HCLM: A Hierarchical Framework for Cooperative Loco-Manipulation with Dual Quadrupeds

2026-05-17

AI Summary

This work addresses the challenge of simultaneously achieving spatial coordination, robust motion, and internal force regulation in closed-chain cooperative manipulation by floating-base multi-legged robots. To this end, a hierarchical collaboration framework is proposed: at the high level, a centralized joint diffusion policy generates SE(3)-invariant, coordinate-free cooperative behaviors; at the low level, a hybrid whole-body controller integrates model predictive control with collaborative admittance force control to enable precise end-effector tracking and active internal force modulation. The approach achieves, for the first time, configuration-agnostic cooperative manipulation using dual quadrupedal robots, demonstrating high efficiency in simulated tasks such as transportation, bin packing, and handover. Furthermore, real-world handover experiments validate its high task success rate and strong disturbance rejection capability.

Abstract

We introduce HCLM, a hierarchical framework for general-purpose cooperative loco-manipulation with dual quadrupedal systems. Coordinating multi-robot collaborative manipulation across floating bases is highly challenging due to the conflicting demands of spatial coordination, robust locomotion, and closed-chain physical interactions. To resolve this, our architecture systematically decouples high-level collaborative reasoning from low-level robust motion execution. At the high level, a centralized Joint Diffusion Policy leverages an SE(3)-invariant task-space representation to learn coordinate-agnostic spatial coordination patterns. To translate these frame-agnostic references into physical motion, a task-centric hybrid Whole-Body Controller synergizes a proactive kinematic Model Predictive Control for collision-free velocity distribution with a reactive execution layer. Crucially, this reactive layer guarantees rapid responsiveness for precise end-effector tracking, while concurrently integrating active force regulation via a cooperative admittance scheme to safely resolve kinematic conflicts and strictly regulate internal stresses during closed-chain interactions. We validate the framework across progressively challenging simulated scenarios, including cooperative carrying, packing and handovers, and successfully deploy the latter in the real world. The results demonstrate reliable task execution, strict configuration agnosticism, and exceptional resilience against severe physical perturbations, offering a highly robust pathway for multi-robot embodied coordination.

Problem

• cooperative loco-manipulation
• multi-robot coordination
• floating-base manipulation
• closed-chain interaction
• quadrupedal robots

Innovation

• Hierarchical Control
• Cooperative Loco-Manipulation
• SE(3)-Invariant Representation
• Whole-Body Control
• Admittance Control