Theory and Applications for Control of Aerial Robots in Physical Interaction Through Tethers

Marco Tognon and Antonio Franchi of the Robotics and InteractionS - RIS team (now at ETH-Z,  Switzerland and at University of Twente, Netherlands, respectively) have recently published a book entitled "Theory and Applications for Control of Aerial Robots in Physical Interaction Through Tethers".

The future unmanned aerial systems envision their extensive use in physical contact with the environment, in order to build, inspect, and maintain any kind of structure that is difficult and/or dangerous to reach for human beings. The huge application potential  of such systems ranges from construction of structures, maintenance of plants, bridges, buildings, and power lines, just to mention a few examples. Their massive employment will bring to much improved safety for workers, that will control such systems comfortably and safely from the ground, and increased efficiency for the whole operation.

This book focuses on the modeling, control, and motion planning methods for a particularly relevant class of aerial robots physically interacting with the environment: tethered aerial vehicles. The study of particular systems, still encapsulating all the challenges of the general problem, helps on acquiring the knowledge and the expertise for a subsequent development of more general methods. The book presents, in a unified, organized, and self-contained way, all the most important theoretical discoveries and application-driven results that the authors have carried out in the last five years of experience in the field.  This book will appeal to both graduate students and practicing engineers in the field.