Related papers: Contact-Implicit Trajectory Optimization using an …
Robust closed-loop locomotion remains challenging for soft quadruped robots due to high-dimensional dynamics, actuator hysteresis, and difficult-to-model contact interactions, while conventional proprioception provides limited information…
We propose a space mapping-based optimization algorithm for microscopic interacting particle dynamics which are inappropriate for direct optimization. This is of relevance for example in applications with bounded domains such that the…
We present a convex formulation of compliant frictional contact and a robust, performant method to solve it in practice. By analytically eliminating contact constraints, we obtain an unconstrained convex problem. Our solver has proven…
Contact modeling plays a central role in motion planning, simulation, and control of legged robots, as legged locomotion is realized through contact. The two prevailing approaches to model the contact consider rigid and compliant premise at…
In this series of papers, we present a motion planning framework for planning comfortable and customizable motion of nonholonomic mobile robots such as intelligent wheelchairs and autonomous cars. In Part I, we presented the mathematical…
Efficient planning of assembly motions is a long standing challenge in the field of robotics that has been primarily tackled with reinforcement learning and sampling-based methods by using extensive physics simulations. This paper proposes…
Passive deformation due to compliance is a commonly used benefit of soft robots, providing opportunities to achieve robust actuation with few active degrees of freedom. Soft growing robots in particular have shown promise in navigation of…
A fundamental issue at the core of trajectory optimization on smooth manifolds is handling the implicit manifold constraint within the dynamics. The conventional approach is to enforce the dynamic model as a constraint. However, we show…
The human foot serves as the critical interface between the body and environment during locomotion. Existing musculoskeletal models typically oversimplify foot-ground contact mechanics, limiting their ability to accurately simulate human…
This paper presents a topology optimization approach to design 2D contact-aided compliant mechanisms (CCMs) that can trace the desired output paths with more than one kink while experiencing self and/or external contacts. Such CCMs can be…
We present a computational framework for simulating filaments interacting with rigid bodies through contact. Filaments are challenging to simulate due to their codimensionality, i.e., they are one-dimensional structures embedded in…
Formation flight has a vast potential for aerial robot swarms in various applications. However, existing methods lack the capability to achieve fully autonomous large-scale formation flight in dense environments. To bridge the gap, we…
This paper investigates the problem of efficient computation of physically consistent multi-contact behaviors. Recent work showed that under mild assumptions, the problem could be decomposed into simpler kinematic and centroidal dynamic…
Real-world physics can only be analytically modeled with a certain level of precision for modern intricate robotic systems. As a result, tracking aggressive trajectories accurately could be challenging due to the existence of residual…
The paper presents a planner to generate walking trajectories by using the centroidal dynamics and the full kinematics of a humanoid robot. The interaction between the robot and the walking surface is modeled explicitly via new conditions,…
The numerical simulation of realistic reactive flows is a major challenge due to the stiffness and high dimension of the corresponding kinetic differential equations. Manifold-based model reduction techniques address this problem by…
In this paper, we present an approach for generating a variety of whole-body motions for a humanoid robot. We extend the available Model Predictive Control (MPC) approaches for walking on flat terrain to plan for both vertical motion of the…
Motion planning methods for autonomous systems based on nonlinear programming offer great flexibility in incorporating various dynamics, objectives, and constraints. One limitation of such tools is the difficulty of efficiently representing…
Compensating for slip and skid is crucial for mobile robots navigating outdoor terrains. In these challenging environments, slipping and skidding introduce uncertainties into trajectory tracking systems, potentially compromising the safety…
This paper investigates one of the most challenging tasks in dynamic manipulation -- catching large-momentum moving objects. Beyond the realm of quasi-static manipulation, dealing with highly dynamic objects can significantly improve the…