Related papers: Learning Stabilizing Control Policies for a Tenseg…
Using dynamic models of tensegrity structures, we derive provable, distributed control laws for stabilizing and changing the shape of a formation of vehicles in the plane. Tensegrity models define the desired, controlled, multi-vehicle…
We propose a mechanically simple and cheap design for a series elastic actuator with controllable stiffness. Such characteristics are necessary for animals for running, jumping, throwing, and manipulation, yet in robots, variable stiffness…
The problem of placing or selecting sensors and control nodes plays a pivotal role in the operation of dynamic networks. This paper proposes optimal algorithms and heuristics to solve the simultaneous sensor and actuator selection problem…
Legged locomotion is arguably the most suited and versatile mode to deal with natural or unstructured terrains. Intensive research into dynamic walking and running controllers has recently yielded great advances, both in the optimal control…
Bipedal running is a difficult task to realize in robots, since the trunk is underactuated and control is limited by intermittent ground contacts. Stabilizing the trunk becomes even more challenging if the terrain is uneven and causes…
The ability to recover from an unexpected external perturbation is a fundamental motor skill in bipedal locomotion. An effective response includes the ability to not just recover balance and maintain stability but also to fall in a safe…
To address the operational challenges of in-pipe robots in large pipes of water distribution systems (WDS), in this research, a control algorithm is proposed for our previously designed robot [4]. Our size adaptable robot has an…
This paper presents a hierarchical framework for Deep Reinforcement Learning that acquires motor skills for a variety of push recovery and balancing behaviors, i.e., ankle, hip, foot tilting, and stepping strategies. The policy is trained…
This paper presents the implementation of a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) based-controller for the stabilization of the flight transition maneuver (hover-cruise and vice versa) of a tail-sitter UAV. The control strategy is based on…
We present angle of attack control, a novel control strategy for a hip energized Penn Jerboa. The energetic losses from damping are counteracted by aligning most of the velocity at touchdown in the radial direction and the fore-aft velocity…
Performing highly agile dynamic motions, such as jumping or running on uneven stepping stones has remained a challenging problem in legged robot locomotion. This paper presents a framework that combines trajectory optimization and model…
Reinforcement learning (RL)-based quadrotor control policies have achieved impressive performance in tasks such as fast navigation in cluttered environments and drone racing, where the focus is on speed and agility. However, in several…
Centipede-like robots offer an effective and robust solution to navigation over complex terrain with minimal sensing. However, when climbing over obstacles, such multi-legged robots often elevate their center-of-mass into unstable…
Reinforcement learning algorithms have shown great success in solving different problems ranging from playing video games to robotics. However, they struggle to solve delicate robotic problems, especially those involving contact…
A novel method of exponentially stable adaptive control to compensate for matched parametric uncertainty under a mild condition of semi-persistent excitation (s-PE) of a regressor with piecewise-constant rank and nullspace is proposed. It…
Teleoperation is a powerful method to generate reference motions and enable humanoid robots to perform a broad range of tasks. However, teleoperation becomes challenging when using hand contacts and non-coplanar surfaces, often leading to…
Learning has propelled the cutting edge of performance in robotic control to new heights, allowing robots to operate with high performance in conditions that were previously unimaginable. The majority of the work, however, assumes that the…
Biomimicry has played a pivotal role in robotics. In contrast to rigid robots, bio-inspired robots exhibit an inherent compliance, facilitating versatile movements and operations in constrained spaces. The robot implementation in…
Mobile soft robots offer compelling applications in fields ranging from urban search and rescue to planetary exploration. A critical challenge of soft robotic control is that the nonlinear dynamics imposed by soft materials often result in…
In teleoperation of contact-rich manipulation tasks, selecting robot impedance is critical but difficult. The robot must be compliant to avoid damaging the environment, but stiff to remain responsive and to apply force when needed. In this…