Low-cost autonomous Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) have the potential to help humans by simplifying and speeding up complex tasks that require their interaction with the environment, such as construction, package delivery, and search and rescue. These systems, composed of single or multiple vehicles, can be endowed with passive connection mechanisms such as rigid links or cables to perform transportation and manipulation tasks. However, they are inherently complex since they are often underactuated and evolve in nonlinear manifold configuration spaces. In addition, the complexity of systems with cable-suspended load is further increased by the hybrid dynamics depending on the cables' varying tension conditions. This paper presents the first aerial transportation and manipulation simulator incorporating different payloads and passive connection mechanisms with full system dynamics, planning, and control algorithms. Furthermore, it includes a novel general model accounting for the transient hybrid dynamics for aerial systems with cable-suspended load to closely mimic real-world systems. The availability of a flexible and intuitive interface further contributes to its usability and versatility. Comparisons between simulations and real-world experiments with different vehicles' configurations show the fidelity of the simulator results with respect to real-world settings. The experiments also show the simulator's benefit for the rapid prototyping and transitioning of aerial transportation and manipulation systems to real-world deployment.

翻译：低成本自主微型飞行器（MAV）有潜力通过简化并加速需要与环境交互的复杂任务（如建筑施工、包裹递送和搜救）来帮助人类。这些由单架或多架飞行器构成的系统可配备刚性连杆或缆绳等被动连接机构，以执行运输与操作任务。然而，这类系统本质复杂，因其常为欠驱动系统，且演化于非线性流形构型空间中。此外，悬缆载荷系统的复杂性会因缆绳张力状态变化导致的混合动力学特性而进一步增加。本文提出了首个融合不同载荷与被动连接机构、包含完整系统动力学、规划与控制算法的空中运输与操作仿真器。同时，针对悬缆载荷的空中系统，该仿真器引入了一种新颖的通用模型来模拟瞬态混合动力学特性，以高度贴近真实系统。灵活直观的交互界面进一步提升了其可用性与多场景适应能力。通过不同飞行器配置下的仿真与实物实验对比，验证了仿真结果相对于真实场景的保真度。实验还表明，该仿真器对空中运输与操作系统的快速原型开发及其向实际部署的转化具有显著助益。