Related papers: SOFTMAP: Sim2Real Soft Robot Forward Modeling via …
Simulators are an important tool in robotics that is used to develop robot software and generate synthetic data for machine learning algorithms. Faster simulation can result in better software validation and larger amounts of data. Previous…
We present a user-friendly interface to teleoperate a soft robot manipulator in a complex environment. Key components of the system include a manipulator with a grasping end-effector that grows via tip eversion, gesture-based control, and…
In this article, a biophysically realistic model of a soft octopus arm with internal musculature is presented. The modeling is motivated by experimental observations of sensorimotor control where an arm localizes and reaches a target. Major…
This paper presents the SoftHand Model-W: a 3D-printed, underactuated, anthropomorphic robot hand based on the Pisa/IIT SoftHand, with an integrated antagonistic tendon mechanism and 2 degree-of-freedom tendon-driven wrist. These four…
Rigid grippers used in existing aerial manipulators require precise positioning to achieve successful grasps and transmit large contact forces that may destabilize the drone. This limits the speed during grasping and prevents "dynamic…
Robotic grasping under uncertainty remains a fundamental challenge due to its uncertain and contact-rich nature. Traditional rigid robotic hands, with limited degrees of freedom and compliance, rely on complex model-based and heavy feedback…
In this paper, we introduce a Grasp Manifold Estimator (GraspME) to detect grasp affordances for objects directly in 2D camera images. To perform manipulation tasks autonomously it is crucial for robots to have such graspability models of…
Internal computational models of physical bodies are fundamental to the ability of robots and animals alike to plan and control their actions. These "self-models" allow robots to consider outcomes of multiple possible future actions,…
Soft robots have the potential to interact with sensitive environments and perform complex tasks effectively. However, motion plans and trajectories for soft manipulators are challenging to calculate due to their deformable nature and…
Despite the remarkable acceleration of robotic development through advanced simulation technology, robotic applications are often subject to performance reductions in real-world deployment due to the inherent discrepancy between simulation…
We consider path planning for a rigid spatial robot with 6 degrees of freedom (6 DOFs), moving amidst polyhedral obstacles. A correct, complete and practical path planner for such a robot has never been achieved, although this is widely…
Tactile sensing is critical for robotic grasping and manipulation of objects under visual occlusion. However, in contrast to simulations of robot arms and cameras, current simulations of tactile sensors have limited accuracy, speed, and…
Soft robots were introduced in large part to enable safe, adaptive interaction with the environment, and this interaction relies fundamentally on contact. However, modeling and planning contact-rich interactions for soft robots remain…
An open problem in industrial automation is to reliably perform tasks requiring in-contact movements with complex workpieces, as current solutions lack the ability to seamlessly adapt to the workpiece geometry. In this paper, we propose a…
Estimating robot pose from a monocular RGB image is a challenge in robotics and computer vision. Existing methods typically build networks on top of 2D visual backbones and depend heavily on labeled data for training, which is often scarce…
We consider path planning for a rigid spatial robot moving amidst polyhedral obstacles. Our robot is either a rod or a ring. Being axially-symmetric, their configuration space is R^3 x S^2 with 5 degrees of freedom (DOF). Correct, complete…
Knowledge of a manipulator's workspace is fundamental for a variety of tasks including robot design, grasp planning and robot base placement. Consequently, workspace representations are well studied in robotics. Two important…
We present a topology grounded, multiscale simulation platform for morphogenesis and biological active matter. Morphogenesis and biological active matter represent keystone problems in biology with additional, far-reaching implications…
Tactile sensing in biological organisms is deeply intertwined with morphological form, such as human fingers, cat paws, and elephant trunks, which enables rich and adaptive interactions through a variety of geometrically complex structures.…
Robotic manipulation in dynamic environments often requires seamless transitions between different grasp types to maintain stability and efficiency. However, achieving smooth and adaptive grasp transitions remains a challenge, particularly…