We apply the model predictive control (MPC) strategy in an industrial setting, specifically for controlling the temperature of Combi Oven Professional Appliances. The proposed method takes into account input and output constraints, as well as the presence of multiple sources of disturbance. The workflow includes identifying and validating a model of the cell temperature and incorporating disturbance models. MPC is implemented using a state-space formulation. The proposed method shows significant energy saving and tracking error reduction with respect to the current oven control; its effectiveness has been demonstrated through several tests carried out on a professional oven.

This paper deals with the problem of modelling and controlling an innovative aerial manipulator, i.e. a vertical take-off and landing aircraft equipped with a fully-actuated robotic arm. This system is able to perform complex operations that require the physical interaction with the surrounding environment while remaining airborne. Once a detailed dynamical model in the planar case is provided, a control law able to govern all the degrees of freedom of the system is discussed. Beside the methodological contribution that is easily extendable to different combinations of UAVs and robotic arms, the effectiveness and main properties of the proposed control algorithm are illustrated with the help of an experiment that takes into account the case in which the manipulator is in contact with the surrounding environment.

This video shows a special prototype of miniature aerial robot, the aerial manipulator, able to accomplish operations requiring the physical interaction with the surrounding environment while remaining completely airborne. The robot arises from the combination of a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, in particular a ducted-fan configuration, and a miniature robotic arm. The physical interaction relies on impedance control considerations. The control law is able to govern all the degrees of freedom of the system both in free-flight and during the interaction with the surrounding environment. In the latter case, the stability of the contact is robustly preserved. The video shows the robotic setup and the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm in a real-world scenario.