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Soft robots are typically approximated as low-dimensional systems, especially when learning-based methods are used. This leads to models that are limited in their capability to predict the large number of deformation modes and interactions…
We present a differentiable simulation architecture for articulated rigid-body dynamics that enables the augmentation of analytical models with neural networks at any point of the computation. Through gradient-based optimization,…
Manufacturing of microstructures using a microfluidic device is a largely empirical effort due to the multi-physical nature of the fabrication process. As such, models are desired that will predict microstructure performance characteristics…
Simulation is a central tool for scalable robot learning, but its effectiveness depends on the quality of object assets. While modern 3D datasets provide rich geometric and kinematic representations, they typically lack the physical…
Bio-inspired soft robots have already shown the ability to handle uncertainty and adapt to unstructured environments. However, their availability is partially restricted by time-consuming, costly and highly supervised design-fabrication…
We explore the locomotion of soft robots in granular medium (GM) resulting from the elastic deformation of slender rods. A low-cost, rapidly fabricable robot inspired by the physiological structure of bacteria is presented. It consists of a…
Nature evolves creatures with a high complexity of morphological and behavioral intelligence, meanwhile computational methods lag in approaching that diversity and efficacy. Co-optimization of artificial creatures' morphology and control in…
We present an efficient algorithm for motion planning and control of a robot system with a high number of degrees-of-freedom. These include high-DOF soft robots or an articulated robot interacting with a deformable environment. Our approach…
We present a novel framework to explore neural control and design of complex fluidic systems with dynamic solid boundaries. Our system features a fast differentiable Navier-Stokes solver with solid-fluid interface handling, a…
Flexible elastic structures, such as beams, rods, ribbons, plates, and shells, exhibit complex nonlinear dynamical behaviors that are central to a wide range of engineering and scientific applications, including soft robotics, deployable…
Modeling how a robot interacts with the environment around it is an important prerequisite for designing control and planning algorithms. In fact, the performance of controllers and planners is highly dependent on the quality of the model.…
The observation and description of collective excitations in solids is a fundamental issue when seeking to understand the physics of a many-body system. Analysis of these excitations is usually carried out by measuring the dynamical…
While imitation learning provides us with an efficient toolkit to train robots, learning skills that are robust to environment variations remains a significant challenge. Current approaches address this challenge by relying either on large…
Jellyfish cyborgs present a promising avenue for soft robotic systems, leveraging the natural energy-efficiency and adaptability of biological systems. Here we demonstrate a novel approach to predicting and controlling jellyfish locomotion…
Robotic manipulation with deformable objects represents a data-intensive regime in embodied learning, where shape, contact, and topology co-evolve in ways that far exceed the variability of rigids. Although simulation promises relief from…
The formulation of rheological constitutive equations -- models that relate internal stresses and deformations in complex fluids -- is a critical step in the engineering of systems involving soft materials. While data-driven models provide…
Closed-loop control remains an open challenge in soft robotics. The nonlinear responses of soft actuators under dynamic loading conditions limit the use of analytic models for soft robot control. Traditional methods of controlling soft…
Real-life control tasks involve matters of various substances---rigid or soft bodies, liquid, gas---each with distinct physical behaviors. This poses challenges to traditional rigid-body physics engines. Particle-based simulators have been…
Characterizing the softness of deformable materials having partial elastic and partial viscous behaviour via soft lubrication experiments has emerged as a versatile and robust methodology in recent times. However, a straightforward…
Conventional robots possess a limited understanding of their kinematics and are confined to preprogrammed tasks, hindering their ability to leverage tools efficiently. Driven by the essential components of tool usage - grasping the desired…