Non-destructive contact-based inspection requires aerial robots with advanced capabilities for physical interaction. At RAM, we developed an omnidirectional platform with 6D physical interaction capabilities.
Crack-detection sensors can collect data as the robot slides across the inspected surface: the faster it slides, the more data it can collect per time interval. This thesis investigates the limits of the current platform.
Research Questions
- How do velocity, energy consumption, and contact accuracy interplay in fast sliding?
- Does a crack-detection sensor work reliably onboard a robot operating at maximum speed?
Required Skills
- System Identification
- Aerial robotics, specifically physical interaction
- Mechatronics skills or previous experience with hardware, to approach the real-world experiments with low friction
Objective
- Experimental campaign of the omnirotor performing a crack-detection inspection while sliding at high speed
Supervisors
- Antonio Franchi
- Barbara Bazzana
- Ruben Veenstra
References
- [1] R. Veenstra, A. Ali, C. Gabellieri, and A. Franchi, "6D Physical Interaction with an Omnidirectional Aerial Robot," Drones, 10(2), 129, 2026. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones10020129