11 accepted papers
California blackworms constitute a recently identified animal system exhibiting unusual collective behaviors, in which dozens to thousands of worms entangle to form a “blob” capable of actions like locomotion as an aggregate. In this paper we describe a system of pneumatic soft robots inspired by th
“Robot factors” design, analogous to ergonomics for humans, seeks to create devices and equipment that can be readily operated by robots, by considering typical capabilities of current robots throughout the design process. While a number of principles and heuristics for robot factors design have bee
Gripper hardware design often involves a trade-off between distinct and sometimes opposing goals (e.g., high grasping force vs. gentleness). To address this trade-off within a single device, we present a <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink
Robots are increasingly being called on to operate in settings and on tasks originally designed for humans, or where humans are also expected to work. Accordingly, the hardware and tools to be packaged, operated, or maintained are typically designed for use by humans, not robots. Robot autonomy in s…
In this paper, we discuss the role of gripper compliance in successful grasping and manipulation of thin, flexible materials. We show, both conceptually and empirically, that each axis of compliance in a planar gripper provides unique benefits in this domain. Vertical compliance allows robust graspi…
Soft robotsoffer a host of benefits over traditional rigid robots, including inherent compliance that lets them passively adapt to variable environments and operate safely around humans and fragile objects. However, that same compliance makes it hard to use model-based methods in planning tasks requ
Research in autonomous robots for construction has largely focused on ground-based robots whose reach constrains the size of what they can build, or on climbing or aerial robots that build solid or unroofed structures. Autonomous construction of larger, multistory buildings, or bridges spanning unsu…
We present a decentralized control algorithm for robots to aid in carrying an unknown load. Coordination occurs solely through sensing of the forces on or movement of the shared load. Robots prevent undesired motion of the load while permitting movement in the task-relevant subspace, and stabilize a…
Soil stabilization is a fundamental component of nearly all construction projects, ranging from commercial construction to environmental restoration projects. Previous work in autonomous construction has generally not considered these essential stabilization and anchoring tasks. In this work we pres…
Construction automation has historically been driven by top-down implementations of specific tasks, which are neither responsive nor resilient to dynamic situations, and often require centralized control or human supervision. Previous work on robotic assembly has generally neglected to consider forc…
There is a widely recognized need for improved STEM education and increased technological literacy. Robots represent a promising educational tool with potentially large impact, due to their broad appeal and wide relevance; however, many existing educational robot platforms have cost as a barrier to…