Related papers: SCOPE for Hexapod Gait Generation
Quadruped locomotion is rapidly maturing to a degree where robots are able to realise highly dynamic manoeuvres. However, current planners are unable to vary key gait parameters of the in-swing feet midair. In this work we address this…
We present a new method of blackbox optimization via gradient approximation with the use of structured random orthogonal matrices, providing more accurate estimators than baselines and with provable theoretical guarantees. We show that this…
This paper presents an optimization-based motion planning methodology for snake robots operating in constrained environments. By using a reduced-order model, the proposed approach simplifies the planning process, enabling the optimizer to…
Trajectory optimization and posture generation are hard problems in robot locomotion, which can be non-convex and have multiple local optima. Progress on these problems is further hindered by a lack of open benchmarks, since comparisons of…
Existing approaches to increasing the effective depth of Transformers predominantly rely on parameter reuse, extending computation through recursive execution. Under this paradigm, the network structure remains static along the training…
From ecology to atmospheric sciences, many academic disciplines deal with data characterized by intricate spatio-temporal complexities, the modeling of which often requires specialized approaches. Generative models of these data are of…
The most data-efficient algorithms for reinforcement learning in robotics are model-based policy search algorithms, which alternate between learning a dynamical model of the robot and optimizing a policy to maximize the expected return…
Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) is a popular tool in training large-scale machine learning models. Its performance, however, is highly variable, depending crucially on the choice of the step sizes. Accordingly, a variety of strategies for…
Robust closed-loop locomotion remains challenging for soft quadruped robots due to high-dimensional dynamics, actuator hysteresis, and difficult-to-model contact interactions, while conventional proprioception provides limited information…
We present a framework for learning a single policy capable of producing all quadruped gaits and transitions. The framework consists of a policy trained with deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to modulate the parameters of a system of…
Autonomous exploration in unknown environments is key for mobile robots, helping them perceive, map, and make decisions in complex areas. However, current methods often rely on frequent global optimization, suffering from high computational…
In this paper, we propose a method for generating undulatory gaits for snake robots. Instead of starting from a pre-defined movement pattern such as a serpenoid curve, we use a Model Predictive Control approach to automatically generate…
Training reinforcement learning (RL) policies for legged robots remains challenging due to high-dimensional continuous actions, hardware constraints, and limited exploration. Existing methods for locomotion and whole-body control work well…
Similar to their counterparts in nature, the flexible bodies of snake-like robots enhance their movement capability and adaptability in diverse environments. However, this flexibility corresponds to a complex control task involving highly…
Heuristic search is often used for motion planning and pathfinding problems, for finding the shortest path in a graph while also promising completeness and optimal efficiency. The drawback is it's space complexity, specifically storing all…
Multi-vehicle trajectory planning (MVTP) is one of the key challenges in multi-robot systems (MRSs) and has broad applications across various fields. This paper presents ESCoT, an enhanced step-based coordinate trajectory planning method…
Reinforcement learning (RL) is a promising approach for robotic navigation, allowing robots to learn through trial and error. However, real-world robotic tasks often suffer from sparse rewards, leading to inefficient exploration and…
The ability to walk in new scenarios is a key milestone on the path toward real-world applications of legged robots. In this work, we introduce Meta Strategy Optimization, a meta-learning algorithm for training policies with latent variable…
Dexterous robotic hands often struggle to generalize effectively in complex environments due to the limitations of models trained on low-diversity data. However, the real world presents an inherently unbounded range of scenarios, making it…
This article presents a family of Stochastic Cartographic Occupancy Prediction Engines (SCOPEs) that enable mobile robots to predict the future states of complex dynamic environments. They do this by accounting for the motion of the robot…