Related papers: MoonBot: Modular and On-Demand Reconfigurable Robo…
2D top-down maps are commonly used for the navigation and exploration of mobile robots through unknown areas. Typically, the robot builds the navigation maps incrementally from local observations using onboard sensors. Recent works have…
Robots can now learn how to make decisions and control themselves, generalizing learned behaviors to unseen scenarios. In particular, AI powered robots show promise in rough environments like the lunar surface, due to the environmental…
Robots often use feature-based image tracking to identify their position in their surrounding environment; however, feature-based image tracking is prone to errors in low-textured and poorly lit environments. Specifically, we investigate a…
The field of autonomous robotics is growing at a rapid rate. The trend to use increasingly more sensors in vehicles is driven both by legislation and consumer demands for higher safety and reliable service. Nowadays, robots are found…
Model-based planning and execution systems offer a principled approach to building flexible autonomous robots that can perform diverse tasks by automatically combining a host of basic skills. This idea is almost as old as modern robotics.…
ReachBot is a robot concept for the planetary exploration of caves and lava tubes, which are often inaccessible with traditional robot locomotion methods. It uses extendable booms as appendages, with grippers mounted at the end, to grasp…
In this paper we present a trade study-based method to optimize the architecture of ReachBot, a new robotic concept that uses deployable booms as prismatic joints for mobility in environments with adverse gravity conditions and challenging…
As the application scenarios of mobile robots are getting more complex and challenging, scene understanding becomes increasingly crucial. A mobile robot that is supposed to operate autonomously in indoor environments must have precise…
NASA aims to establish a sustainable human basecamp on the Moon as a stepping stone for future missions to Mars and beyond. The discovery of water ice on the Moon's craters located in permanently shadowed regions, which can provide drinking…
There is growing interest towards the use of AI directly onboard satellites for quick analysis and rapid response to critical events such as natural disasters. This paper presents a blueprint to the mission designer for the development of a…
In human-robot collaboration, the objectives of the human are often unknown to the robot. Moreover, even assuming a known objective, the human behavior is also uncertain. In order to plan a robust robot behavior, a key preliminary question…
If robots are to become ubiquitous, they will need to be able to adapt to complex and dynamic environments. Robots that can adapt their bodies while deployed might be flexible and robust enough to meet this challenge. Previous work on…
This paper presents a feasibility study, including simulations and prototype tests, on the autonomous operation of a multi-limbed intra-vehicular robot (mobile manipulator), shortly MLIVR, designed to assist astronauts with logistical tasks…
Robotics is undergoing a significant transformation powered by advances in high-level control techniques based on machine learning, giving rise to the field of robot learning. Recent progress in robot learning has been accelerated by the…
In order to enable physical human-robot interaction where humans and (mobile) manipulators share their workspace and work together, robots have to be equipped with important capabilities to guarantee human safety. The robots have to…
To extend the limited scope of autonomy used in prior missions for operation in distant and complex environments, there is a need to further develop and mature autonomy that jointly reasons over multiple subsystems, which we term…
We want a multi-robot team to complete complex tasks in minimum time where the locations of task-relevant objects are not known. Effective task completion requires reasoning over long horizons about the likely locations of task-relevant…
Robots are becoming increasingly omnipresent in our daily lives, supporting us and carrying out autonomous tasks. In Human-Robot Interaction, human actors benefit from understanding the robot's motion intent to avoid task failures and…
Modular Aerial Robot Systems (MARS) comprise multiple drone units with reconfigurable connected formations, providing high adaptability to diverse mission scenarios, fault conditions, and payload capacities. However, existing control…
Autonomous robots need to be able to handle uncertainties when deployed in the real world. For the robot to be able to robustly work in such an environment, it needs to be able to adapt both its architecture as well as its task plan.…