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Underactuated robots are characterized by a larger number of degrees of freedom than actuators and if they are designed with a specific mass distribution, they can be controlled by means of differential flatness theory. This structural…
Despite their apparent diversity, modern machine learning methods can be reduced to a remarkably simple core principle: learning is achieved by continuously optimizing parameters to minimize or maximize a scalar objective function. This…
We present safe control of partially-observed linear time-varying systems in the presence of unknown and unpredictable process and measurement noise. We introduce a control algorithm that minimizes dynamic regret, i.e., that minimizes the…
Soft robots are distinguished by their flexibility and adaptability, allowing them to perform nearly impossible tasks for rigid robots. However, controlling their behavior is challenging due to their nonlinear material response and infinite…
In this paper, we view a policy or plan as a transition system over a space of information states that reflect a robot's or other observer's perspective based on limited sensing, memory, computation, and actuation. Regardless of whether…
In this paper, we consider the closed-loop control problem of nonlinear robotic systems in the presence of probabilistic uncertainties and disturbances. More precisely, we design a state feedback controller that minimizes deviations of the…
With the goal of moving towards implementation of increasingly dynamic behaviors on underactuated systems, this paper presents an optimization-based approach for solving full-body dynamics based controllers on underactuated bipedal robots.…
The design (shape) of a robot is usually decided before the control is implemented. This might limit how well the design is adapted to a task, as the suitability of the design is given by how well the robot performs in the task, which…
A novel unified approach to jointly optimize structural design parameters, actuator and sensor precision and controller parameters is presented in this paper. The joint optimization problem is posed as a covariance control problem, where…
Multistage decision policies provide useful control strategies in high-dimensional state spaces, particularly in complex control tasks. However, they exhibit weak performance guarantees in the presence of disturbance, model mismatch, or…
In this work we consider the problem of mobile robots that need to manipulate/transport an object via cables or robotic arms. We consider the scenario where the number of manipulating robots is redundant, i.e. a desired object configuration…
As robots become more prevalent, optimizing their design for better performance and efficiency is becoming increasingly important. However, current robot design practices overlook the impact of perception and design choices on a robot's…
Mobile robot navigation in dynamic human environments requires policies that balance adaptability to diverse behaviors with compliance to safety constraints. We hypothesize that integrating data-driven rewards with rule-based objectives…
This work presents a methodology to design trajectory tracking feedback control laws, which embed non-parametric statistical models, such as Gaussian Processes (GPs). The aim is to minimize unmodeled dynamics such as undesired slippages.…
The canonical proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control approach has been widely used in industrial application due to their simplicity and ease of use. However, its corresponding controller parameters are hard to be adjusted,…
In this paper, we describe an approach to achieve dynamic legged locomotion on physical robots which combines existing methods for control with reinforcement learning. Specifically, our goal is a control hierarchy in which highest-level…
In this paper we present a fully autonomous and intrinsically motivated robot usable for HRI experiments. We argue that an intrinsically motivated approach based on the Predictive Information formalism, like the one presented here, could…
An impedance-based control scheme is introduced for cooperative manipulators grasping a rigid load. The position and orientation of the load are to be maintained close to a desired trajectory, trading off tracking accuracy by low energy…
This paper considers the problem of controlling a dynamical system when the state cannot be directly measured and the control performance metrics are unknown or partially known. In particular, we focus on the design of data-driven…
In this paper, we examine the fundamental performance limitations in the control of stochastic dynamical systems; more specifically, we derive generic $\mathcal{L}_p$ bounds that hold for any causal (stabilizing) controllers and any…