EVENTS

ECC2022 workshop
12 July 2022 London (UK)

Rigidity Theory applied to Dynamic Systems
from Parallel Robots to Multi-Agent Formations

Giulia Michieletto
Dept. of Management and Engineering, University of Padova
giulia.michieletto@unipd.it
Angelo Cenedese
Dept. of Information Engineering, University of Padova
angelo.cenedese@unipd.it

Rigidity theory constitutes a branch of knowledge investigating the (structural) properties necessary for multi-element systems to preserve the inter-unit connections under deformations. This turns out to be a formal as well as a valid tool for understanding how pairwise geometrical constraints (e.g., relative distances or angles) can affect the mobility or state (pose) estimation and control of dynamic systems composed of multiple connected elements. In light of this fact, this workshop aims at encouraging the discussion between robotics and control communities. The intent is to figure out the similarities emerging in the rigidity-based estimation and control tasks related to both parallel robots and multi-agent formations, given that these two types of dynamic systems can be interpreted as multi-element architectures wherein the inter-unit connections are physical and virtual, respectively.

This workshop is in continuity with the two previous ones titled “Rigidity Theory for Multi-agent Systems Meet Parallel Robots – Towards the Discovery of Common Models and Methods”, organized the first during the IFAC WC Congress in July 2017 in Toulouse and the second as an under-invitation event in November 2018 in Nantes. Specifically, the former intended to provide a high-level overview (in terms of open problems, tools, methods, and ideas) of the parallel robots and multi-agent formations worlds; the latter focused on the nature of the constraints characterizing both the aforementioned types of multi-element dynamic systems. With these premises, the purpose of this third workshop is to draw out the rigidity-based techniques that turn out to be beneficial for the emerging applications in both the robotics and control communities.

WORKSHOP PROGRAM (UK local time)

First Part

08.30-08.45 Welcome

08.45-09.15 Angle rigidity theory, convex polyhedra and robotic formation movement (remote talk)
Ming Cao – Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

09.15-09.45 An introduction to rigidity theory for localization and formation control of multiple robots (remote talk)
Paolo Robuffo Giordano – IRISA and Inria Rennes Bretagne Atlantique, CNRS, Rennes France

09.45-10.15 Cooperative Manipulation via Internal Force Regulation: A Rigidity Theory Perspective (remote talk)
Christos Verginis – Division of Signals and Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

10.15-10.45 Coffee Break

10.45-11.15 Dynamics control of bearing-rigid formations
Isabelle Fantoni – Laboratoire des Sciences du Numérique de Nantes, CNRS, Nantes France

11.15-11.45 An introduction to bearing rigidity-based formation control
Giulia Michieletto – Department of Management and Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

11.45-12.00 Conclusions

Second Part

13.30-14.00 Heterogeneous formation control in presence of noisy measurements
Angelo Cenedese – Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

14.00-14.30 Symmetry Preserving Motion Coordination
Daniel Zelazo – Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

14.30-15.00 On the links between bearing-rigid formations and parallel robots
Sébastien Briot – Laboratoire des Sciences du Numérique de Nantes, CNRS, Nantes France

15.00-15.30 Coffee Break

15.30-16.00 Modeling and control of the Fly-Crane: a cable suspended parallel aerial multi-robot system with a rigid structure (remote talk)
Antonio Franchi – Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics & Computer Science, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

16.00-16.30 Underactuated Cable-Driven Parallel Robots: dealing with unconstrained freedoms (remote talk)
Edoardo Idà – Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

16.30-17.00 Discussion and Conclusions

WORKSHOP REGISTRATION

Workshops will be held in a hybrid format, both at the conference venue and in live streaming, on the 12th of July 2022, the day before the official opening of the conference. 

The cost of attending a pre-conference workshop is listed below.

Workshop registration categoryRequires in-person
conference registration
Fee (USD)
Full In-personx120$
Student/Retiree In-personx60$
Full virtual (live streaming)60$
Student/Retiree virtual (live streaming)30$