Remote Manipulation of Multiple Objects With Airflow Field Using Model-Based Learning Control
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Noncontact manipulation is a promising methodology in robotics, offering a wide range of scientific and industrial applications. Among the proposed approaches, airflow stands out for its ability to project across considerable distances and its flexibility in actuating objects of varying materials, sizes, and shapes. However, predicting airflow fields at a distance—and the motion of objects within them—remains notoriously challenging due to their nonlinear and stochastic nature. Here, we propose a model-based learning approach using a jet-induced airflow field for remote multi-object manipulation on a surface. Our approach incorporates an analytical model of the field, learned object dynamics, and a model-based controller. The model predicts an air velocity field over an infinite surface for a specified jet orientation, while the object dynamics are learned through a robust system identification algorithm. Using the model-based controller, we can automatically and remotely, at meter-scale distances, control the motion of single and multiple objects for different tasks, such as path-following, aggregating, and sorting.
Authors: Artur Kopitca, Shahriar Haeri, Quan Zhou
Institution: Aalto University
Language: English
Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,645
Funder: Academy of Finland
OpenAlex ID: W4410887265