Related papers: Characterizing Universal Reconfigurability of Modu…
In this work, we study theoretical models of \emph{programmable matter} systems. The systems under consideration consist of spherical modules, kept together by magnetic forces and able to perform two minimal mechanical operations (or…
Planning motions for two robot arms to move an object collaboratively is a difficult problem, mainly because of the closed-chain constraint, which arises whenever two robot hands simultaneously grasp a single rigid object. In this paper, we…
We study the problem of motion planning for a collection of $n$ labeled unit disc robots in a polygonal environment. We assume that the robots have revolving areas around their start and final positions: that each start and each final is…
In this paper we study paramertized motion planning algorithms which provide universal and flexible solutions to diverse motion planning problems. Such algorithms are intended to function under a variety of external conditions which are…
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…
We consider the problem of reorienting a rigid object with arbitrary known shape on a table using a two-finger pinch gripper. Reorienting problem is challenging because of its non-smoothness and high dimensionality. In this work, we focus…
The theoretical ability of modular robots to reconfigure in response to complex tasks in a priori unknown environments has frequently been cited as an advantage and remains a major motivator for work in the field. We present a modular robot…
In practice, navigation of mobile robots in confined environments is often done using a spatially discrete cost-map to represent obstacles. Path following is a typical use case for model predictive control (MPC), but formulating constraints…
The amoebot model [Derakhshandeh et al., 2014] has been proposed as a model for programmable matter consisting of tiny, robotic elements called amoebots. We consider the reconfigurable circuit extension [Feldmann et al., JCB 2022] of the…
The Gathering problem for a swarm of robots asks for a distributed algorithm that brings such entities to a common place, not known in advance. We consider the well-known OBLOT model with robots constrained to move along the edges of a…
The kinematics of a robot manipulator are described in terms of the mapping connecting its joint space and the 6-dimensional Euclidean group of motions $SE(3)$. The associated Jacobian matrices map into its Lie algebra $\mathfrak{se}(3)$,…
Multi-robot systems, particularly mobile manipulators, face challenges in control coordination and dynamic stability when working together. To address this issue, this study proposes MobiDock, a modular self-reconfigurable mobile…
In this paper, we consider a transformation of $k$ disjoint paths in a graph. For a graph and a pair of $k$ disjoint paths $\mathcal{P}$ and $\mathcal{Q}$ connecting the same set of terminal pairs, we aim to determine whether $\mathcal{P}$…
A metamorphic robotic system is an aggregate of homogeneous robot units which can individually and selectively locomote in such a way as to change the global shape of the system. We introduce a mathematical framework for defining and…
The concept of programmable matter envisions a very large number of tiny and simple robot particles forming a smart material. Even though the particles are restricted to local communication, local movement, and simple computation, their…
In the field of swarm robotics, one of the most studied problem is Gathering. It asks for a distributed algorithm that brings the robots to a common location, not known in advance. We consider the case of robots constrained to move along…
Coordination of movement and configuration in robotic swarms is a challenging endeavor. Deciding when and where each individual robot must move is a computationally complex problem. The challenge is further exacerbated by difficulties…
Motivated by the problem of redistricting, we study area-preserving reconfigurations of connected subdivisions of a simple polygon. A connected subdivision of a polygon $\mathcal{R}$, called a district map, is a set of interior disjoint…
We present a nondeterministic model of computation based on reversing edge directions in weighted directed graphs with minimum in-flow constraints on vertices. Deciding whether this simple graph model can be manipulated in order to reverse…
Convex model predictive controls (MPCs) with a single rigid body model have demonstrated strong performance on real legged robots. However, convex MPCs are limited by their assumptions such as small rotation angle and pre-defined gait,…