A Comparative Study of Real-Time Implementable Cooperative Aerial Manipulation Systems
Stamatina C. Barakou, Costas S. Tzafestas, Kimon P. Valavanis
TL;DR
This survey examines real-time implementable cooperative aerial manipulation systems, comparing prototypes across cable-driven, multi-DOF arm, flexible payload, ground-air, and rigidly-attached configurations. It discusses Newton-Euler and Euler-Lagrange modeling approaches and a spectrum of control strategies, including admittance/impedance, LQR, NMPC, disturbance observers, and NSB-based hierarchies, with emphasis on wind, perception, and communication as central challenges. The findings show that outdoor validation exists mainly for cable-driven and rigidly-attached systems, but fully autonomous, onboard-perception solutions remain elusive, often relying on motion capture in lab settings. The paper provides a roadmap for next-generation prototypes focused on robustness, safety, and onboard sensing to enable deployment in diverse civil and industrial contexts.
Abstract
This survey paper focuses on quadrotor- and multirotor- based cooperative aerial manipulation. Emphasis is first given on comparing and evaluating prototype systems that have been implemented and tested in real-time in diverse application environments. Underlying modeling and control approaches are also discussed and compared. The outcome of the survey allows for understanding the motivation and rationale to develop such systems, their applicability and implementability in diverse applications and also challenges that need to be addressed and overcome. Moreover, the survey provides a guide to develop the next generation of prototype systems based on preferred characteristics, functionality, operability and application domain.