Related papers: Pack it in: Packing into Partially Filled Containe…
Many combinatorial optimization problems such as the bin packing and multiple knapsack problems involve assigning a set of discrete objects to multiple containers. These problems can be used to model task and resource allocation problems in…
We focus on the problem of designing an artificial agent (AI), capable of assisting a human user to complete a task. Our goal is to guide human users towards optimal task performance while keeping their cognitive load as low as possible.…
We present a damage-aware planning approach which determines the best sequence to manipulate a number of objects in a scene. This works on task-planning level, abstracts from motion planning and anticipates the dynamics of the scene using a…
Dense packing in pick-and-place systems is an important feature in many warehouse and logistics applications. Prior work in this space has largely focused on planning algorithms in simulation, but real-world packing performance is often…
In this paper, we study the implementation of a model predictive controller (MPC) for the task of object manipulation in a highly uncertain environment (e.g., picking objects from a semi-flexible array of densely packed bins). As a…
As humans, we have a remarkable capacity for reading the characteristics of objects only by observing how another person carries them. Indeed, how we perform our actions naturally embeds information on the item features. Collaborative…
Most existing methods for motion planning of mobile robots involve generating collision-free trajectories. However, these methods focusing solely on contact avoidance may limit the robots' locomotion and can not be applied to tasks where…
We present placing via picking (PvP), a method to autonomously collect real-world demonstrations for a family of placing tasks in which objects must be manipulated to specific, contact-constrained locations. With PvP, we approach the…
In this paper, we discuss a framework for teaching bimanual manipulation tasks by imitation. To this end, we present a system and algorithms for learning compliant and contact-rich robot behavior from human demonstrations. The presented…
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 workforce fluctuations. The past few years have…
In complex scenarios where typical pick-and-place techniques are insufficient, often non-prehensile manipulation can ensure that a robot is able to fulfill its task. However, non-prehensile manipulation is challenging due to its…
In recent years, impressive results have been achieved in robotic manipulation. While many efforts focus on generating collision-free reference signals, few allow safe contact between the robot bodies and the environment. However, in…
Robotic bin packing is widely deployed in warehouse automation, with current systems achieving robust performance through heuristic and learning-based strategies. These systems must balance compact placement with rapid execution, where…
Robotic catching of flying objects typically generates high impact forces that might lead to task failure and potential hardware damages. This is accentuated when the object mass to robot payload ratio increases, given the strong inertial…
Manipulation of objects by exploiting their contact with the environment can enhance both the dexterity and payload capability of robotic manipulators. A common way to manipulate heavy objects beyond the payload capability of a robot is to…
As technology advances, the need for safe, efficient, and collaborative human-robot-teams has become increasingly important. One of the most fundamental collaborative tasks in any setting is the object handover. Human-to-robot handovers can…
Bagging operations, common in packaging and assisted living applications, are challenging due to a bag's complex deformable properties. To address this, we develop a robotic system for automated bagging tasks using an adaptive…
Robots need to manipulate objects in constrained environments like shelves and cabinets when assisting humans in everyday settings like homes and offices. These constraints make manipulation difficult by reducing grasp accessibility, so…
Robotic bin packing is very challenging, especially when considering practical needs such as object variety and packing compactness. This paper presents SDF-Pack, a new approach based on signed distance field (SDF) to model the geometric…
Cooperative transport, the simultaneous movement of an object by multiple agents, has been widely observed in biological systems such as ant colonies, which improve efficiency and adaptability in dynamic environments. Inspired by these…