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This research advances multi-agent robotics by combining Control Barrier Functions with reinforcement learning to achieve safe, zero-shot sim-to-real transfer for drone payload transport. The framework's ability to generalize across varying team sizes and dynamic obstacles offers a scalable solution for complex logistics and disaster response scenarios without requiring fine-tuning.
Safe and Scalable Multi-Drone Payload Transport via CBF-based Reinforcement Learning with Zero-Shot Sim-to-Real Transfer
arXiv:2607.20665v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Multi-drone payload transportation has emerged as a promising research paradigm with potential applications in construction, logistics, and disaster response. However, the complex coupled dynamics among drones, cables, and payloads pose significant challenges, and existing approaches remain limited in safety and scalability, particularly in dynamic and unstructured environments. In this work, we propose a learning-based framework for safe and scalable multi-drone cooperative payload transport. We introduce a minimal 2D abstraction that preserves the task-relevant drone-payload coupling required for coordination and safety, while remaining computationally efficient for large-scale learning. Using domain randomization over team size and physical parameters, we train a fully distributed policy via Discrete Graph Control Barrier Function Proximal Policy Optimization (DGPPO), enabling robust zero-shot sim-to-real transfer without fine-tuning. Extensive real-world evaluations demonstrate that a single learned policy generalizes across varying team sizes and task scenarios. Furthermore, multi-group hardware experiments show that the same policy can safely operate in dynamic environments, where other drone teams act as moving obstacles. These results indicate that the proposed framework enables efficient, safe, and scalable multi-drone payload transportation with strong generalization to complex real-world conditions.
Abstract:Multi-drone payload transportation has emerged as a promising research paradigm with potential applications in construction, logistics, and disaster response. However, the complex coupled dynamics among drones, cables, and payloads pose significant challenges, and existing approaches remain limited in safety and scalability, particularly in dynamic and unstructured environments. In this work, we propose a learning-based framework for safe and scalable multi-drone cooperative payload transport. We introduce a minimal 2D abstraction that preserves the task-relevant drone-payload coupling required for coordination and safety, while remaining computationally efficient for large-scale learning. Using domain randomization over team size and physical parameters, we train a fully distributed policy via Discrete Graph Control Barrier Function Proximal Policy Optimization (DGPPO), enabling robust zero-shot sim-to-real transfer without fine-tuning. Extensive real-world evaluations demonstrate that a single learned policy generalizes across varying team sizes and task scenarios. Furthermore, multi-group hardware experiments show that the same policy can safely operate in dynamic environments, where other drone teams act as moving obstacles. These results indicate that the proposed framework enables efficient, safe, and scalable multi-drone payload transportation with strong generalization to complex real-world conditions.
Robotics (cs.RO); Multiagent Systems (cs.MA); Systems and Control (eess.SY)
arXiv:2607.20665 [cs.RO]
(or arXiv:2607.20665v1 [cs.RO] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2607.20665 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2026.3715346 Focus to learn more DOI(s) linking to related resources
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