Related papers: RhoMorph: Rhombus-shaped Deformable Modular Robots…
We introduce MORPH, a method for co-optimization of hardware design parameters and control policies in simulation using reinforcement learning. Like most co-optimization methods, MORPH relies on a model of the hardware being optimized,…
Task and Motion Planning (TAMP) algorithms can generate plans that combine logic and motion aspects for robots. However, these plans are sensitive to interference and control errors. To make TAMP more applicable in real-world, we propose…
Evolutionary robotics has aimed to optimize robot control and morphology to produce better and more robust robots. Most previous research only addresses optimization of control, and does this only in simulation. We have developed a…
In this paper, we introduce a design principle to develop novel soft modular robots based on tensegrity structures and inspired by the cytoskeleton of living cells. We describe a novel strategy to realize tensegrity structures using planar…
Magnetic-responsive composites that consist of soft matrix embedded with hard-magnetic particles have recently been demonstrated as robust soft active materials for fast-transforming actuation. However, the deformation of the functional…
In real-world machine learning deployments, models must be continually updated, composed, and when required, selectively undone. However, existing approaches to model merging and continual learning often suffer from task interference,…
This paper presents a novel morphing quadrotor, named MorphoCopter, covering its design, modeling, control, and experimental tests. It features a unique single rotary joint that enables rapid transformation into an ultra-narrow profile.…
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.…
This article takes a step to provide humanoid robots with adaptive morphology abilities. We present a systematic approach for enabling robotic covers to morph their shape, with an overall size fitting the anthropometric dimensions of a…
Soft robots are known for their ability to perform tasks with great adaptability, enabled by their distributed, non-uniform stiffness and actuation. Bending is the most fundamental motion for soft robot design, but creating robust, and…
Robots frequently face complex tasks that require more than one action, where sequential decision-making (SDM) capabilities become necessary. The key contribution of this work is a robot SDM framework, called LCORPP, that supports the…
The concept of programmable matter envisions a very large number of tiny and simple robot particles forming a smart material. Even though the particles are restricted to local communication, local movement, and simple computation, their…
Voxel-based structures provide a modular, mechanically flexible periodic lattice which can be used as a soft robot through internal deformations. To engage these structures for robotic tasks, we use a finite element method to characterize…
We implement and evaluate different methods for the reconfiguration of a connected arrangement of tiles into a desired target shape, using a single active robot that can move along the tile structure. This robot can pick up, carry, or drop…
This paper introduces the Omnidirectional Tractable Three Module Robot for traversing inside complex pipe networks. The robot consists of three omnidirectional modules fixed 120{\deg} apart circumferentially which can rotate about their…
The subject of this paper is the design of a new concept of modular parallel mechanisms for three, four or five-axis machining applications. Most parallel mechanisms are designed for three- or six-axis machining applications. In the last…
Humanoid locomotion is a challenging task due to its inherent complexity and high-dimensional dynamics, as well as the need to adapt to diverse and unpredictable environments. In this work, we introduce a novel learning framework for…
Integrated Task and Motion Planning (ITMP) for mobile robots in a dynamic environment with moving obstacles is a challenging research question and attracts more and more attentions recently. Most existing methods either restrict to static…
Nowadays, a number of grasping algorithms have been proposed, that can predict a candidate of grasp poses, even for unseen objects. This enables a robotic manipulator to pick-and-place such objects. However, some of the predicted grasp…
This study introduces an innovative design for a Variable Stiffness 3 Degrees of Freedom actuated wrist capable of actively and continuously adjusting its overall stiffness by modulating the active length of non-linear elastic elements.…