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Mark Yim

59 accepted papers

2026

Active Learning Design: Modeling Force Output for Axisymmetric Soft Pneumatic Actuators

Gregory Campbell, Gentian Muhaxheri, Leonardo Ferreira Guilhoto, Christian Santangelo, Paris Perdikaris, James Pikul +1
ICRA 2026poster

Soft pneumatic actuators (SPA) made from elastomeric materials can provide large strain and large force. The behavior of locally strain-restricted hyperelastic materials under inflation has been investigated thoroughly for shape reconfiguration, but requires further investigation for trajectories in…

Cited by 0Source ↗PDF ↗code ↗Scholar ↗
2025

Dynamic-Characteristics-Based Continuous Impact-Minimizing Rolling Locomotion for Variable Topology Truss

Hanbom Kim, Mark Yim, TaeWon Seo
IROS 2025

This paper presents a Continuous Impact-Minimizing (CIM) rolling locomotion method for Variable-Topology Truss (VTT) robots, addressing limitations of conventional stepwise motion. Traditional VTT locomotion depends on discrete reference transitions, resulting in pauses, slow progress, and unintende

Cited by 0Source ↗Scholar ↗
2025

Learning In-Hand Translation Using Tactile Skin with Shear and Normal Force Sensing

Jessica Yin, Haozhi Qi, Jitendra Malik, James H. Pikul, Mark Yim, Tess Lee Hellebrekers
ICRA 2025

Recent progress in reinforcement learning (RL) and tactile sensing has significantly advanced dexterous manipulation. However, these methods often utilize simplified tactile signals due to the gap between tactile simulation and the real world. We introduce a sensor model for tactile skin that enable

Cited by 23Source ↗Scholar ↗
2025

Steerable Tape-Spring Needle for Autonomous Sharp Turns Through Tissue

Omar Abdoun, Davin Tjandra, Katie Yin, Pablo Kurzan, Jessica Yin, Mark Yim
ICRA 2025

Steerable needles offer a minimally invasive method to deliver treatment to hard-to-reach tissue regions. We introduce a new class of tape-spring steerable needles capable of sharp turns ranging from 15 to 150 degrees with a turn radius as low as 3 mm, which minimizes surrounding tissue damage. In t

Cited by 1Source ↗Scholar ↗
2025

Towards Safe and Energy-Efficient Real-Time Motion Planning in Windy Urban Environments

Spencer Folk, John Melton, Benjamin W. L. Margolis, Mark Yim, Vijay Kumar
ICRA 2025

Urban winds are a serious hazard for low-altitude autonomous aerial operations in urban airspaces. Previous methods for motion planning in urban winds require global knowledge of the obstacles and flow field and do not lend themselves to real-time application. In this paper, a planning and control f

Cited by 2Source ↗Scholar ↗
2024

A Single Motor Nano Aerial Vehicle with Novel Peer-to-Peer Communication and Sensing Mechanism

Jingxian Wang, Andrew G. Curtis, Mark Yim, Michael Rubenstein
RSS 2024poster

Communication and position sensing are among the most important capabilities for swarm robots to interact with their peers and perform tasks collaboratively. However, the hardware required to facilitate communication and position sensing is often too complicated, expensive, and bulky to be carried o…

Cited by 0Source ↗PDF ↗code ↗Scholar ↗
2024

Learning Local Urban Wind Flow Fields From Range Sensing

Spencer Folk, John Melton, Benjamin W. L. Margolis, Mark Yim, Vijay Kumar
RA-L 2024

Obtaining accurate and timely predictions of the wind through an urban environment is a challenging task, but has wide-ranging implications for the safety and efficiency of autonomous aerial vehicles in future urban airspaces. Prior work relies strongly on global information about the environment, s

Cited by 8Source ↗Scholar ↗
2023

Autonomous 3D Position Control for a Safe Single Motor Micro Aerial Vehicle

Andrew G. Curtis, Billie Strong, Edward B. Steager, Mark Yim, Michael Rubenstein
RA-L 2023

We present the Maneuverable Piccolissimo 2 (MP2), an autonomous, controllable, single motor micro aerial vehicle (MAV). The small size of MP2 makes it safe to operate in the presence of humans, and its simple design facilitates the creation of large swarms of capable MAVs. MP2 is equipped with on-bo

Cited by 4Source ↗Scholar ↗
2023

Collision-Free Reconfiguration Planning for Variable Topology Trusses Using a Linking Invariant

Alexander Spinos, Mark Yim
IROS 2023poster

We introduce a multi-modal reconfiguration planner for the Variable Topology Truss (VTT) modular robot system. The VTT system is a truss-architecture modular self-reconfigurable robot. When a VTT is restricted to a single topology, the collision constraints between the truss members divide the confi…

Cited by 2Source ↗Scholar ↗
2023

Flow-Based Rendezvous and Docking for Marine Modular Robots in Gyre-Like Environments

Gedaliah Knizhnik, Peihan Li, Mark Yim, M. Ani Hsieh
ICRA 2023poster

Modular self-assembling systems typically assume that modules are present to assemble. But in sparsely observed ocean environments modules of an aquatic modular robotic system may be separated by distances they do not have the energy to cross, and the information needed for optimal path planning is…

Cited by 6Source ↗Scholar ↗
2022

Coverage Control in Multi-Robot Systems via Graph Neural Networks

Walker Gosrich, Siddharth Mayya, Rebecca Li, James Paulos, Mark Yim, Alejandro Ribeiro +1
ICRA 2022poster

This paper develops a decentralized approach to mobile sensor coverage by a multi-robot system. We consider a scenario where a team of robots with limited sensing range must position itself to effectively detect events of interest in a region characterized by areas of varying importance. Towards thi…

Cited by 40Source ↗Scholar ↗
2022

Electroadhesive Clutches for Programmable Shape Morphing of Soft Actuators

Gregory M. Campbell, Jessica Yin, Yuyang Song, Umesh Gandhi, Mark Yim, James Pikul
IROS 2022poster

Soft robotic actuators are safe and adaptable devices with inherent compliance, which makes them attractive for manipulating delicate and complex objects. Researchers have integrated stiff materials into soft actuators to increase their force capacity and direct their deformation. However, these emb…

Cited by 5Source ↗Scholar ↗
2021

Slip Modeling and Simulation of Spiral Zipper Friction-Driven Prismatic Actuator

Seohyeon Lee, Sahoon Ahn, Devin Carroll, Mark Yim, TaeWon Seo
IROS 2021poster

In this study, based on an analysis of experimental results, we propose a method for slip modeling of Spiral Zipper. The Spiral Zipper is a prismatic actuator that extracts a length-changeable cylindrical tube from a flexible ABS band. The band tube is driven by a friction wheel; the slip results du…

Cited by 1Source ↗Scholar ↗
2020

Polygon-Based Random Tree Search Planning for Variable Geometry Truss Robot

Sumin Park, JangHo Bae, Seohyeon Lee, Mark Yim, JongWon Kim, TaeWon Seo
RA-L 2020

This letter proposes the use of a polygon-based random tree path planning algorithm for a variable geometry topology system (VGT). By combining a path planning algorithm and our previous non-impact locomotion algorithm, the proposed VGT system reaches an objective point. The proposed path planning a

Cited by 13Source ↗Scholar ↗
2020

Reconfiguration Solution of a Variable Topology Truss: Design and Experiment

Eugene Park, JangHo Bae, Sumin Park, JongWon Kim, Mark Yim, TaeWon Seo
RA-L 2020

In this letter, an active ball joint actuator, called the master node, is developed for the purpose of reconfiguring truss structures. We propose a variable topology truss system, which is an advanced variable geometry truss system that can reconfigure its own topology to expand its functions. Howev

Cited by 13Source ↗Scholar ↗
2019

ModQuad-Vi: A Vision-Based Self-Assembling Modular Quadrotor

Guanrui Li, Bruno Gabrich, David Saldaña, Jnaneshwar Das, Vijay Kumar, Mark Yim
ICRA 2019poster

Flying modular robots have the potential to rapidly form temporary structures. In the literature, docking actions rely on external systems and indoor infrastructures for relative pose estimation. In contrast to related work, we provide local estimation during the self-assembly process to avoid depen…

Cited by 53Source ↗Scholar ↗
2019

Optimization-Based Nonimpact Rolling Locomotion of a Variable Geometry Truss

Sumin Park, Eugene Park, Mark Yim, JongWon Kim, TaeWon Seo
RA-L 2019

A variable geometry truss (VGT) is a modular truss-structured robot consisting of linear actuators and three-degree-of-freedom joints. Having a sophisticated structure, the VGT can easily be damaged when it rolls and impacts the ground. This letter proposes a nonimpact rolling locomotion scheme to a

Cited by 25Source ↗Scholar ↗
2019

Spiral Zipper Manipulator for Aerial Grasping and Manipulation

Chao Liu, Abhraneel Bera, Thulani Tsabedze, Daniel Edgar, Mark Yim
IROS 2019poster

This paper presents a novel manipulator for aerial vehicles to perform grasping and manipulation tasks. The goal is to design a low-cost, relatively light but strong manipulator with a large workspace and compact storage space that can be mounted on an unmanned aerial system. A novel design solution…

Cited by 9Source ↗Scholar ↗
2019

Toward Lateral Aerial Grasping & Manipulation Using Scalable Suction

Chad C. Kessens, Matthew Horowitz, Chao Liu, James Dotterweich, Mark Yim, Harris L. Edge
ICRA 2019poster

This paper is an initial step toward the realization of an aerial robot that can perform lateral physical work, such as drilling a hole or fastening a screw in a wall. Aerial robots are capable of high maneuverability and can provide access to locations that would be difficult or impossible for grou…

Cited by 12Source ↗Scholar ↗
2018

Discrete Configuration Space Methods for Determining Modular Connector Area of Acceptance in Higher Dimensions

Nick Eckenstein, Mark Yim
IROS 2018poster

Physical connectors with self-aligning geometry aid in the docking process for many robotic and automatic control systems such as robotic self-reconfiguration and air-to-air refueling. This self-aligning geometry provides a wider range of acceptable error tolerance in relative pose between the two r…

Cited by 0Source ↗Scholar ↗
2018

ModQuad: The Flying Modular Structure that Self-Assembles in Midair

David Saldaña, Bruno Gabrich, Guanrui Li, Mark Yim, Vijay Kumar
ICRA 2018poster

We introduce ModQuad, a novel flying modular robotic structure that is able to self-assemble in midair and cooperatively fly. The structure is composed by agile flying modules that can easily move in a three dimensional environment. The module is based on a quadrotor platform within a cuboid frame w…

Cited by 160Source ↗Scholar ↗
2018

Object Picking Through In-Hand Manipulation Using Passive End-Effectors With Zero Mobility

Caio Mucchiani, Monroe Kennedy III, Mark Yim, Jungwon Seo
RA-L 2018

This letter presents a new method for picking objects through quasistatic in-hand manipulation with end-effectors that have no degrees of freedom. Our stable manipulation/grasp planning is achieved with two contacts at fixed distance and the force of gravity, and is provably complete and correct. Pr

Cited by 23Source ↗Scholar ↗
2018

Perception-Informed Autonomous Environment Augmentation with Modular Robots

Tarik Tosun, Jonathan Daudelin, Gangyuan Jing, Hadas Kress-Gazit, Mark Campbell, Mark Yim
ICRA 2018poster

We present a system enabling a modular robot to autonomously build structures in order to accomplish high-level tasks. Building structures allows the robot to surmount large obstacles, expanding the set of tasks it can perform. This addresses a common weakness of modular robot systems, which often s…

Cited by 26Source ↗Scholar ↗
2017

A decentralized algorithm for assembling structures with modular robots

David Saldaña, Bruno Gabrich, Michael Whitzer, Amanda Prorok, Mario F. M. Campos, Mark Yim +1
IROS 2017poster

Recent work in the field of bio-inspired robotic systems has introduced designs for modular robots that are able to assemble into structures (e.g., bridges, landing platforms, fences) using their bodies as the building components. Yet, it remains an open question as to how to program large swarms of…

Cited by 36Source ↗Scholar ↗
2017

Evaluating older adults' interaction with a mobile assistive robot

Caio Mucchiani, Suneet Sharma, Megan Johnson, Justine Sefcik, Nicholas Vivio, Justin Huang +6
IROS 2017poster

This paper presents findings from two deployments of an autonomous mobile robot in older adult low income Supportive Apartment Living (SAL) facilities. Design guidelines for the robot hardware and software were based on query of clinicians, caregivers and older adults through focus groups, member ch…

Cited by 35Source ↗Scholar ↗
2017

PaintPots: Low cost, accurate, highly customizable potentiometers for position sensing

Tarik Tosun, Daniel Edgar, Chao Liu, Thulani Tsabedze, Mark Yim
ICRA 2017poster

The PaintPot manufacturing process is a new way to create low-cost, low-profile, highly customizable potentiometers for position sensing in robotic applications. It uses widely accessible materials, requires no special expertise, and creates custom potentiometers in a variety of shapes and sizes, in…

Cited by 12Source ↗Scholar ↗
2016

An End-To-End System for Accomplishing Tasks with Modular Robots

Gangyuan Jing, Tarik Tosun, Mark Yim, Hadas Kress-Gazit
RSS 2016poster

The advantage of modular robot systems lies in their flexibility, but this advantage can only be realized if there exists some reliable, effective way of generating configurations (shapes) and behaviors (controlling programs) appropriate for a given task. In this paper, we present an end-to-end syst…

Cited by 82Source ↗PDF ↗Scholar ↗