In this project, the study of multi-robot systems interacting with some kind of flexible oscillating elements is addressed. An example is represented by the bimanual manipulation of wires, where two robot arms must perform certain tasks, e.g. imposing to the wire a given shape by taking into account undesired deformations of the wire itself.

Another example is represented by the robotic manipulation, possibly bimanual, of a liquid in a container that must be transferred from a location to another location. A broader class of systems that enjoys similar characteristics includes cable-driven parallel robots, whose base can be reconfigured and relocated in space.

In the above examples, an underconstrained system has to be considered. On the other hand, these systems in general are also redundant, since for imposing a given end-effector pose many different configurations of the “rigid” robotic subsystems can be used.

Co-MIR aims at developing a general framework for planning and controlling such a kind of robotic systems, which are intrinsically redundant and underconstrained and where dynamical problems like vibrations and oscillations cannot be ignored. Specific reference will be made to robots mounted on mobile bases.

Co-MIR is a PRIN project funded by MIUR, where Politecnico di Milano is a partner of a team with the Universities of Bologna, Genova, Modena and Reggio Emilia, and Padova.