Related papers: A Constraint Programming Approach to Simultaneous …
Manipulation of objects by exploiting their contact with the environment can enhance both the dexterity and payload capability of robotic manipulators. A common way to manipulate heavy objects beyond the payload capability of a robot is to…
Recent interest in mobile manipulation has resulted in a wide range of new robot designs. A large family of these designs focuses on modular platforms that combine existing mobile bases with static manipulator arms. They combine these…
In this paper we consider multiple constrained resource allocation problems, where the constraints can be specified by formulating activity dependency restrictions or by using game-theoretic models. All the problems are focused on generic…
In order to solve complex, long-horizon tasks, intelligent robots need to carry out high-level, abstract planning and reasoning in conjunction with motion planning. However, abstract models are typically lossy and plans or policies computed…
Robots are good at performing repetitive tasks in modern manufacturing industries. However, robot motions are mostly planned and preprogrammed with a notable lack of adaptivity to task changes. Even for slightly changed tasks, the whole…
Articulated and flexible objects constitute a challenge for robot manipulation tasks but are present in different real-world settings, including home and industrial environments. Current approaches to the manipulation of articulated and…
In adult laparoscopy, robot-aided surgery is a reality in thousands of operating rooms worldwide, owing to the increased dexterity provided by the robotic tools. Many robots and robot control techniques have been developed to aid in more…
We investigate the problem of multi-robot coordinated planning in environments where the robots may have to operate in close proximity to each other. We seek computationally efficient planners that ensure safe paths and adherence to…
Assembly processes involving humans and robots are challenging scenarios because the individual activities and access to shared workspace have to be coordinated. Fixed robot programs leave no room to diverge from a fixed protocol. Working…
We introduce a novel strategy for multi-robot sorting of waste objects using Reinforcement Learning. Our focus lies on finding optimal picking strategies that facilitate an effective coordination of a multi-robot system, subject to…
In large unknown environments, search operations can be much more time-efficient with the use of multi-robot fleets by parallelizing efforts. This means robots must efficiently perform collaborative mapping (exploration) while…
This paper investigates the task assignment problem for multiple dispersed robots constrained by limited communication range. The robots are initially randomly distributed and need to visit several target locations while minimizing the…
Soft robot serial chain manipulators with the capability for growth, stiffness control, and discrete joints have the potential to approach the dexterity of traditional robot arms, while improving safety, lowering cost, and providing an…
We present a formal tasK AllocatioN and scheduling apprOAch for multi-robot missions (KANOA). KANOA supports two important types of task constraints: task ordering, which requires the execution of several tasks in a specified order; and…
We present an algorithm that produces a plan for relocating obstacles in order to grasp a target in clutter by a robotic manipulator without collisions. We consider configurations where objects are densely populated in a constrained and…
Planning a motion for inserting pegs remains an open problem. The difficulty lies in both the inevitable errors in the grasps of a robotic hand and absolute precision problems in robot joint motors. This paper proposes an integral method to…
Resource constrained job scheduling is a hard combinatorial optimisation problem that originates in the mining industry. Off-the-shelf solvers cannot solve this problem satisfactorily in reasonable timeframes, while other solution methods…
For successful goal-directed human-robot interaction, the robot should adapt to the intentions and actions of the collaborating human. This can be supported by musculoskeletal or data-driven human models, where the former are limited to…
Continuum robots with floating bases demonstrate exceptional operational capabilities in confined spaces, such as those encountered in medical surgeries and equipment maintenance. However, developing low-cost solutions for their motion and…
Efficient tabletop rearrangement planning seeks to find high-quality solutions while minimizing total cost. However, the task is challenging due to object dependencies and limited buffer space for temporary placements. The complexity…