Related papers: Hyper Yoshimura: How a slight tweak on a classical…

In the last years, several hierarchical frameworks have been proposed to deal with highly-redundant robotic systems. Some of that systems are expected to perform multiple tasks and physically to interact with the environment. However, none…

Self-assembly is one of the most promising strategies for making functional materials at the nanoscale, yet new design principles for making self-limiting architectures, rather than spatially unlimited periodic lattice structures, are…

Lattices and their underlying symmetries play a central role in determining the physical properties and applications of many natural and engineered materials. By bridging the lattice geometry and rigid-folding kinematics, this study…

Origami, the ancient art of folding thin sheets, has attracted increasing attention for its practical value in diverse fields: architectural design, therapeutics, deployable space structures, medical stent design, antenna design and…

Origami structures have been proposed as a means of creating three-dimensional structures from the micro- to the macroscale, and as a means of fabricating mechanical metamaterials. The design of such structures requires a deep understanding…

Providing mobile robots with the ability to manipulate objects has, despite decades of research, remained a challenging problem. The problem is approachable in constrained environments where there is ample prior knowledge of the environment…

Non-rigid origami patterns could provide more versatile performance than their rigid counterparts in the design of mechanical metamaterials owing to the simultaneous deformation of facets and creases, but their complex deformation modes…

Joint optimization of poses and features has been extensively studied and demonstrated to yield more accurate results in feature-based SLAM problems. However, research on jointly optimizing poses and non-feature-based maps remains limited.…

Robotic grasping and manipulation in underwater environments present unique challenges for robotic hands traditionally used on land. These challenges stem from dynamic water conditions, a wide range of object properties from soft to stiff,…

The geometry of bending-active kirigami arches, decorated by cuts and holes, is strongly influenced by the location and geometry of the perforations. This study demonstrates that, in some instances, the geometric stiffening induced by…

Increasing the degrees of freedom of robotic systems makes them more versatile and flexible. This usually renders the system kinematically redundant: the main manipulation or interaction task does not fully determine its joint maneuvers.…

Conventional formation methods typically rely on fixed hierarchical structures, such as predetermined leaders or predefined formation shapes. These rigid hierarchies can render formations cumbersome and inflexible in complex environments,…

Shape change enables new capabilities for robots. One class of robots capable of dramatic shape change is soft growing "vine" robots. These robots usually feature global actuation methods for bending that limit them to simple,…

Self-assembly driven by phase separation coupled to Coulombic interactions is fundamental to a wide range of applications, examples of which include soft matter lithography via di-block copolymers, membrane design using polyelectrolytes,…

Origami designs and structures have been widely used in many fields, such as morphing structures, robotics, and metamaterials. However, the design and fabrication of origami structures rely on human experiences and skills, which are both…

Multi-stable mechanical structures find cutting-edge applications across various domains due to their reconfigurability, which offers innovative possibilities for engineering and technology advancements. This study explores the emergence of…

Hyper-redundant robots offer high dexterity, making them good at operating in confined and unstructured environments. To extend the reachable workspace, we built a multi-segment flexible rack actuated planar robot. However, the compliance…

This paper explores the design strategies for hybrid pole- or trunk-climbing robots, focusing on methods to inform design decisions and assess metrics such as adaptability and performance. A wheeled-grasping hybrid robot with modular,…

The principal aim of this Master's thesis is to propel the optimization of the membrane wing structure of the Northeastern Aerobat through origami techniques and enhancing its capacity for secure hovering within confined spaces.…

Soft machines typically exhibit slow locomotion speed and low manipulation strength because of intrinsic limitations of soft materials. Here, we present a generic design principle that harnesses mechanical instability for a variety of…