ROBARTE

ROBARTE will extend the physical and cognitive capabilities of mobile manipulators to allow a robust implementation of advanced handling approaches for deformable objects. The capability to manipulate deformable objects is considered a lifeblood capacity and a significant barrier to automation, given the difficulties to predict the behaviour of deformable objects, to grasp and to shape them without any damage, to position them accurately in large workspaces and cluttered environments. ROBARTE will gather partners from different European countries working together on two specific classes of deformable objects: Deformable Linear Objects (DLO) and Deformable Planar Objects (DPO). The project will develop a novel mobile manipulator integrating simulation, real-time models, multimodal sensing, multi-level control, multi-robot coordination and artificial intelligence. The capabilities of the resulting solution will be demonstrated in different industrial use cases: wiring and assembly of electrical control cabinets for the machinery sector and composite draping for the aeronautical and helthcare sectors. The associated processes are still very manual and moving outside Europe due to the high labour cost, and difficult working conditions and low attractivity among the young workers. The project outcomes will open new automation and business opportunities and contribute to improve the European competitiveness.