The main aim of the NoRMMAS project (Non-Rigid dynamic Manipulation with Multi-Agent Systems) is to advance research on multi-robot systems that cooperate to manipulate and transport objects, where either the objects or the robots can exhibit non-rigid properties. This represents a significant challenge in robotics, as traditional approaches often assume rigidity, limiting their applicability in scenarios involving deformable or dynamic elements.

Multi-robot systems have a wide variety of applications, including facility surveillance, infrastructure inspection, cooperative transport and logistics, and search and rescue operations. In this project, we focus on two relevant use cases. The first one is the automation of agricultural processes in rural areas. It is an ambitious context that considers static scenarios (such as crop monitoring), but also more challenging and highly dynamic environments (livestock monitoring, cooperative transport of deformable goods). Additionally, since rural areas usually have connectivity problems, strategies for maintaining communication between multiple robots are key. The second application scenario is product manipulation and waste management, where a team of robots cooperates to detect, manipulate, and transport products and waste objects. The project envisions the use of robots with high payload capabilities, such as robotic cranes, to load heavy objects onto other robots, which can then transport these objects individually or cooperatively. Both scenarios involve complex interactions with non-rigid systems. Thus, novel perception, modeling, control, manipulation, and cooperation mechanisms must be developed, as we propose in this project.