Related papers: Gait modeling and optimization for the perturbed S…
Microswimmers, and among them aspirant microrobots, generally have to cope with flows where viscous forces are dominant, characterized by a low Reynolds number ($Re$). This implies constraints on the possible sequences of body motion, which…
We propose a geometric model for optimal shape-change-induced motions of slender locomotors, e.g., snakes slithering on sand. In these scenarios, the motion of a body in world coordinates is completely determined by the sequence of shapes…
We here describe the possibility of a synthetic description of the onset of Chaos in many degrees of freedom dynamical systems within the framework of the geometric description of dynamics. We show how this approach to instability helps to…
Suspensions with fiber-like particles in the low Reynolds number regime are modeled by two different approaches that both use a Lagrangian representation of individual particles. The first method is the well-established formulation based on…
It is well known that the reversibility of Stokes flow makes it difficult for small microorganisms to swim. Inertial effects break this reversibility, allowing new mechanisms of propulsion and feeding. Therefore it is important to…
Research on untethered micro-swimming robots is growing fast owing to their potential impact on minimally invasive medical procedures. Candidate propulsion mechanisms of robots are based on flagellar mechanisms of microorganisms such as…
Trajectory optimization and posture generation are hard problems in robot locomotion, which can be non-convex and have multiple local optima. Progress on these problems is further hindered by a lack of open benchmarks, since comparisons of…
Reduced-order models (ROMs) provide a powerful means of synthesizing dynamic walking gaits on legged robots. Yet this approach lacks the formal guarantees enjoyed by methods that utilize the full-order model (FOM) for gait synthesis, e.g.,…
We develop an immersed boundary (IB) method for modeling flows around fixed or moving rigid bodies that is suitable for a broad range of Reynolds numbers, including steady Stokes flow. The spatio-temporal discretization of the fluid…
It is often overlooked by roboticists when designing locomotion controllers for their legged machines, that energy consumption plays an important role in selecting the best gaits for locomotion at high speeds or over long distances. The…
Metachronal swimming, the sequential beating of limbs with a small phase lag, is observed in many organisms at various scales, but has been studied mostly in the limits of high or low Reynolds numbers. Motivated by the swimming of brine…
Self-propelled colloidal swimmers move by pushing the adjacent fluid backwards. The resulting motion of an asymmetric body depends on the profile of pushing velocity over its surface. We describe a method of predicting the motion arising…
We study the finite-shear-rate rheology of disordered solids by means of molecular dynamics simulations in two dimensions. By systematically varying the damping magnitude $\zeta$ in the low-temperature limit, we identify two well defined…
Unlike macroscopic swimmers, microswimmers operate in a low-Reynolds-number regime dominated by viscous forces. This paper investigates the controllability of a magnetic microswimmer composed of a spherical magnetic head and an elastic,…
State-of-the-art approaches to legged locomotion are widely dependent on the use of models like the linear inverted pendulum (LIP) and the spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP), popular because their simplicity enables a wide array of…
Adaptive morphogenetic robots adapt their morphology and control policies to meet changing tasks and environmental conditions. Many such systems leverage soft components, which enable shape morphing but also introduce simulation and control…
The net steady state flow pattern of a distorting sphere is studied in the framework of the bilinear theory of swimming at low Reynolds number. It is argued that the starting point of a theory of interacting active particles should be based…
Locomotion in Stokes flow is an intensively-studied problem because it describes important biological phenomena such as the motility of many species' sperm, bacteria, algae and protozoa. Numerical computations can be challenging,…
We consider numerical algorithms for the simulation of the rheology of two-dimensional vesicles suspended in a viscous Stokesian fluid. The vesicle evolution dynamics is governed by hydrodynamic and elastic forces. The elastic forces are…
The work presented in this report introduces a framework aimed towards learning to imitate human gaits. Humans exhibit movements like walking, running, and jumping in the most efficient manner, which served as the source of motivation for…