All papers

Uncertainty in perception, actuation, and the environment often require multiple attempts for a robotic task to be successful. We study a class of problems providing (1) low-entropy indicators of terminal success / failure, and (2) unreliable (high-entropy) data to predict the final outcome of an ongoing task. Examples include a...

The need to create more viable soft sensors is increasing in tandem with the growing interest in soft robots. Several sensing methods, like capacitive stretch sensing and intrinsic capacitive self-sensing, have proven to be useful when controlling soft electro-hydraulic actuators, but are still problematic. This is due to challenges around...

Textbooks that provide a broad algorithmic perspective on the mechanics and dynamics of robots almost unfailingly serve students at the graduate level. Introduction to Autonomous Robots offers a much-needed resource for teaching third- and fourth-year undergraduates the computational fundamentals behind the design and control of autonomous robots. The authors use...

We present a novel augmented reality (AR) framework to show relevant information about swarm dynamics to a user in the absence of markers by using blinking frequency to distinguish between groups in the swarm. In order to distinguish between groups, clusters of the same group are identified by blinking at...

Locomotion through rolling is attractive compared to other forms of locomotion thanks to uniform designs, high degree of mobility, dynamic stability, and self-recovery from collision. Despite previous efforts to design rolling soft systems, pneumatic and other soft actuators are often limited in terms of high-speed dynamics, system integration, and/or functionalities...

We present a suite of algorithms and tools for model-predictive control of sensor/actuator systems with embedded microcontroller units (MCU). These MCUs can be colocated with sensors and actuators, thereby enabling a new class of smart composites capable of autonomous behavior that does not require an external computer. In this approach,...

NC: I see myself as a proponent of computation in the field of smart materials. But the word ‘smart’ is overloaded; there is also a lot of discussion about active materials. I created the term ‘robotic materials’ because I come from robotics and my research is on materials for robots...

Soft robotics is a field of robotic system design characterized by materials and structures that exhibit large-scale deformation, high compliance, and rich multifunctionality. The incorporation of soft and deformable structures endows soft robotic systems with the compliance and resiliency that makes them well-adapted for unstructured and dynamic environments. While actuation...

Disclosed are various embodiments of a three-dimensional perception and object manipulation robot gripper configured for connection to and operation in conjunction with a robot arm. In some embodiments, the gripper comprises a palm, a plurality of motors or actuators operably connected to the palm, a mechanical manipulation system operably connected...

The lack of sensory feedback provided by prosthetic hands dramatically limits the utility of the device. Peripheral nerve interfaces are now able to produce stable somatosensory percepts for upper limb amputees. Sensors must be able to detect forces across the fingers of the prosthesis in a repeatable and reliable fashion...