Related papers: Pack it in: Packing into Partially Filled Containe…
Pushing is a simple yet effective skill for robots to interact with and further change the environment. Related work has been mostly focused on utilizing it as a non-prehensile manipulation primitive for a robotic manipulator. However, it…
Implicit communication plays such a crucial role during social exchanges that it must be considered for a good experience in human-robot interaction. This work addresses implicit communication associated with the detection of physical…
Many order fulfillment applications in logistics, such as packing, involve picking objects from unstructured piles before tightly arranging them in bins or shipping containers. Desirable robotic solutions in this space need to be low-cost,…
In this paper, we propose a new action planning approach to automatically pack long linear elastic objects into common-size boxes with a bimanual robotic system. For that, we developed a hybrid geometric model to handle large-scale…
Robots often face manipulation tasks in environments where vision is inadequate due to clutter, occlusions, or poor lighting--for example, reaching a shutoff valve at the back of a sink cabinet or locating a light switch above a crowded…
Pushing is a motion primitive useful to handle objects that are too large, too heavy, or too cluttered to be grasped. It is at the core of much of robotic manipulation, in particular when physical interaction is involved. It seems…
We begin this paper by presenting our approach to robot manipulation, which emphasizes the benefits of making contact with the world across the entire manipulator. We assume that low contact forces are benign, and focus on the development…
In response to the growing challenges of manual labor and efficiency in warehouse operations, Amazon has embarked on a significant transformation by incorporating robotics to assist with various tasks. While a substantial number of robots…
In recent years, the throughput requirements of e-commerce fulfillment warehouses have seen a steep increase. This has resulted in various automation solutions being developed for item picking and movement. In this paper, we address the…
Robots that autonomously manipulate objects within warehouses have the potential to shorten the package delivery time and improve the efficiency of the e-commerce industry. In this paper, we present a robotic system that is capable of both…
Contact-rich manipulation often requires strategic interactions with objects, such as pushing to accomplish specific tasks. We propose a novel scenario where a robot inserts a book into a crowded shelf by pushing aside neighboring books to…
This paper considers the problem of rearrangement planning, i.e finding a sequence of manipulation actions that displace multiple objects from an initial configuration to a given goal configuration. Rearrangement is a critical skill for…
Continuum robots are well suited for navigating confined and fragile environments, such as vascular or endoluminal anatomy, where contact with surrounding structures is often unavoidable. While controlled contact can assist motion,…
The fast demographic growth, together with the concentration of the population in cities and the increasing amount of daily waste, are factors that push to the limit the ability of waste assimilation by Nature. Therefore, we need…
Modern 3D printing technologies and the upcoming mass-customization paradigm call for efficient methods to produce and distribute arbitrarily-shaped 3D objects. This paper introduces an original algorithm to split a 3D model in parts that…
Robot-to-human object handover is an important step in many human robot collaboration tasks. A successful handover requires the robot to maintain a stable grasp on the object while making sure the human receives the object in a natural and…
This paper investigates one of the most challenging tasks in dynamic manipulation -- catching large-momentum moving objects. Beyond the realm of quasi-static manipulation, dealing with highly dynamic objects can significantly improve the…
Automating warehouse operations can reduce logistics overhead costs, ultimately driving down the final price for consumers, increasing the speed of delivery, and enhancing the resiliency to market fluctuations. This extended abstract…
Robot-to-human object handover is an essential skill for robot assistants, from serving drinks at home to passing surgical tools in the operating room. We expect robots to perform handover robustly -- to release the object only after a firm…
In physical human-robot interaction, force feedback has been the most common sensing modality to convey the human intention to the robot. It is widely used in admittance control to allow the human to direct the robot. However, it cannot be…