Related papers: Biological Organisms as End Effectors

Unlike many physical nonequilibrium systems, in biological systems, the coupling to external energy sources is not a fixed parameter but adaptively controlled by the system itself. We do not have theoretical frameworks that allow for such…

Recent progress in humanoid robots has unlocked agile locomotion skills, including backflipping, running, and crawling. Yet it remains challenging for a humanoid robot to perform forceful manipulation tasks such as moving objects, wiping,…

Robots' behavior and performance are determined both by hardware and software. The design process of robotic systems is a complex journey that involves multiple phases. Throughout this process, the aim is to tackle various criteria…

Manipulating deformable and fragile objects remains a fundamental challenge in robotics due to complex contact dynamics and strict requirements on object integrity. Existing approaches typically optimize either end-effector design or…

Humans use environmental constraints (EC) in manipulation to compensate for uncertainties in their world model. The same principle was recently applied to robotics, so that soft underactuated hands improve their grasping capability by using…

We conceive finite automata as dynamical systems on discontinuum and investigate their factors. Factors of finite automata include many well-known simple dynamical systems, e.g. hyperbolic systems and systems with finite attractors. In the…

We present a novel approach to controlling the instantaneous velocity of a robot end-effector that is able to simultaneously maximise manipulability and avoid joint limits. It operates on non-redundant and redundant robots, which is…

Soft robotic grippers are essential for grasping delicate, geometrically complex objects in manufacturing, healthcare and agriculture. However, existing grippers struggle to grasp feature-rich objects with high topological variability,…

Hand-wearable robots, specifically exoskeletons, are designed to aid hands in daily activities, playing a crucial role in post-stroke rehabilitation and assisting the elderly. Our contribution to this field is a textile robotic glove with…

We describe an end-to-end generative approach for the segmentation and recognition of human activities. In this approach, a visual representation based on reduced Fisher Vectors is combined with a structured temporal model for recognition.…

Deformable solid objects such as clay or dough are prevalent in industrial and home environments. However, robotic manipulation of such objects has largely remained unexplored in literature due to the high complexity involved in…

In the real world, robots with embodiment face various issues such as dynamic continuous changes of the environment and input/output disturbances. The key to solving these issues can be found in daily life; people `do actions associated…

Soft materials have many important roles in animal locomotion and object manipulation. In robotic applications soft materials can store and release energy, absorb impacts, increase compliance and increase the range of possible shape…

This paper presents a method for robot self-recognition and self-adaptation through the analysis of the contact between the robot end effector and its surrounding environment. Often, in off-line robot programming, the idealized robotic…

Robot morphology, the form, shape, and structure of robots, is a key design space in human-robot interaction (HRI), shaping how robots function, express themselves, and interact with people. Yet, despite its importance, little is known…

Neuro-electronic hybrid promises to bring up a model architecture for computing. Such computing architecture could help to bring the power of biological connection and electronic circuits together for better computing paradigm. Such…

This paper introduces a new surgical end-effector probe, which allows to accurately apply a contact force on a tissue, while at the same time allowing for high resolution and highly repeatable probe movement. These are achieved by…

As robots interact with a broader range of end-users, end-user robot programming has helped democratize robot programming by empowering end-users who may not have experience in robot programming to customize robots to meet their individual…

Physical embodiment is a required component for robots that are structurally coupled with their real-world environments. However, most socially interactive robots do not need to physically interact with their environments in order to…

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…