Cooperative Grasping and Transport Using Multiple Quadrotors

In this paper, we consider the problem of controlling multiple quadrotor robots that cooperatively grasp and transport a payload in three dimensions. We model the quadrotors both individually and as a group rigidly attached to a payload. We propose individual robot control laws defined with respect to the payload that stabilize the payload along three-dimensional trajectories. We detail the design of a gripping mechanism attached to each quadrotor that permits autonomous grasping of the payload. An experimental study with teams of quadrotors cooperatively grasping, stabilizing, and transporting payloads along desired three-dimensional trajectories is presented with performance analysis over many trials for different payload configurations.