9 accepted papers
This paper presents a reactive control framework for robotic bipedal running over random discrete terrain using a shift-invariant funnel library that can be composed into motion plans. The main contribution of the paper is the formalization of the funnel library and the introduction of a receding-ho…
Robotic manipulators can be found today in most industries, from autonomous warehouses to advanced assembly lines in factories. Most of these industrial robots are characterized by having non-flexible and highly rigid links. In dense and complex environments these manipulators require many degrees o…
The use of simple control schemes with only a few basic sensors and no feedback allows improved stability when traversing unforeseen rough terrain by applying a single controller. Exploiting multiple controllers simultaneously can further improve robustness but is often mechanically hard to implemen…
Localization of ground mobile robots in orchards is a complex problem which is yet to be fully addressed. The typical localization approaches are not adjusted to the characteristics of the orchard environment, especially the homogeneous scenery. To alleviate these difficulties, we propose to use top
Safe unmanned ground vehicle navigation in unknown rough terrain is crucial for various tasks such as exploration, search and rescue and agriculture. Offline global planning is often not possible when operating in harsh, unknown environments, and therefore, online local planning must be used. Most o
This paper investigates a burrowing robot that can maneuver and steer while being submerged in a granular medium. The robot locomotes using an internal vibro-impact mechanism and steers using a rotating bevel-tip head. We formulate and investigate a non-holonomic model for the steering mechanism and…
By bonding micron-thin polymer layers with an electrically conductive layer, we can utilize the bi-metal effect to create a soft, thin, electrically-activated thermal actuator (ETA), which can be used in printed soft robots. Using ETAs have shown quite remarkable potential in previous works. However…
This paper describes a simple control scheme for the two-legged dynamic climbing robot, the ParkourBot. Inspired by the swing leg retraction (SLR) method used on running robots, we propose to implement an SLR controller that does not require an actual apex crossing event as an initiator. The familia…
This paper investigates a simple swimming mechanism, which comprises two concentric bodies and two passive flaps. The mechanism propels itself forward by oscillating its inner body in a symmetric fashion using a single actuator. The paper starts by using a simple model to investigate the dynamics of…