Whole-body INDI advantages for heavier manipulators and direct torque actuation

Investigate whether the whole-body incremental nonlinear dynamic inversion formulation provides advantages over base-only variants when applied to heavier aerial manipulators with direct joint-torque actuation.

Background

The experiments use a lightweight arm weighing approximately three percent of the total aerial-manipulator mass, and the hardware does not permit direct command of the arm joint torque. Consequently, the demonstrated whole-body INDI formulation is evaluated primarily through the quadrotor base and position-control interface rather than through substantial joint-torque authority.

The authors explicitly state that these experimental limitations leave the advantages of whole-body INDI over base-only variants unconfirmed. Testing heavier manipulators and enabling direct torque actuation are identified as unresolved directions for future investigation.