Distributed manipulation using cyber-physical systems

The field of Large-Scale Actuator Networks (LSANs) is a class of cyber-physical systems that is growing rapidly. One key application of LSANs is distributed manipulation. Distributed manipulation has the potential to become a game-changing technology in the area of industrial automation. Examples of distributed manipulation include: vibrating plates, arrays of air jets, and mobile multi-robot teams. This paper explores a dynamic surface that changes its shape by using an autonomous array of linear actuators to transport an object to a reference location. This collective of actuators overcomes the limitations of each individual actuator, and results in a system multiple degrees of freedom. Experimental results illustrate the applicability of the platform.