63 accepted papers
Previous work has shown that adding haptic feedback to the hands can improve awareness of tool-tissue interactions and enhance performance of teleoperated tasks in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. However, hand-based haptic feedback occludes direct interaction with the manipulanda of surge…
Skin deformation haptic devices worn on the finger pad provide realistic touch feedback during interactions with virtual objects. Two primary challenges in creating such devices are: (1) making a multi-degree-of-freedom device that is small and lightweight so it does not encumber the wearer and (2) …
Robotic dressing assistance has the potential to improve the quality of life for individuals with limited mobility. Existing solutions predominantly rely on rigid robotic manipulators, which have challenges in handling deformable garments and ensuring safe physical interaction with the human body. P…
Robotic dressing assistance has the potential to improve the quality of life for individuals with limited mobility. Existing solutions predominantly rely on rigid robotic manipulators, which have challenges in handling deformable garments and ensuring safe physical interaction with the human body. P
Human crowd simulation in virtual reality (VR) is a powerful tool with potential applications including emergency evacuation training and assessment of building layout. While haptic feedback in VR enhances immersive experience, its effect on virtual walking behavior in dense and dynamic pedestrian f
Previous work has shown that adding haptic feedback to the hands can improve awareness of tool-tissue interactions and enhance performance of teleoperated tasks in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. However, hand-based haptic feedback occludes direct interaction with the manipulanda of surge
Pneumatic soft everting robotic structures have the potential to facilitate human transfer tasks due to their ability to grow underneath humans without sliding friction and their utility as a flexible sling when deflated. Tubular structures naturally yield circular cross-sections when inflated, wher
The navigational abilities of tip-everting soft growing robots, known as vine robots, are compromised when tip-mount devices are added to enable carrying of payloads. We present a new method for securing a vine robot to objects or its environment that exploits the unique eversion-based growth mechan…
Inflated-beam soft robots, such as tip-everting vine robots, can control curvature by contracting one beam side via pneumatic actuation. This work develops a general finite element modeling approach to characterize their bending. The model is validated across four pneumatic actuator types (series, c
We present a finger-mounted 4-degree-of-freedom (DoF) haptic device created using origami fabrication techniques. The 4-DoF device uses a parallel kinematic mechanism and is capable of delivering normal, shear, and torsional haptic feedback to the fingertip. Traditional methods of robot fabrication
While haptics research has traditionally focused on the fingertips and hands, other locations on the body provide large areas of skin that could be utilized to relay large-area haptic sensations. Researchers have thus developed wearable devices that use distributed vibrotactile actuators and distrib…
To facilitate sensing and physical interaction in remote and/or constrained environments, high-extension, lightweight robot manipulators are easier to transport and reach substantially further than traditional serial chain manipulators. We propose a novel planar 3-degree-of-freedom manipulator that…
Force estimation using neural networks is a promising approach to enable haptic feedback in minimally invasive surgical robots without end-effector force sensors. Various network architectures have been proposed, but none have been tested in real time with surgical-like manipulations. Thus, question…
When humans socially interact with another agent (e.g., human, pet, or robot) through touch, they do so by applying varying amounts of force with different directions, locations, contact areas, and durations. While previous work on touch gesture recognition has focused on the spatio-temporal distrib…
Relocation of haptic feedback from the fingertips to the wrist has been considered as a way to enable haptic interaction with mixed reality virtual environments while leaving the fingers free for other tasks. We present a pair of wrist-worn tactile haptic devices and a virtual environment to study h…
Our aim is to provide effective interaction with virtual objects, despite the lack of co-location of virtual and real-world contacts, while taking advantage of relatively large skin area and ease of mounting on the forearm. We performed two human participant studies to determine the effects of hapti
Despite non-co-location, haptic stimulation at the wrist can potentially provide feedback regarding interactions at the fingertips without encumbering the user's hand. Here we investigate how two types of skin deformation at the wrist (normal and shear) relate to the perception of the mechanical pro…
Accurately detecting when a user begins interaction with virtual objects is necessary for compelling multi-sensory experiences in mixed reality. To address inherent sensing, computation, display, and actuation latency, we propose to predict when a user will begin touch interaction with a virtual obj
Soft robot serial chain manipulators with the capability for growth, stiffness control, and discrete joints have the potential to approach the dexterity of traditional robot arms, while improving safety, lowering cost, and providing an increased workspace, with potential application in home environm…
Pneumatic wearable haptic devices can provide distributed pressure feedback to human operators during robot teleoperation and in virtual and augmented reality. However, these devices have an inherent trade-off between the spatial coverage of their pressure output and their resolution and dynamic res…
Knowledge of interaction forces during teleoperated robot-assisted surgery could be used to enable force feedback to users and evaluate tissue handling skill. However, direct force sensing at the end-effector is challenging because it requires biocompatible, sterilizable, and cost-effective sensors.…
The properties of radio frequency electromagnetic systems can be manipulated by changing the 3D geometry of the system. Most reconfiguration schemes specify different conductive pathways using electrical switches in mechanically static systems, or they actuate and reshape a continuous metallic struc
Pneumatically operated soft growing robots that extend via tip eversion are well-suited for navigation in confined spaces. Adding the ability to interact with the environment using sensors and tools attached to the robot tip would greatly enhance the usefulness of these robots for exploration in the…
Haptic guidance can be beneficial for aiding or training human users in many applications, such as teleoperation, rehabilitation, and navigation. Existing world-grounded haptic devices can provide effective multi-degree-of-freedom movement guidance. Wearable or holdable haptic devices can enable lar
Inflated continuum robots are promising for a variety of navigation tasks, but controlling their motion with a small number of actuators is challenging. These inflated beam robots tend to buckle under compressive loads, producing extremely tight local curvature at difficult-to-control buckle point l…
Individuals living with paralysis or amputation can operate robotic prostheses using input signals based on their intent or attempt to move. Because sensory function is lost or diminished in these individuals, haptic feedback must be non-collocated. The intracortical brain computer interface (iBCI)…
Soft growing robots are proposed for use in applications such as complex manipulation tasks or navigation in disaster scenarios. Safe interaction and ease of production promote the usage of this technology, but soft robots can be challenging to teleoperate due to their unique degrees of freedom. In…
Rich haptic sensory feedback in response to user interactions is desirable for an effective, immersive virtual reality or teleoperation system. However, this feedback depends on material properties and user interactions in a complex, non-linear manner. Therefore, it is challenging to model the mappi…
Tip-extending soft robots that “grow” via pneumatic eversion of their body material have demonstrated applications in exploration of cluttered environments. During growth, the motion and force of the robot tip can be controlled in three degrees of freedom using actuators that direct the tip in combi
Haptic devices use touch to enable communication in a salient and private manner. While most haptic devices are held or worn at the hand, there is recent interest in developing wearable haptic devices for the arms. This frees the hands for manipulation tasks, but creates challenges for wearability.
Grounding of kinesthetic feedback against a user's hand can increase the portability and wearability of a haptic device. However, the effects of different hand-grounding locations on haptic perception of a user are unknown. In this letter, we investigate the effects of three different hand-grounding
Haptic feedback located on the torso is proposed to enhance the state awareness of a user in virtual reality or during teleoperation while leaving the hands free for manipulation and communication. We provide haptic feedback on the torso by compressing a set of closed air pouches against the skin in
Due to the complexity of modeling deformable materials and infinite degrees of freedom, the rich background of rigid robot control has not been transferred to soft robots. Thus, most model-based control techniques developed for soft robots and soft haptic interfaces are specific to the particular de
Antennas are essential in wireless communications and powering systems. Applications, such as search and rescue and space exploration would greatly benefit from antenna reconfigurability, as well as antenna deployment from a compact and easy-to-transport form. We present the design and analysis of a
We present a pneumatic actuator capable of changing length by 1000%, applying both pushing and pulling forces, and independently modulating its length and stiffness. These characteristics are enabled by individually addressable internal and external chambers that work antagonistically against one an…
Fully autonomous navigation in populated environments is still a challenging problem for mobile robots. This paper explores the idea of using active human-robot communication to facilitate navigation tasks. We propose to convey a robot's intent to human users via a wearable haptic interface. The int…
Teleoperation and virtual reality systems benefit from force sensory substitution when kinesthetic force feedback devices are infeasible due to stability or workspace limitations. We compared the performance of sensory substitution when it is provided through a cutaneous method (skin deformation fee
Latency and refresh rate are known to adversely affect human force perception in bilateral teleoperators and virtual environments using kinesthetic force feedback, motivating the use of sensory substitution of force. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effects of latency and refresh rate on…
Adapting robot actions to human motions can make human-robot interactions (HRI) more effective. Here, we aim to optimize guidance from haptic devices based on a user's response to produce better task performance. We used Gaussian processes to model the motions a human user made in response to applie…
Soft robotics and pneumatic actuation present opportunities for lightweight wearable haptic devices that provide distributed touch feedback to the skin. Ideally, such devices would be easily donned and doffed, since permanent coverage of a large area of the skin is undesirable. Here we present the d…
Teleoperation systems could benefit from force sensory substitution when kinesthetic force feedback systems are too bulky or expensive, and when they cause instability by magnifying force feedback. We aim to magnify force feedback using sensory substitution via force-controlled tactile skin deformat…
For many types of robots, avoiding obstacles is necessary to prevent damage to the robot and environment. As a result, obstacle avoidance has historically been an important problem in robot path planning and control. Soft robots represent a paradigm shift with respect to obstacle avoidance because t…
Hands-on training is an indispensable part of surgical practice. As the tools used in the operating room become more intricate, the demand for efficient training methods increases. This work proposes a robotic assistance-as-needed method for training with surgical teleoperated robots. The method ada…
As the field of haptics in virtual reality expands, wearable devices are being explored as alternatives to traditional kinesthetic force feedback devices, which are often limited in workspace. Skin deformation feedback offers a user-grounded feedback modality that mimics cutaneous interactions with…
Flexible medical robots can improve surgical procedures by decreasing invasiveness and increasing accessibility within the body. Using preoperative images, these robots can be designed to optimize a procedure for a particular patient. To minimize invasiveness and maximize biocompatibility, the actua
Surgeries involving interaction with soft tissue like the brain need to minimize shear and normal forces that can cause tissue damage or hemorrhage. Other surgeries require the ability to follow a complex, curved path, such as through an intestine or to a kidney stone. This paper presents a soft cat…
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability. Many robots have been developed to administer movement therapies or provide physical assistance to stroke survivors suffering from movement deficits. One effective approach has been to support the weight of the arm, offloading shoulder abductor muscle…
Robotic needle steering will improve percutaneous radio-frequency ablation (RFA) in the liver by performing distributed ablations without requiring multiple punctures of the liver capsule, thus enabling the treatment of large or multifocal tumors. However, state-of-the-art asymmetric-tip robotic nee
Many robotic systems achieve position sensing through the use of optical encoders that specify the position of a joint to a certain resolution. Encoders effectively quantize joint space coordinates and introduce position measurement error in the process. This error propagates to operational space co…
We describe a new series pneumatic artificial muscle (sPAM) and its application as an actuator for a soft continuum robot. The robot consists of three sPAMs arranged radially around a tubular pneumatic backbone. Analogous to tendons, the sPAMs exert a tension force on the robot's pneumatic backbone,…
Wearable haptic feedback devices for virtual reality, human-robot interaction, and motion guidance require lightweight actuators that display clearly discernible cues to the user. These goals motivate the design of WRAP, a wearable, pneumatically actuated haptic feedback device. WRAP displays a vari…
A Haptic Jamming tactile display, consisting of an array of thin particle jamming cells, can change its shape and mechanical properties simultaneously through a combination of vacuuming individual cells, pressurizing the air chamber beneath the surface, and pinning the nodes between the cells at var
Virtual and augmented reality systems that immerse users in a 3D environment could benefit from haptic (force and/or tactile) feedback to increase realism and task performance. A canonical task that cannot be achieved compellingly without haptic feedback is the grasp and lift of an object with mass.
We present the inverse pneumatic artificial muscle (IPAM), a new soft actuator that is powered by pneumatics in a manner inverse to traditional pneumatic muscles: low pressure, rather than high, contracts the muscle. The IPAM improves on the 50-year-old standard in soft pneumatic actuators, the McKi
In bilateral teleoperation, user performance, user acceptance, and transparency are functions of the control laws that govern slave tracking and master force feedback. This study investigates the effects of teleoperator stability margin and quantization error noise on performance, likeability, and r
Increasing the level of autonomy in robot-assisted surgery has the potential to improve the safety, speed, and applicability of robot-assisted surgical systems. To facilitate the development and incorporation of robot autonomy in clinical settings, human-robot collaboration models have been suggeste
Automation of repetitive tasks can improve laparoscopic surgical procedures by unloading surgeons and reducing duration, trauma, and expense. However, surgical procedures involve delicate manipulation of deformable tissues in a very dynamic environment, suggesting that automated execution of surgica…
Robotic systems, such as prosthetics and exoskeletons, offer people suffering from motor impairments a chance to regain lost physical functionality. However, the neural control that individuals are able to exert over these robots is currently limited. This is due to both lack of control authority in…
In a teleoperated system, misalignment between the master and slave manipulators can result from clutching, errors in the kinematic model, and/or sensor errors. This study examines the effects of type and magnitude of misalignment on the performance of the teleoperator. We first characterized the ma…
In robot-assisted surgery, manipulation tasks can be achieved through collaboration among robotic and human agents. Collaboration models can potentially include multiple agents working towards a shared objective - a scenario referred to as multilateral manipulation. In this work, we examine multilat…
Robotic needle steering systems for minimally invasive medical procedures require complementary medical imaging systems to track the needles in real time. Ultrasound is a promising imaging modality because it offers relatively low-cost, real-time imaging of the needle. Previous methods applied vibra…
When a person interacts with an environment using a tool, he/she receives tactile information in the form of fingerpad skin deformation. Different interaction forces and torques on the tool cause different skin deformation patterns on the fingerpads. We designed a 6-degree-of-freedom tactile device…
During robotic teleoperation, the dynamics of the master manipulators and the control of remote-side instruments impose challenges on the motor system of the human operator, and may impact performance and learning. In teleoperated robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, there is a clear correlati…