with Dual-Mode Manipulation and Robust Control for Autonomous Pick-and-Place Tasks | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article HGAR: A Transformable Ground–Aerial Robot with Dual-Mode Manipulation and Robust Control for Autonomous Pick-and-Place Tasks Maha Salman, Mohamed Fanni, Abdelfatah M. Mohamed, Ahmed Sameh This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7475893/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This paper presents the development and validation of a novel Hybrid Ground–Aerial Robot (HGAR) that integrates aerial mobility with terrestrial navigation and dual-mode manipulation capabilities for advanced autonomous pick-and-place operations in both structured and unstructured environments. The HGAR features a dual-locomotion system, combining a quadrotor platform for flight with a differential-wheeled mechanism for ground traversal, interconnected by a compact transformation mechanism that enables seamless mode switching. The robot supports two distinct manipulation configurations: a 3-DOF aerial manipulator for in-flight object interaction and a 4-DOF ground manipulator, where the propeller arm serves as an actuated link during terrestrial tasks. Comprehensive kinematic and dynamic models are developed for both operational modes, accompanied by a novel inverse kinematics (IK) formulation for accurate point-to-point task-space tracking. A Robust Internal-Loop Compensator (RIC) ensures stable flight control under external disturbances, while conventional PID controllers manage manipulator joint motion. The integrated system is validated through MATLAB/ADAMS co-simulation, demonstrating accurate object manipulation, trajectory tracking, and disturbance rejection. Simulation results indicate position errors below 5 mm and orientation deviations within ±2.5°, task duration reduced by 23% compared to conventional UAV systems, confirming the robot’s effectiveness in dynamic, multi-modal environments. These results underscore the potential of HGAR for deployment in real-world applications such as search-and-rescue missions, autonomous inspection, and logistics in confined or partially accessible areas. Hybrid ground-aerial robot Aerial manipulation Differential-drive robot Inverse kinematics Robust internal-loop compensator (RIC) Mobile manipulation Dynamic simulation Dual-mode locomotion Trajectory tracking Pick-and-place robot Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Vedio1.mp4 Vedio2.mp4 Vedio3.mp4 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7475893","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":511609639,"identity":"00de55da-991a-4b3a-9a88-d26dc4cc899f","order_by":0,"name":"Maha Salman","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"A researcher at Power electronics and energy conversion dep electronic research Institute","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maha","middleName":"","lastName":"Salman","suffix":""},{"id":511609641,"identity":"e671a50b-cbdc-4b0a-8cd4-dcc59e3f0f42","order_by":1,"name":"Mohamed Fanni","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mansoura University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohamed","middleName":"","lastName":"Fanni","suffix":""},{"id":511609644,"identity":"b71b0eea-e6ea-48c7-9b7a-660e839835eb","order_by":2,"name":"Abdelfatah M. 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The HGAR features a dual-locomotion system, combining a quadrotor platform for flight with a differential-wheeled mechanism for ground traversal, interconnected by a compact transformation mechanism that enables seamless mode switching. The robot supports two distinct manipulation configurations: a 3-DOF aerial manipulator for in-flight object interaction and a 4-DOF ground manipulator, where the propeller arm serves as an actuated link during terrestrial tasks. Comprehensive kinematic and dynamic models are developed for both operational modes, accompanied by a novel inverse kinematics (IK) formulation for accurate point-to-point task-space tracking. A Robust Internal-Loop Compensator (RIC) ensures stable flight control under external disturbances, while conventional PID controllers manage manipulator joint motion. The integrated system is validated through MATLAB/ADAMS co-simulation, demonstrating accurate object manipulation, trajectory tracking, and disturbance rejection. 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