Related papers: Task-Based Design and Policy Co-Optimization for T…

Robotic manipulation demands precise control over both contact forces and motion trajectories. While force control is essential for achieving compliant interaction and high-frequency adaptation, it is limited to operations in close…

We present a deep learning method for composite and task-driven motion control for physically simulated characters. In contrast to existing data-driven approaches using reinforcement learning that imitate full-body motions, we learn…

Soft and soft-rigid hybrid robots are inherently underactuated and operate under tight actuator limits, making task-space control with stability guarantees challenging. Common nonlinear strategies for soft robots (e.g., those based on PD…

Tendon-driven snake-like arms have been used to create highly dexterous continuum robots so that they can bend around anatomical obstacles to access clinical targets. In this paper, we propose a design algorithm for developing…

Modular manipulators composed of pre-manufactured and interchangeable modules offer high adaptability across diverse tasks. However, their deployment requires generating feasible motions while jointly optimizing morphology and mounted pose…

This paper presents the design and assessment of a fabric-based soft pneumatic actuator with low pressurization requirements for actuation making it suitable for upper extremity assistive devices for infants. The goal is to support shoulder…

The process of robot design is a complex task and the majority of design decisions are still based on human intuition or tedious manual tuning. A more informed way of facing this task is computational design methods where design parameters…

This paper presents an analysis of parametric characterization of a motor driven tendon-sheath actuator system for use in upper limb augmentation for applications such as rehabilitation, therapy, and industrial automation. The double tendon…

Transfer learning is a popular approach to bypassing data limitations in one domain by leveraging data from another domain. This is especially useful in robotics, as it allows practitioners to reduce data collection with physical robots,…

Learning from Demonstration is increasingly used for transferring operator manipulation skills to robots. In practice, it is important to cater for limited data and imperfect human demonstrations, as well as underlying safety constraints.…

This paper considers a distributed decision-making approach for manufacturing task assignment and condition-based machine health maintenance. Our approach considers information sharing between the task assignment and health management…

Soft-growing robots are innovative devices that feature plant-inspired growth to navigate environments. Thanks to their embodied intelligence of adapting to their surroundings and the latest innovation in actuation and manufacturing, it is…

The design of soft robots is still commonly driven by manual trial-and-error approaches, requiring the manufacturing of multiple physical prototypes, which in the end, is time-consuming and requires significant expertise. To reduce the…

One of the most important features of tendon-driven robots is the ease of wire arrangement and the degree of freedom it affords, enabling the construction of a body that satisfies the desired characteristics by modifying the wire…

Tendon-driven hand orthoses have advantages over exoskeletons with respect to wearability and safety because of their low-profile design and ability to fit a range of patients without requiring custom joint alignment. However, no existing…

Design of robotic systems that safely and efficiently operate in uncertain operational conditions, such as rehabilitation and physical assistance robots, remains an important challenge in the field. Current methods for the design of energy…

We present a computational design system that assists users to model, optimize, and fabricate quad-robots with soft skins.Our system addresses the challenging task of predicting their physical behavior by fully integrating the multibody…

In this paper we use an affine connection formulation to study an optimal control problem for a class of nonholonomic, under-actuated mechanical systems. In particular, we aim at minimizing the norm-squared of the control input to move the…

Our goal is to make robotics more accessible to casual users by reducing the domain knowledge required in designing and building robots. Towards this goal, we present an interactive computational design system that enables users to design…

Ensuring the safe and reliable operation of collaborative robots demands robust sensor diagnostics. This paper introduces a methodology for formulating model-based constraints tailored for sensor diagnostics, featuring analytical…