Maria Koskinopoulou

Michele Grimaldi, Patryk Cieslak, Eduardo Ochoa et al.

Simulations are highly valuable in marine robotics, offering a cost-effective and controlled environment for testing in the challenging conditions of underwater and surface operations. Given the high costs and logistical difficulties of real-world trials, simulators capable of capturing the operational conditions of subsea environments have become key in developing and refining algorithms for remotely-operated and autonomous underwater vehicles. This paper highlights recent enhancements to the Stonefish simulator, an advanced open-source platform supporting development and testing of marine robotics solutions. Key updates include a suite of additional sensors, such as an event-based camera, a thermal camera, and an optical flow camera, as well as, visual light communication, support for tethered operations, improved thruster modelling, more flexible hydrodynamics, and enhanced sonar accuracy. These developments and an automated annotation tool significantly bolster Stonefish's role in marine robotics research, especially in the field of machine learning, where training data with a known ground truth is hard or impossible to collect.

F. Adetunji, A. Karukayil, P. Samant et al.

This paper addresses the challenges of vision-based manipulation for autonomous cutting and unpacking of transparent plastic bags in industrial setups, aligning with the Industry 4.0 paradigm. Industry 4.0, driven by data, connectivity, analytics, and robotics, promises enhanced accessibility and sustainability throughout the value chain. The integration of autonomous systems, including collaborative robots (cobots), into industrial processes is pivotal for efficiency and safety. The proposed solution employs advanced Machine Learning algorithms, particularly Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), to identify transparent plastic bags under varying lighting and background conditions. Tracking algorithms and depth sensing technologies are utilized for 3D spatial awareness during pick and placement. The system addresses challenges in grasping and manipulation, considering optimal points, compliance control with vacuum gripping technology, and real-time automation for safe interaction in dynamic environments. The system's successful testing and validation in the lab with the FRANKA robot arm, showcases its potential for widespread industrial applications, while demonstrating effectiveness in automating the unpacking and cutting of transparent plastic bags for an 8-stack bulk-loader based on specific requirements and rigorous testing.