9 accepted papers
Accurate shape reconstruction is essential for precise control and reliable operation of soft robots. Compared to sensor-based approaches, vision-based methods offer advantages in cost, simplicity, and ease of deployment. However, existing vision-based methods often rely on complex camera setups, sp
In this letter, we propose a novel technique, Back-stepping Experience Replay (BER), that is compatible with arbitrary off-policy reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms. BER aims to enhance learning efficiency in systems with approximate reversibility, reducing the need for complex reward shaping. T
In this paper we propose a novel pneumatic soft snake robot which exploits traveling-wave motion to move in complex, constrained environments such as a pipeline. The robot is modular, with a unique pneumatic system design that requires the use of only four air channels regardless of the number of mo
Achieving and maintaining line-of-sight (LOS) is challenging for underwater optical communication systems, especially when the underlying platforms are mobile. In this work, we propose and demonstrate an active alignment controlbased LED-communication system that uses the DC value of the communicati…
We consider a scenario in which an autonomous vehicle equipped with a downward facing camera operates in a 3D environment and is tasked with searching for an unknown number of stationary targets on the 2D floor of the environment. The key challenge is to minimize the search time while ensuring a hig…
This paper presents a data-driven methodology for linear embedding of nonlinear systems. Utilizing structural knowledge of general nonlinear dynamics, the authors exploit the Koopman operator to develop a systematic, data-driven approach for constructing a linear representation in terms of higher or…
Given a nonlinear dynamical system, this letter considers the problem of selecting a subset of the total set of sensors that has provable guarantees on standard metrics related to the nonlinear observability Gramian. The key contribution is a simple randomized algorithm that samples the sensors unif
LED-based optical communication is emerging as a low-cost, high-data-rate alternative to the traditional acoustics mode of underwater communication. However, it is challenging to establish and maintain Line-Of-Sight (LOS) between the receiver and the transmitter, especially when such systems are use…
Gliding robotic fish, a hybrid of underwater gliders and robotic fish, are energy-efficient and highly maneuverable, and hold strong promise for long-duration sampling of underwater environments. In this paper a novel systematic autonomous water-column-based sampling scheme for gliding robotic fish…