Related papers: What Stands-in for a Missing Tool? A Prototypical …
This paper explores the problem of tool substitution, namely, identifying substitute tools for performing a task from a given set of candidate tools. We introduce a novel approach to tool substitution, that unlike prior work in the area,…
Macgyvering refers to solving problems inventively by using whatever objects are available at hand. Tool Macgyvering is a subset of macgyvering tasks involving a missing tool that is either substituted (tool substitution) or constructed…
Future service robots working in human environments, such as kitchens, will face situations where they need to improvise. The usual tool for a given task might not be available and the robot will have to use some substitute tool. The robot…
We propose a causal reasoning framework for creative robot tool use where a suitable tool for a task is correctly identified for use beyond its primary objectives. The proposed framework first discovers the causal relationships between the…
Robots are required to execute increasingly complex instructions in dynamic environments, which can lead to a disconnect between the user's intent and the robot's representation of the instructions. In this paper we present a natural…
Modular reconfigurable robots require reliable mechanisms for automated module exchange, but conventional rigid active couplings often fail due to inevitable positioning and orientational errors. To address this, we propose a…
When faced with an execution failure, an intelligent robot should be able to identify the likely reasons for the failure and adapt its execution policy accordingly. This paper addresses the question of how to utilise knowledge about the…
Humans possess an extraordinary ability to create and utilize tools, allowing them to overcome physical limitations and explore new frontiers. With the advent of foundation models, AI systems have the potential to be equally adept in tool…
Large language models (LLMs) increasingly act as autonomous agents that must decide when to answer directly vs. when to invoke external tools. Prior work studying adaptive tool use has largely treated tool necessity as a model-agnostic…
A growing area of research investigates augmenting language models with tools (e.g., search engines, calculators) to overcome their shortcomings (e.g., missing or incorrect knowledge, incorrect logical inferences). Various few-shot…
With the growing capabilities of intelligent systems, the integration of robots in our everyday life is increasing. However, when interacting in such complex human environments, the occasional failure of robotic systems is inevitable. The…
Substitute relationships are fundamental to people's daily lives across various domains. This study aims to comprehend and predict substitute relationships among products in diverse fields, extensively analyzing the application of machine…
Automating complex tasks using robotic systems requires skills for planning, control and execution. This paper proposes a complete robotic system for maintenance automation, which can automate disassembly and assembly operations under…
The research and development of intelligent automation solutions is a ground-breaking point for the factory of the future. A promising and challenging mission is the use of autonomous robot systems to automate tasks in the field of…
Purpose of Review: To effectively synthesise and analyse multi-robot behaviour, we require formal task-level models which accurately capture multi-robot execution. In this paper, we review modelling formalisms for multi-robot systems under…
The ability to invent new tools has been identified as an important facet of our ability as a species to problem solve in dynamic and novel environments. While the use of tools by artificial agents presents a challenging task and has been…
Robot failures in human-centered environments are inevitable. Therefore, the ability of robots to explain such failures is paramount for interacting with humans to increase trust and transparency. To achieve this skill, the main challenges…
Ambiguities are inevitable in human-robot interaction, especially when a robot follows user instructions in a large, shared space. For example, if a user asks the robot to find an object in a home environment with underspecified…
Robots in the real world should be able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Particularly in the context of tool use, robots may not have access to the tools they need for completing a task. In this paper, we focus on the problem of tool…
Situated embodied conversation requires robots to interleave real-time dialogue with active perception: deciding what to look at, when to look, and what to say under tight latency constraints. We present a simple, minimal system recipe that…