Abstract
We address the construction of truss structures with standardized parts and simple fasteners using multiple aerial robots. Robotic construction, unlike assembly in industrial settings, often occurs in unstructured environments where it may be difficult to manipulate objects to a high level of precision. This is particularly true with aerial assembly. There are challenges in positioning aerial robots and in deploying complicated manipulators or material handling devices in constrained environments characteristic of partially-built structures.We consider a scaled-down version of the problem with quadrotors, lightweight truss elements, and magnetic fasteners. Specifically, we present a provably-correct distributed construction algorithm that allows multiple robots to assemble structures according to a specified blue print with only local knowledge. In addition, we describe several heuristics for choosing the order in which parts are placed to improve performance measures like completion time. We illustrate the performance of the algorithm and the heuristics with simulations of our multi-quadrotor testbed.
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Lindsey, Q., Kumar, V. (2013). Distributed Construction of Truss Structures. In: Frazzoli, E., Lozano-Perez, T., Roy, N., Rus, D. (eds) Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics X. Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics, vol 86. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36279-8_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36279-8_13
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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