Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Flyflic (Flying companion for floating litter collection)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-10-31
Plastic pollution is considered one of the most challenging environmental risks globally, and rivers have been identified as a dominant pathway for the accumulation of plastic in the oceans. The Flyflic (FLYing companion for Floating LItter Collection) project, carried out by Chiara Gabellieri and supervised by Antonio Franchi, addresses this global challenge by deploying a first-of-its-kind robotic platform composed of multiple unmanned aerial robots to effectively collect litter from rivers and canals, thus preventing such litter from reaching our oceans. The project contributes to European strategic priorities (Horizon Europe Mission on healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters) and global strategic priorities (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals). Compared to state-of-the-art solutions, which are mainly boat-like robots or fixed trapping mechanisms, a flying platform can target desired spots, can easily discharge the collected litter, is low cost, and is not hindered by non-navigable spots such as dams and low bridges.
Objectives
The overarching objective of the project is the deployment of an integrated aerial robotic platform embedding deformable parts in contact with water for floating litter collection. Several challenged have been identified and are targeted by the project’s objectives. To do so, the project aims at (i) solving modeling and control challenges of deformable aerial robotic manipulation platforms; (ii) considering all the necessary components for autonomous functioning; (iii) handling interaction with humans.
Main results beyond the state of the art
Objectives
The overarching objective of the project is the deployment of an integrated aerial robotic platform embedding deformable parts in contact with water for floating litter collection. Several challenged have been identified and are targeted by the project’s objectives. To do so, the project aims at (i) solving modeling and control challenges of deformable aerial robotic manipulation platforms; (ii) considering all the necessary components for autonomous functioning; (iii) handling interaction with humans.
Main results beyond the state of the art
The work carried out during the project has tackled different aspects of floating litter collection. The main steps of the project can be seen at https://www.ram.eemcs.utwente.nl/research/projects/flyflic(opens in new window).
On March 3, 2023, a proof of concept of Flyflic has been delivered within the project. The demo, available at https://youtu.be/_md0IJnaccU , represents the first, preliminary step toward achieving the project's goals and also provides useful hints on future directions as well as additional motivation to pursue a higher degree of automation of the task.
Hence, the platform composed by a cable-suspended net manipulated by a single quadrotor has been brought to a further level of automation, integrating floating litter identification and autonomous trajectory generation. The system has been tested outdoors and results have been presented at the 2024 International Conference of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (ICUAS).
The Flyflic project also focused on force-based multi-robot coordination algorithms for the aerial manipulation of cable-suspended objects, relevant to the project objectives. Such a manipulation methodology allows to overcome direct communication shortcomings, such as packet losses or delays, and allows robot coordination in GNSS-denied environments.
Flyflic also focused on the aerial robotic manipulation of deformable objects, especially studying the modeling and control of deformable cables manipulated by one and two quadrotors.
On May, 2024, the University of Twente magazine U-Today chose to dedicate an online article to Flyflic (https://www.utoday.nl/science/73919/flying-robot-to-collect-litter-in-rivers(opens in new window)).
On March 3, 2023, a proof of concept of Flyflic has been delivered within the project. The demo, available at https://youtu.be/_md0IJnaccU , represents the first, preliminary step toward achieving the project's goals and also provides useful hints on future directions as well as additional motivation to pursue a higher degree of automation of the task.
Hence, the platform composed by a cable-suspended net manipulated by a single quadrotor has been brought to a further level of automation, integrating floating litter identification and autonomous trajectory generation. The system has been tested outdoors and results have been presented at the 2024 International Conference of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (ICUAS).
The Flyflic project also focused on force-based multi-robot coordination algorithms for the aerial manipulation of cable-suspended objects, relevant to the project objectives. Such a manipulation methodology allows to overcome direct communication shortcomings, such as packet losses or delays, and allows robot coordination in GNSS-denied environments.
Flyflic also focused on the aerial robotic manipulation of deformable objects, especially studying the modeling and control of deformable cables manipulated by one and two quadrotors.
On May, 2024, the University of Twente magazine U-Today chose to dedicate an online article to Flyflic (https://www.utoday.nl/science/73919/flying-robot-to-collect-litter-in-rivers(opens in new window)).
The first proof of concept demonstrates that litter collection on the water is possible with a human-operated drone. This represents an advancement in the state of the art of floating litter collection. The following automation of the Flyflic concept (F. Zoric,.., & C. gabellieeri, ICUAS 2024, doi: 10.1109/ICUAS60882.2024.10557120) represents an advancement on the state of the art of autonomous litter collection: although the results are still preliminary, the project showed an integrated first-of-its-kind robotic platform at work for floating litter collection.
The results of the Flyflic project advanced the state of the art by formally demonstrating the role of the internal forces in the object pose regulation even in the presence of parameter uncertainties (C. Gabellieri et al. IEEE T-RO, 2024, doi: 10.1109/TRO.2023.3279033) and force biases (C. Gabellieri et al. IROS 2023 doi: 10.1109/IROS55552.2023.10342240).
Flyflic advanced the state of the art of deformable object manipulation(C.gabellieri & A. Franchi, ICUAS 2023, doi: 10.1109/ICUAS57906.2023.10156297) by showing the differential flatness of a system composed of an elasto-flexible cable suspended below two quadrotors in a potentially viscous environment. It also demonstrated a novel modeling and control technique that allows shape and position control of a deformable cable manipulated by a single drone (Y. Shen, A. Franchi, C. Gabellieri, https://arxiv.org/pdf/2403.17565(opens in new window)).
The results of the Flyflic project advanced the state of the art by formally demonstrating the role of the internal forces in the object pose regulation even in the presence of parameter uncertainties (C. Gabellieri et al. IEEE T-RO, 2024, doi: 10.1109/TRO.2023.3279033) and force biases (C. Gabellieri et al. IROS 2023 doi: 10.1109/IROS55552.2023.10342240).
Flyflic advanced the state of the art of deformable object manipulation(C.gabellieri & A. Franchi, ICUAS 2023, doi: 10.1109/ICUAS57906.2023.10156297) by showing the differential flatness of a system composed of an elasto-flexible cable suspended below two quadrotors in a potentially viscous environment. It also demonstrated a novel modeling and control technique that allows shape and position control of a deformable cable manipulated by a single drone (Y. Shen, A. Franchi, C. Gabellieri, https://arxiv.org/pdf/2403.17565(opens in new window)).