In [1], the differential flatness of a system composed of two quadrotors manipulating a flexible rope is demonstrated and a method to control two points of the rope is proposed. Parts of the rope can be immersed in a highly viscous environment. The target application is, indeed, using the aerial manipulation system to collect floating objects from the surface of waterways.
The internship's main scientific objective is testing the theory developed in [1] in real experiments indoors, which has never been done so far. Hence, from the experimental results, conclusions will be drawn on the possible limitations of the theory and hence on how to modify it. These conclusions will be reported in writing through technical reports, and the task handover will be facilitated by the intern through the sharing of documented code. The intern will be part of the research team, participating in recurrent group meetings and being supervised weekly. Furthermore, reporting and supervision will also take place through the project management software Redmine.
References: [1] Differential Flatness and Manipulation of Elasto-flexible Cables Carried by Aerial Robots in a Possibly Viscous Environment, C. Gabellieri & A. Franchi, ICUAS 2023