An RGB-D Camera-Based

Multi-Small Flying Anchors Control

for Wire-Driven Robots Connecting to the Environment

IROS 2025

In order to expand the operational range and payload capacity of robots, wire-driven robots that leverage the external environment have been proposed. It can exert forces and operate in spaces far beyond those dictated by its own structural limits. However, for practical use, robots must autonomously attach multiple wires to the environment based on environmental recognition-an operation so difficult that many wire-driven robots remain restricted to specialized, pre-designed environments. Here, in this study, we propose a robot that autonomously connects multiple wires to the environment by employing a multi-small flying anchor system, as well as an RGB-D camera-based control and environmental recognition method. Each flying anchor is a drone with an anchoring mechanism at the wire tip, allowing the robot to attach wires by flying into position. Using the robot's RGB-D camera to identify suitable attachment points and a flying anchor position, the system can connect wires in environments that are not specially prepared, and can also attach multiple wires simultaneously. Through this approach, a wire-driven robot can autonomously attach its wires to the environment, thereby realizing the benefits of wire-driven operation at any location.

Hardware

Overview of CubiX and the flying anchors. CubiX is a wire-driven robot equipped with eight wire-winding modules and a two Degrees of Freedom (DOF) RGB-D camera. Each wire's endpoint has a flying anchor comprising a drone and anchoring mechanism.

Software

System configuration diagram. CubiX's RGB-D camera recognizes both the environment and the flying anchors, and controls multiple flying anchors simultaneously.

Experiments

Cliff Climbing Experiment


To evaluate the functionality of the proposed system, we conducted an experiment in which a single wire was attached to a bar in the environment, and CubiX climbed a cliff by winding the wire. This demonstrates that the proposed system functions properly, allowing CubiX to autonomously attach its own wire to the environment and drive itself using that wire.

Outdoor Experiment


We also evaluated whether the proposed system can attach wires to environments that are not specially prepared, conducting an experiment in which a single wire was attached to a tree branch in an outdoor setting, and CubiX was driven by winding that wire. This result demonstrates that the proposed system also functions in outdoor environments that have not been specially prepared, enabling CubiX to perform wire driving.

Multiple-Wire Experiment


To evaluate the ability to handle multiple wires simultaneously, we conducted an experiment in which four wires were attached to a frame in the environment, and CubiX was driven by winding those wires. These results demonstrate that by using the proposed system, multiple wire attachment points can be recognized in the environment, multiple flying anchors can be controlled simultaneously, and multiple wires can be attached to the environment.

Bibtex

@inproceedings{inoue2025anchor,
  title = {An RGB-D Camera-Based Multi-Small Flying Anchors Control for Wire-Driven Robots Connecting to the Environment},
  author = {Inoue, Shintaro and Kawaharazuka, Kento and Yoneda, Keita and Yuzaki, Sota and Sahara, Yuta and Suzuki, Temma and Okada, Kei},
  booktitle={Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems},
  year={2025},
  pages={TODO},
  doi = {TODO},
}

Contact

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Shintaro Inoue.