This paper describes a method for steering deformable linear objects using two robot hands in environments populated by sparsely spaced obstacles. The approach involves manipulating an elastic inextensible rod by varying the gripping endpoint positions and tangents. Closed form solutions that describe the flexible linear object shape in planar environments, Euler's elastica, are described. The paper uses these solutions to formulate criteria for non self-intersection, stability and obstacle avoidance. These criteria are formulated as constraints in the flexible object six-dimensional configuration space that represents the robot gripping endpoint positions and tangents. In particular, this paper introduces a novel criterion that ensures the flexible object stability during steering. All safety criteria are integrated into a scheme for steering flexible linear objects in planar environments, which is lifted into a steering scheme in three-dimensional environments populated by sparsely spaced obstacles. Experiments with a dual-arm robot demonstrate the method.

翻译：本文提出一种在稀疏障碍物环境中使用双机器人手操控可变形线性物体的方法。该方法通过改变夹持端点的位置与切线方向来操纵一根不可拉伸的弹性杆件。文中描述了描述平面环境中柔性线性物体形状的闭合形式解——欧拉弹性线。利用这些解，本文构建了关于非自交性、稳定性与避障的判定准则。这些准则被表述为柔性物体六维构型空间中的约束条件，该空间表征了机器人夹持端点的位置与切线方向。特别地，本文提出了一种确保柔性物体在操控过程中稳定性的新准则。所有安全准则被整合到平面环境中柔性线性物体的操控方案中，并进一步推广至稀疏障碍物分布的三维环境中的操控方案。通过双臂机器人实验验证了所提方法的有效性。