Multirobot Aerial Soft Manipulator for Floating Litter Collection

Removing floating litter from water bodies is crucial to preserving aquatic ecosystems and preventing pollution. In this work, we present a multirobot aerial manipulator for floating litter collection, leveraging the capabilities of aerial robots. The system is composed of two aerial robots connected by a rope, which supports a hook‐based tool for collecting floating litter. Compared to single‐aerial‐robot solutions, the use of two aerial robots increases payload capacity and flight endurance while reducing the downwash effect at the manipulation point, located at the midpoint of the rope. Additionally, we employ an optimization‐based rope‐shape planner to compute the rope shape. The planner incorporates an adaptive behavior that maximizes grasping capabilities near the litter while minimizing rope tension when farther away. The computed rope shape trajectory is controlled by a shape visual servoing controller, which approximates the rope as a parabola. The system is demonstrated in outdoor experiments, demonstrating successful grasping operations. An ablation study highlights how the planner’s adaptive mechanism improves the success rate of the operation. Furthermore, real‐world tests in a water channel provide preliminary evidence of the system’s ability to collect floating litter. Overall, these results support the feasibility of using aerial robots for autonomous litter removal in aquatic environments.