6 accepted papers
In this paper, we present the system design and initial testing of SUPERball v2, a completely re-designed 2-meter spherical six-bar tensegrity robot designed to survive high-speed landings as well as locomote to desired locations. SUPERball v2 was designed to enable a host of new actuation and exper…
This paper proposes a novel steerable locomotion controller for six-strut tensegrity robots. Tensegrity robots are lightweight and have many promising features such as robustness, shape-shifting capabilities, and deployability, making them good candidates for exploration and scouting of remote areas…
Tensegrity robots, composed of rigid rods connected by elastic cables, have a number of unique properties that make them appealing for use as planetary exploration rovers. However, control of tensegrity robots remains a difficult problem due to their unusual structures and complex dynamics. In this…
In this paper, we present a lightweight, multi-axis compliant tensegrity joint that is biologically inspired by the human elbow. This tensegrity elbow actuates by shortening and lengthening cables in a method inspired by muscular actuation in a person. Unlike many series elastic actuators, this join
Tensegrity robots are a class of compliant robots that have many desirable traits when designing mass efficient systems that must interact with uncertain environments. Various promising control approaches have been proposed for tensegrity systems in simulation. Unfortunately, state estimation method
The Spherical Underactuated Planetary Exploration Robot ball (SUPERball) is an ongoing project within NASA Ames Research Center's Intelligent Robotics Group and the Dynamic Tensegrity Robotics Lab (DTRL). The current SUPERball is the first full prototype of this tensegrity robot platform, eventually…