10 accepted papers
Feedback motion planning over cell decompositions provides a robust method for generating collision-free robot motion with formal guarantees. However, existing algorithms often produce paths with unnecessary bending, leading to slower motion and higher control effort. This paper presents a computati
This paper presents methods for dramatically improving the performance of sampling-based kinodynamic planners. The key component is a complete, exact steering method that produces a time-optimal trajectory between any states for a vector of synchronized double integrators. This method is applied in…
We present a general approach for determining the unknown (or uncertain) position and orientation of a sensor mounted on a robot in a known environment, using only a few distance measurements (between 2 to 6 typically), which is advantageous, among others, in sensor cost, and storage and information…
This paper considers the problem of enabling the user to modify the path of a telepresence robot. The robot is capable of autonomously navigating to a goal predefined by the user, but the user might still want to modify the path, for example, to go further away from other people, or to go closer to…
This paper introduces mathematical models of touch sensors for mobile robots based on visibility. Serving a purpose similar to the pinhole camera model for computer vision, the introduced models are expected to provide a useful, idealized characterization of task-relevant information that can be inf…
This paper considers how the motions of a telepresence robot moving autonomously affect a person immersed in the robot through a head-mounted display. In particular, we explore the preference, comfort, and naturalness of elements of piecewise linear paths compared to the same elements on a smooth pa…
This paper considers a fundamental, optimal path planning problem that requires simultaneously minimizing path length and maximizing obstacle clearance. We show that in even simple planar settings with point and disc obstacles, the set of alternative solutions such that no one is clearly better than…
This letter introduces an emerging motion planning problem by considering a human that is immersed into the viewing perspective of a remote robot. The challenge is to make the experience both effective (such as delivering a sense of presence), and comfortable (such as avoiding adverse sickness sympt
This paper applies the principles of Virtual Reality (VR) to robots, rather than living organisms. A simulator, of either physical states or information states, renders outputs to custom displays that fool the robot's sensors. This enables a robot to experience a combination of real and virtual sens…
Differential drive robots, such as robotic vacuums, often have at least two motion primitives: the ability to travel forward in straight lines, and rotate in place upon encountering a boundary. They are often equipped with simple sensors such as contact sensors or range finders, which allow them to…