The aim of this project is to develop a combined platform with a soft robotic arm mounted to a flying omnidirectional aerial platform. An existing aerial robot and a lost-wax casted soft silicone elastomer arm are already available for this project. You will mount the arm to the drone and combine the existing dynamical models of the two systems to enable operation space control of the complete system. You will specify, setup and install a portable pneumatic pressure-controlled valve array for inflating all internal chambers of the arm and analyze its performance in a real-time control scenario. A soft gripper attachment that you develop for the arm will enable the platform to not only fly in 3D, but to also grasp objects. The state of the drone and attached arm are measured by an external motion capture system.
You are extremely curious, driven, highly independent, and you want to make a real difference with your research. You have prior expertise in:
An understanding of mechanical design and modern control theory is essential for the successful completion of this project. You will need to program on embedded systems and linux using C/C++ and Python. An active collaboration with researchers from the SRL and ASL and with other research labs will be required. You will have access to support from scientists, engineers, and doctoral students with background in materials science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and physics.
Application via SiROP portal with the following documents:
Further information about the Soft Robotics Lab can be found on srl.ethz.ch and about the Autonomous Systems Lab under asl.ethz.ch.