Advancing Manipulation Capabilities of a UAV Featuring Dynamic Center-of-Mass Displacement

TL;DR

This paper enhances UAV manipulation by optimizing its center-of-mass displacement and integrating a 2-DoF arm, enabling higher-force interactions for industrial tasks, validated through simulation results.

Contribution

It introduces a novel CoM optimization method for UAVs with manipulators and extends the system with a 2-DoF arm for complex tool-based tasks.

Findings

Optimized CoM displacement improves force exertion capabilities.

Integration of a 2-DoF arm extends manipulation functionalities.

Simulations demonstrate potential for industrial applications.

Abstract

As aerial robots gain traction in industrial applications, there is growing interest in enhancing their physical interaction capabilities. Pushing tasks performed by aerial manipulators have been successfully demonstrated in contact-based inspections. However, more complex industrial applications require these systems to support higher-DoF (Degree of Freedom) manipulators and generate larger forces while pushing (e.g., drilling, grinding). This paper builds on our previous work, where we introduced an aerial vehicle that can dynamically vary its CoM (Center of Mass) location to improve force exertion during interactions. We propose a novel approach to further enhance this system's force generation by optimizing its CoM location during interactions. Additionally, we study the case of this aerial vehicle equipped with a 2-DoF manipulation arm to extend the system's functionality in tool-based tasks. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is validated through simulations, demonstrating the potential of this system for advanced aerial manipulation in practical settings.