Related papers: Optimization of two- and three-link snake-like loc…
An axisymmetric squirmer in a Bingham viscoplastic fluid is studied numerically to determine the effect of a yield stress environment on locomotion. The nonlinearity of the governing equations necessitates numerical methods, which is…
Bioinspired snake robotics has been a highly active area of research over the years and resulted in many prototypes. Much of these prototypes takes the form of serially jointed-rigid bodies. The emergence of soft robotics contributed to a…
Motion planning for multi-jointed robots is challenging. Due to the inherent complexity of the problem, most existing works decompose motion planning as easier subproblems. However, because of the inconsistent performance metrics, only…
This paper addresses the workspace analysis of the orthoglide, a 3-DOF parallel mechanism designed for machining applications. This machine features three fixed parallel linear joints which are mounted orthogonally and a mobile platform…
Discrete-time stochastic optimal control remains a challenging problem for general, nonlinear systems under significant uncertainty, with practical solvers typically relying on the certainty equivalence assumption, replanning and/or…
Although the raison d'etre of the brain is the survival of the body, there are relatively few theoretical studies of closed-loop rhythmic motor control systems. In this paper we provide a unified framework, based on variational analysis,…
Swimming fish and flying insects use the flapping of fins and wings to generate thrust. In contrast, microscopic organisms typically deform their appendages in a wavelike fashion. Since a flapping motion with two degrees of freedom is able,…
We develop a mathematical model to capture the web dynamics of slingshot spiders (Araneae: Theridiosomatidae), which utilize a tension line to deform their orb webs into conical springs to hunt flying insects. Slingshot spiders are…
Estimating the direction of ambient fluid flow is key for many flying or swimming animals and robots, but can only be accomplished through indirect measurements and active control. Recent work with tethered flying insects indicates that…
Understanding how stick-slip dynamics manifests in diverse physical conditions is a crucial topic in tribology. Although it has been extensively studied in simple frictional configurations, the characterization of stick-slip behavior in…
We theoretically study the efficiency of energy harvesting in linear exciton chains with an energy bias, where the initial excitation is taking place at the high-energy end of the chain and the energy is harvested (trapped) at the other…
Soft robots offer a frontier in robotics with enormous potential for safe human-robot interaction and agility in uncertain environments. A stepping stone towards unlocking their potential is a control theory tailored to soft robotics,…
In this paper, we present an efficient Dynamic Programing framework for optimal planning and control of legged robots. First we formulate this problem as an optimal control problem for switched systems. Then we propose a multi--level…
Straight-bladed cross-flow turbines are computationally explored for harvesting energy in wind and water currents. One challenge for cross-flow turbines is the transient occurrence of high apparent angles of attack on the blades that…
Recurrent temporal dynamics is a phenomenon observed frequently in high-dimensional complex systems and its detection is a challenging task. Recurrence quantification analysis utilizing recurrence plots may extract such dynamics, however it…
Soft robotic snakes made of compliant materials can continuously deform their bodies and, therefore, mimic the biological snakes' flexible and agile locomotion gaits better than their rigid-bodied counterparts. Without wheel support, to…
Energy efficiency is a critical factor in the performance and autonomy of quadrupedal robots. While previous research has focused on mechanical design and actuation improvements, the impact of gait parameters on energetics has been less…
In recent papers it has been suggested that human locomotion may be modeled as an inverse optimal control problem. In this paradigm, the trajectories are assumed to be solutions of an optimal control problem that has to be determined. We…
This paper introduces a theory for assessing and optimizing the multiple-input-multiple-output performance of multi-port cluster antennas in terms of efficiency, channel correlation, and power distribution. A method based on a convex…
Exploring and navigating in extreme environments, such as caves, oceans, and planetary bodies, are often too hazardous for humans, and as such, robots are possible surrogates. These robots are met with significant locomotion challenges that…