Related papers: Nonlinear Modeling for Soft Pneumatic Actuators vi…
Inspired by the vertebrate branch of the animal kingdom, articulated soft robots are robotic systems embedding elastic elements into a classic rigid (skeleton-like) structure. Leveraging on their bodies elasticity, soft robots promise to…
We study the lubricated contact of sliding soft surfaces that are locally patterned but globally cylindrical, held together under an external normal force. The local patterns represent either naturally occurring surface roughness or…
We consider the aeroelastic simulation of flexible mechanical structures submerged in subsonic fluid flows at low Mach numbers. The nonlinear kinematics of flexible bodies are described in the total Lagrangian formulation and discretized by…
Soft actuators offer a safe, adaptable approach to tasks like gentle grasping and dexterous manipulation. Creating accurate models to control such systems however is challenging due to the complex physics of deformable materials. Accurate…
This work outlines a Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) for geometrically and constitutively nonlinear solid mechanics to simulate large deformations under dynamic loading conditions. The method utilizes the moment chain approach, where the…
The precision, stability, and performance of lightweight high-strength steel structures in heavy machinery is affected by their highly nonlinear dynamics. This, in turn, makes control more difficult, simulation more computationally…
Bridging the sim-to-real gap remains a fundamental challenge in robotics, as accurate dynamic parameter estimation is essential for reliable model-based control, realistic simulation, and safe deployment of manipulators. Traditional…
This work focuses on the thermodynamics of pseudo-elastic models which represent the Mullins effect. Two established models are analyzed theoretically, their thermomechanical properties are derived, and certain critical points are…
Soft actuators are receiving increasing attention from the engineering community, not only in research but even for industrial applications. Among soft actuators, fibre-reinforced Bending Fluidic Actuators (BFAs) became very popular thanks…
Soft robots promise improved safety and capability over rigid robots when deployed in complex, delicate, and dynamic environments. However, the infinite degrees of freedom and highly nonlinear dynamics of these systems severely complicate…
The mechanical complexity of soft robots creates significant challenges for their model-based control. Specifically, linear data-driven models have struggled to control soft robots on complex, spatially extended paths that explore regions…
Soft robots offer an alternative approach to manipulate inside the constrained space while maintaining the safe interaction with the external environment. Due to its adaptable compliance characteristic, external contact force can easily…
The vision of creating entirely-soft robots capable of performing complex tasks will be accomplished only when the controllers required for autonomous operation can be fully implemented on soft components. Despite recent advances in…
This paper presents a data-driven algorithm for simultaneous system identification and parameter estimation in control-affine nonlinear systems. Parameter estimation is achieved by training a data-driven predictive model using state-action…
Compliant mechanisms actuated by pneumatic loads are receiving increasing attention due to their direct applicability as soft robots that perform tasks using their flexible bodies. Using multiple materials to build them can further improve…
Differentiable physics simulation provides an avenue to tackle previously intractable challenges through gradient-based optimization, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of solving robotics-related problems. To apply differentiable…
Soft Robotics presents a rich canvas for free-form and continuum devices capable of exerting forces in any direction and transforming between arbitrary configurations. However, there is no current way to tractably and directly exploit the…
The paper develops the Loewner approach for data-based modeling of a linear distributed-parameter system. This approach is applied to a controlled flexible beam model coupled with a spring-mass system. The original dynamical system is…
Soft robots are made of compliant materials and perform tasks that are challenging for rigid robots. However, their continuum nature makes it difficult to develop model-based control strategies. This work presents a robust model-based…
Practical use of robotic manipulators made from soft materials requires generating and executing complex motions. We present the first approach for generating trajectories of a thermally-actuated soft robotic manipulator. Based on…