Related papers: Trajectory Tracking Using Motion Primitives for th…
This paper proposes an adaptive lattice-based motion planning solution to address the problem of generating feasible trajectories for systems, represented by a linearly parameterizable non-linear model operating within a cluttered…
Swimming consists by definition in propelling through a fluid by means of bodily movements. Thus, from a mathematical point of view, swimming turns into a control problem for which the controls are the deformations of the swimmer. The aim…
Precise trajectory tracking for legged robots can be challenging due to their high degrees of freedom, unmodeled nonlinear dynamics, or random disturbances from the environment. A commonly adopted solution to overcome these challenges is to…
Tracked vehicles distribute their weight continuously over a large surface area (the tracks). This distinctive feature makes them the preferred choice for vehicles required to traverse soft and uneven terrain. From a robotics perspective,…
Legged robots leverage ground contacts and the reaction forces they provide to achieve agile locomotion. However, uncertainty coupled with contact discontinuities can lead to failure, especially in real-world environments with unexpected…
Motivated by recent advances in vesicle engineering, we consider theoretically the locomotion of shape-changing bilayer vesicles at low Reynolds number. By modulating their volume and membrane composition, the vesicles can be made to change…
Locomotion and transport of microorganisms in fluids is an essential aspect of life. Search for food, orientation toward light, spreading of off-spring, and the formation of colonies are only possible due to locomotion. Swimming at the…
Self-propelled colloids (swimmers) in confining geometries follow trajectories determined by hydrodynamic interactions with the bounding surfaces. However, typically these interactions are ignored or truncated to lowest order. We…
The properties of biological microswimmers are to a large extent determined by fluid-mediated interactions, which govern their propulsion, perception of their surrounding, and the steering of their motion for feeding or in pursuit.…
We analyze a nonlinear PDE system describing the motion of a microswimmer in a nematic liquid crystal environment. For the microswimmer's motility, the squirmer model is used in which self-propulsion enters the model through the slip…
Dynamic locomotion in rough terrain requires accurate foot placement, collision avoidance, and planning of the underactuated dynamics of the system. Reliably optimizing for such motions and interactions in the presence of imperfect and…
We present an algorithm for receding-horizon motion planning using a finite family of motion primitives for underactuated dynamic walking over uneven terrain. The motion primitives are defined as virtual holonomic constraints, and the…
In this work we address the "smoking ring" propulsion technique, originally proposed by E. M. Purcell. We first consider self-locomotion of a doughnut-shaped swimmer powered by surface tank-treading. Different modes of surface motion are…
Real-time constraint satisfaction for robots can be quite challenging due to the high computational complexity that arises when accounting for the system dynamics and environmental interactions, often requiring simplification in modelling…
We present a framework to generate periodic trajectory references for a 3D under-actuated bipedal robot, using a linear inverted pendulum (LIP) based controller with adaptive neural regulation. We use the LIP template model to estimate the…
A simple model for the motion of shape-changing swimmers in Poiseuille flow was recently proposed and numerically explored by Omori et al. (2022). These explorations hinted that a small number of interacting mechanics can drive long-time…
Both legged locomotion and slithering motions typically utilize periodic gaits -- repeating cycles of body shape change that produce a net motion through the world. Legged locomotion can be viewed from the perspective of piece-wise contact…
While undulatory swimming of elongate limbless robots has been extensively studied in open hydrodynamic environments, less research has been focused on limbless locomotion in complex, cluttered aquatic environments. Motivated by the concept…
Humanoid parkour requires locomotion policies to coordinate whole-body dynamics across rapidly changing terrains such as stairs, gaps, slopes, and obstacles. Existing reinforcement learning policies are largely reactive, mapping…
The current work studies the dynamics of a microswimmer in pressure-driven flow of a weakly viscoelastic fluid. Employing the second-order fluid model, we show that the self-propelling swimmer experiences a viscoelastic swimming lift in…