Related papers: Fast Reconfiguration for Programmable Matter
In this paper we introduce and study a new concept of parametrised topological complexity, a topological invariant motivated by the motion planning problem of robotics. In the parametrised setting, a motion planning algorithm has high…
This paper addresses non-prehensile rearrangement planning problems where a robot is tasked to rearrange objects among obstacles on a planar surface. We present an efficient planning algorithm that is designed to impose few assumptions on…
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…
This paper proposes a distributed on-orbit spacecraft assembly algorithm, where future spacecraft can assemble modules with different functions on orbit to form a spacecraft structure with specific functions. This form of spacecraft…
Direct design of complex functional materials would revolutionize technologies ranging from printable organs to novel clean energy devices. However, even incremental steps towards designing functional materials have proven challenging. If…
We consider methods for connected reconfigurations by finite automate in the so-called \emph{hybrid} or \emph{Robot-on-Tiles} model of programmable matter, in which a number of simple robots move on and rearrange an arrangement of passive…
Soft robots achieve functionality through tight coupling among geometry, material composition, and actuation. As a result, effective design optimization requires these three aspects to be considered jointly rather than in isolation. This…
In the coordinated motion planning problem, we are given a graph together with the starting and destination vertices of $k$ robots. At each time step, any subset of robots may move, each traversing an edge of the graph, provided that no two…
We study a generalized motion planning problem involving multiple autonomous robots navigating in a $d$-dimensional Euclidean space in the presence of a set of obstacles whose positions are unknown a priori. Each robot is required to visit…
The paper surveys topological problems relevant to the motion planning problem of robotics and includes some new results and constructions. First we analyse the notion of topological complexity of configuration spaces which is responsible…
This work proposes a method for effectively computing manipulation paths to rearrange similar objects in a cluttered space. The solution can be used to place similar products in a factory floor in a desirable arrangement or for retrieving a…
We propose an approach to solve multi-agent path planning (MPP) problems for complex environments. Our method first designs a special pebble graph with a set of feasibility constraints, under which MPP problems have feasibility guarantee.…
Many organisms, including various species of spiders and caterpillars, change their shape to switch gaits and adapt to different environments. Recent technological advances, ranging from stretchable circuits to highly deformable soft…
This paper considers the shape formation problem within the 3D hybrid model, where a single agent with a strictly limited viewing range and the computational capacity of a deterministic finite automaton manipulates passive tiles through…
The context of this paper is programmable matter, which consists of a set of computational elements, called particles, in an infinite graph. The considered infinite graphs are the square, triangular and king grids. Each particle occupies…
A robotic platform for mobile manipulation needs to satisfy two contradicting requirements for many real-world applications: A compact base is required to navigate through cluttered indoor environments, while the support needs to be large…
Robots operating in changing environments either predict obstacle changes and/or plan quickly enough to react to them. Predictive approaches require a strong prior about the position and motion of obstacles. Reactive approaches require no…
We introduce and analyze a model for self-reconfigurable robots made up of unit-cube modules. Compared to past models, our model aims to newly capture two important practical aspects of real-world robots. First, modules often do not occupy…
We investigate algorithmic control of a large swarm of mobile particles (such as robots, sensors, or building material) that move in a 2D workspace using a global input signal (such as gravity or a magnetic field). We show that a maze of…
Our work is motivated by the challenges presented in preparing arrays of atoms for use in quantum simulation. The recently-developed process of loading atoms into traps results in approximately half of the traps being filled. To consolidate…