Cooperation of Coupled Multi-Robot Systems
By means of physical coupling between multiple cooperating robots, new systems can be created with capabilities going beyond those of individual subsystems. This is particularly important in manufacturing processes, where coupled robots provide higher stiffness and positioning resolution, resulting in a better manufacturing quality. To optimally unfold these capabilities of robots, which depend heavily on variables such as placement, joint angle configuration, and motor power, it should be determined in the manufacturing process planning, which robots are to be coupled at what time and what actions should be carried out.

The goal of this research project is therefore the development of methods planning the optimal cooperative actions for physically coupled multi-robot systems. These planning methods form a multi-layered architecture from the level of symbolic task allocation through the assignment of sub-tasks and roles towards the generation of trajectories.