Related papers: Reconfigurable Auxetic Devices (RADs) for Robotic …
Developing robotic manipulation policies is iterative and hypothesis-driven: researchers test tactile sensing, gripper geometries, and sensor placements through real-world data collection and training. Yet even minor end-effector changes…
Soft robots have the potential to revolutionize the use of robotic systems with their capability of establishing safe, robust, and adaptable interactions with their environment, but their precise control remains challenging. In contrast,…
Traditional robots have rigid links and structures that limit their ability to interact with the dynamics of their immediate environment. For example, conventional robot manipulators with rigid links can only manipulate objects using…
Robotic caregivers could potentially improve the quality of life of many who require physical assistance. However, in order to assist individuals who are lying in bed, robots must be capable of dealing with a significant obstacle: the…
Legged robots have shown remarkable advantages in navigating uneven terrain. However, realizing effective locomotion and manipulation tasks on quadruped robots is still challenging. In addition, object and terrain parameters are generally…
Pneumatic soft everting robotic structures have the potential to facilitate human transfer tasks due to their ability to grow underneath humans without sliding friction and their utility as a flexible sling when deflated. Tubular structures…
The electronic properties of two-dimensional materials and their heterostructures can be dramatically altered by varying the relative angle between the layers. This makes it theoretically possible to realize a new class of twistable…
Muscles of the human body are composed of tiny actuators made up of myosin and actin filaments. They can exert force in various shapes such as curved or flat, under contact forces and deformations from the environment. On the other hand,…
There is a growing need for robots that can change their shape, size and mechanical properties to adapt to evolving tasks and environments. However, current shape-changing systems generally utilize bespoke, system-specific mechanisms that…
The ability of robots to navigate through doors is crucial for their effective operation in indoor environments. Consequently, extensive research has been conducted to develop robots capable of opening specific doors. However, the diverse…
Parallel robots based on Handed Shearing Auxetics (HSAs) can implement complex motions using standard electric motors while maintaining the complete softness of the structure, thanks to specifically designed architected metamaterials.…
Construction throughout history typically assumes that its blueprints and building blocks are pre-determined. However, recent work suggests that alternative approaches can enable new paradigms for structure formation. Aleatory…
Metamaterials hold significant promise for enhancing the imaging capabilities of MRI machines as an additive technology, due to their unique ability to enhance local magnetic fields. However, despite their potential, the metamaterials…
This work proposes a new adaptive-robust control (ARC) architecture for a class of uncertain Euler-Lagrange (EL) systems where the upper bound of the uncertainty satisfies linear in parameters (LIP) structure. Conventional ARC strategies…
Soft robot are celebrated for their propensity to enable compliant and complex robot-environment interactions. Soft robotic manipulators, or slender continuum structure robots have the potential to exploit these interactions to enable new…
As a basic mechanical parameter, Poisson's ratio ({\nu}) measures the mechanical responses of solids against external loads. In rare cases, materials have a negative Poisson's ratio (NPR), and present an interesting auxetic effect. That is,…
Reconfigurable metasurfaces are potent platforms to control the propagation properties of light dynamically. Among different reconfiguration mechanisms available at optical frequencies, using non-volatile phase change materials is one of…
Soft, tip-extending "vine" robots offer a unique mode of inspection and manipulation in highly constrained environments. For practicality, it is desirable that the distal end of the robot can be manipulated freely, while the body remains…
Learning object manipulation is a critical skill for robots to interact with their environment. Even though there has been significant progress in robotic manipulation of rigid objects, interacting with non-rigid objects remains challenging…
Natural systems integrate the work of many sub-units (cells) toward a large-scale unified goal (morphological and behavioral), which can counteract the effects of unexpected experiences, damage, or simply changes in tasks demands. In this…