8 accepted papers
Traditional swarm robots rely on specific communication and planning strategies to coordinate particular tasks. Human swarms exhibit distinctive characteristics due to their capacity for language-based communication and active reasoning. This paper presents an exploratory approach to robotic swarm i
In this paper, we present a soft modular block inspired by tensegrity structures that can form load-bearing structures through self-assembly. The block comprises a stellated compliant skeleton, shape memory alloy muscles, and permanent magnet connectors. We classify five deformation primitives for i
A skid-steer rover's power consumption is highly dependent on the turning radius of its path. For example, a point turn consumes a lot of power compared to a straight-line motion. Thus, in path planning for this kind of rover, turning radius is a factor that should be considered explicitly. There is…
Natural systems integrate the work of many sub-units (cells) toward a large-scale unified goal (morphological and behavioral), which can counteract the effects of unexpected experiences, damage, or simply changes in tasks demands. In this letter, we exploit the opportunities presented by soft, modul
This paper presents a simple prototype of a lightweight sensing and tactile communication system that allows bidirectional communication between two humans, or between a human and a computer. This system tracks the user's actions with simple sensors, and uses tiny vibration motors as feedback device…
String stretched tightly along a sequence of fixed grasp points takes the shape of a polygonal arc. In this work, we investigate how many points are necessary and sufficient to grasp and tie arbitrary knots while maintaining tension, so that the string remains polygonal. This approach allows reasoni
Simply pulling on the ends of string is sufficient to tighten simple knots such as the overhand knot, but many knots used for decoration or binding need to be tightened at particular locations along the string. For example, a shoelace knot should have equally-sized bows, as should a decorative clove
We define the k-survivability of a set of n paths as the probability that at least k out of n robots following those paths through a stochastic threat environment reach goals. High k-survivability sets tend to contain short and diverse paths.Finding sets of paths with maximum k-survivability is NP-h