Python based control software for cable-driven parallel robots for non-destructive structural inspections (LadyBug-SONIC and LadyBug-GPR)

This paper presents a Python-based software framework for the control and coordination of cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) systems applied to non-destructive testing (NDT) of large-scale structures. The software is designed as a modular and hardware-agnostic platform that supports precise robot motion, sensor coordination, and synchronized data acquisition for tomographic inspection applications. The framework decouples robot kinematics, motion planning, and actuation control from specific hardware implementations through configuration files and abstract interfaces. This design enables the integration of different robotic configurations and heterogeneous sensing and actuation technologies, including acoustic and electromagnetic based inspection systems, without modification of the core software.   The software enables accurate and repeatable robot trajectories, facilitating high-resolution data acquisition and improving the reliability of tomographic reconstructions compared to manual inspection methods. Its extensible architecture supports the incorporation of alternative sensing modalities and inspection workflows, making it applicable to a wide range of NDT scenarios and robotic platforms. The applicability of the framework is demonstrated through real-world inspection use cases involving large-scale masonry structures; however, the software is not limited to a specific robot or sensing technology. By providing a configurable, extensible, and reusable control framework, the proposed software offers a practical tool for researchers and practitioners working on robotic inspection and automated NDT systems.