Multi-Robot Coordination and Simulation for Branched Deformable Linear Object Manipulation

Automating the manipulation of branched deformable linear objects (e.g. wire harnesses) with multiple robots is a complex challenge due to the object's flexibility. In this paper, a coordinated planning and simulation pipeline is presented enabling multiple industrial robot arms to jointly manipulate a deformable object in a manufacturing context. The pipeline is modular, consisting of task definition, physicsbased deformable linear object (DLO) modeling, coordinated multi-robot trajectory planning with deformation constraints, inter-robot collision checking, and simulation-based validation of planned motions. The system is validated primarily in simulation, showing that three robots can successfully route DLOs through complex geometries without entanglement or collisions, and a qualitative real-world demo to illustrate feasibility. The proposed approach is the first to demonstrate a multi-robot planning pipeline for branched DLO manipulation with multiple robots. The results highlight how careful coordination and planning can enable multi-robot deformable object manipulation, offering a foundation for automating wire harness installation in manufacturing.