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206 results (View BibTeX file of all listed publications)

2015

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Untethered Magnetic Micromanipulation

Diller, E., Sitti, M.

In Micro-and Nanomanipulation Tools, 13, 10, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, November 2015 (inbook)

Abstract
This chapter discusses the methods and state of the art in microscale manipulation in remote environments using untethered microrobotic devices. It focuses on manipulation at the size scale of tens to hundreds of microns, where small size leads to a dominance of microscale physical effects and challenges in fabrication and actuation. To motivate the challenges of operating at this size scale, the chapter includes coverage of the physical forces relevant to microrobot motion and manipulation below the millimeter-size scale. It then introduces the actuation methods commonly used in untethered manipulation schemes, with particular focus on magnetic actuation due to its wide use in the field. The chapter divides these manipulation techniques into two types: contact manipulation, which relies on direct pushing or grasping of objects for motion, and noncontact manipulation, which relies indirectly on induced fluid flow from the microrobot motion to move objects without any direct contact.

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DOI Project Page [BibTex]

2015

pi Diller, E., Sitti, M. Untethered Magnetic Micromanipulation In Micro-and Nanomanipulation Tools, 13, 10, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, November 2015 (inbook)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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Distributed Event-based State Estimation

Trimpe, S.

Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, November 2015 (techreport)

Abstract
An event-based state estimation approach for reducing communication in a networked control system is proposed. Multiple distributed sensor-actuator-agents observe a dynamic process and sporadically exchange their measurements and inputs over a bus network. Based on these data, each agent estimates the full state of the dynamic system, which may exhibit arbitrary inter-agent couplings. Local event-based protocols ensure that data is transmitted only when necessary to meet a desired estimation accuracy. This event-based scheme is shown to mimic a centralized Luenberger observer design up to guaranteed bounds, and stability is proven in the sense of bounded estimation errors for bounded disturbances. The stability result extends to the distributed control system that results when the local state estimates are used for distributed feedback control. Simulation results highlight the benefit of the event-based approach over classical periodic ones in reducing communication requirements.

am ics

arXiv [BibTex]

am ics Trimpe, S. Distributed Event-based State Estimation Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, November 2015 (techreport)

arXiv [BibTex]

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Learning Torque Control in Presence of Contacts using Tactile Sensing from Robot Skin

Calandra, R., Ivaldi, S., Deisenroth, M., Peters, J.

In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 690-695, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

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link (url) DOI [BibTex]

am ei Calandra, R., Ivaldi, S., Deisenroth, M., Peters, J. Learning Torque Control in Presence of Contacts using Tactile Sensing from Robot Skin In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 690-695, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

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Evaluation of Interactive Object Recognition with Tactile Sensing

Hoelscher, J., Peters, J., Hermans, T.

In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 310-317, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

am ei

DOI [BibTex]

am ei Hoelscher, J., Peters, J., Hermans, T. Evaluation of Interactive Object Recognition with Tactile Sensing In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 310-317, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

DOI [BibTex]

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Optimizing Robot Striking Movement Primitives with Iterative Learning Control

Koc, O., Maeda, G., Neumann, G., Peters, J.

In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 80-87, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

am ei

DOI [BibTex]

am ei Koc, O., Maeda, G., Neumann, G., Peters, J. Optimizing Robot Striking Movement Primitives with Iterative Learning Control In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 80-87, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

DOI [BibTex]

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A Comparison of Contact Distribution Representations for Learning to Predict Object Interactions

Leischnig, S., Luettgen, S., Kroemer, O., Peters, J.

In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 616-622, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

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DOI [BibTex]

am ei Leischnig, S., Luettgen, S., Kroemer, O., Peters, J. A Comparison of Contact Distribution Representations for Learning to Predict Object Interactions In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 616-622, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

DOI [BibTex]

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First-Person Tele-Operation of a Humanoid Robot

Fritsche, L., Unverzagt, F., Peters, J., Calandra, R.

In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 997-1002, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

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link (url) DOI [BibTex]

am ei Fritsche, L., Unverzagt, F., Peters, J., Calandra, R. First-Person Tele-Operation of a Humanoid Robot In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 997-1002, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

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Probabilistic Segmentation Applied to an Assembly Task

Lioutikov, R., Neumann, G., Maeda, G., Peters, J.

In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 533-540, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

am ei

DOI [BibTex]

am ei Lioutikov, R., Neumann, G., Maeda, G., Peters, J. Probabilistic Segmentation Applied to an Assembly Task In 15th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, pages: 533-540, Humanoids, November 2015 (inproceedings)

DOI [BibTex]

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Automatic LQR Tuning Based on Gaussian Process Optimization: Early Experimental Results

Marco, A., Hennig, P., Bohg, J., Schaal, S., Trimpe, S.

Machine Learning in Planning and Control of Robot Motion Workshop at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (iROS), pages: , , Machine Learning in Planning and Control of Robot Motion Workshop, October 2015 (conference)

Abstract
This paper proposes an automatic controller tuning framework based on linear optimal control combined with Bayesian optimization. With this framework, an initial set of controller gains is automatically improved according to a pre-defined performance objective evaluated from experimental data. The underlying Bayesian optimization algorithm is Entropy Search, which represents the latent objective as a Gaussian process and constructs an explicit belief over the location of the objective minimum. This is used to maximize the information gain from each experimental evaluation. Thus, this framework shall yield improved controllers with fewer evaluations compared to alternative approaches. A seven-degree-of-freedom robot arm balancing an inverted pole is used as the experimental demonstrator. Preliminary results of a low-dimensional tuning problem highlight the method’s potential for automatic controller tuning on robotic platforms.

am ei ics pn

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

am ei ics pn Marco, A., Hennig, P., Bohg, J., Schaal, S., Trimpe, S. Automatic LQR Tuning Based on Gaussian Process Optimization: Early Experimental Results Machine Learning in Planning and Control of Robot Motion Workshop at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (iROS), pages: , , Machine Learning in Planning and Control of Robot Motion Workshop, October 2015 (conference)

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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Gaussian Process Optimization for Self-Tuning Control

Marco, A.

Polytechnic University of Catalonia (BarcelonaTech), October 2015 (mastersthesis)

am ics

PDF Project Page [BibTex]

am ics Marco, A. Gaussian Process Optimization for Self-Tuning Control Polytechnic University of Catalonia (BarcelonaTech), October 2015 (mastersthesis)

PDF Project Page [BibTex]

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Compliant wing design for a flapping wing micro air vehicle

Colmenares, D., Kania, R., Zhang, W., Sitti, M.

In Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on, pages: 32-39, September 2015 (inproceedings)

Abstract
In this work, we examine several wing designs for a motor-driven, flapping-wing micro air vehicle capable of liftoff. The full system consists of two wings independently driven by geared pager motors that include a spring in parallel with the output shaft. The linear transmission allows for resonant operation, while control is achieved by direct drive of the wing angle. Wings used in previous work were chosen to be fully rigid for simplicity of modeling and fabrication. However, biological wings are highly flexible and other micro air vehicles have successfully utilized flexible wing structures for specialized tasks. The goal of our study is to determine if wing flexibility can be generally used to increase wing performance. Two approaches to lift improvement using flexible wings are explored, resonance of the wing cantilever structure and dynamic wing twisting. We design and test several wings that are compared using different figures of merit. A twisted design improved lift per power by 73.6% and maximum lift production by 53.2% compared to the original rigid design. Wing twist is then modeled in order to propose optimal wing twist profiles that can maximize either wing efficiency or lift production.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Colmenares, D., Kania, R., Zhang, W., Sitti, M. Compliant wing design for a flapping wing micro air vehicle In Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on, pages: 32-39, September 2015 (inproceedings)

DOI [BibTex]

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Methods of forming dry adhesive structures

Sitti, M., Murphy, M., Aksak, B.

September 2015, US Patent 9,120,953 (patent)

Abstract
Methods of forming dry adhesives including a method of making a dry adhesive including applying a liquid polymer to the second end of the stem, molding the liquid polymer on the stem in a mold, wherein the mold includes a recess having a cross-sectional area that is less than a cross-sectional area of the second end of the stem, curing the liquid polymer in the mold to form a tip at the second end of the stem, wherein the tip includes a second layer stem; corresponding to the recess in the mold, and removing the tip from the mold after the liquid polymer cures.

pi

[BibTex]

pi Sitti, M., Murphy, M., Aksak, B. Methods of forming dry adhesive structures September 2015, US Patent 9,120,953 (patent)

[BibTex]

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Stabilizing Novel Objects by Learning to Predict Tactile Slip

Veiga, F., van Hoof, H., Peters, J., Hermans, T.

In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 5065-5072, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

am ei

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

am ei Veiga, F., van Hoof, H., Peters, J., Hermans, T. Stabilizing Novel Objects by Learning to Predict Tactile Slip In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 5065-5072, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

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Millimeter-scale magnetic swimmers using elastomeric undulations

Zhang, J., Diller, E.

In 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pages: 1706-1711, September 2015 (inproceedings)

Abstract
This paper presents a new soft-bodied millimeterscale swimmer actuated by rotating uniform magnetic fields. The proposed swimmer moves through internal undulatory deformations, resulting from a magnetization profile programmed into its body. To understand the motion of the swimmer, a mathematical model is developed to describe the general relationship between the deflection of a flexible strip and its magnetization profile. As a special case, the situation of the swimmer on the water surface is analyzed and predictions made by the model are experimentally verified. Experimental results show the controllability of the proposed swimmer under a computer vision-based closed-loop controller. The swimmers have nominal dimensions of 1.5×4.9×0.06 mm and a top speed of 50 mm/s (10 body lengths per second). Waypoint following and multiagent control are demonstrated for swimmers constrained at the air-water interface and underwater swimming is also shown, suggesting the promising potential of this type of swimmer in biomedical and microfluidic applications.

pi

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

pi Zhang, J., Diller, E. Millimeter-scale magnetic swimmers using elastomeric undulations In 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pages: 1706-1711, September 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

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Model-Free Probabilistic Movement Primitives for Physical Interaction

Paraschos, A., Rueckert, E., Peters, J., Neumann, G.

In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 2860-2866, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

am ei

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

am ei Paraschos, A., Rueckert, E., Peters, J., Neumann, G. Model-Free Probabilistic Movement Primitives for Physical Interaction In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 2860-2866, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

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Combined Pose-Wrench and State Machine Representation for Modeling Robotic Assembly Skills

Wahrburg, A., Zeiss, S., Matthias, B., Peters, J., Ding, H.

In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 852-857, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

am ei

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

am ei Wahrburg, A., Zeiss, S., Matthias, B., Peters, J., Ding, H. Combined Pose-Wrench and State Machine Representation for Modeling Robotic Assembly Skills In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 852-857, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

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Probabilistic Progress Prediction and Sequencing of Concurrent Movement Primitives

Manschitz, S., Kober, J., Gienger, M., Peters, J.

In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 449-455, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

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link (url) DOI [BibTex]

am ei Manschitz, S., Kober, J., Gienger, M., Peters, J. Probabilistic Progress Prediction and Sequencing of Concurrent Movement Primitives In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 449-455, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

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Reinforcement Learning vs Human Programming in Tetherball Robot Games

Parisi, S., Abdulsamad, H., Paraschos, A., Daniel, C., Peters, J.

In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 6428-6434, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

am ei

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

am ei Parisi, S., Abdulsamad, H., Paraschos, A., Daniel, C., Peters, J. Reinforcement Learning vs Human Programming in Tetherball Robot Games In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 6428-6434, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

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Learning Motor Skills from Partially Observed Movements Executed at Different Speeds

Ewerton, M., Maeda, G., Peters, J., Neumann, G.

In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 456-463, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

am ei

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

am ei Ewerton, M., Maeda, G., Peters, J., Neumann, G. Learning Motor Skills from Partially Observed Movements Executed at Different Speeds In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pages: 456-463, IROS, September 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

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Adaptive and Learning Concepts in Hydraulic Force Control

Doerr, A.

University of Stuttgart, September 2015 (mastersthesis)

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[BibTex]

am ics Doerr, A. Adaptive and Learning Concepts in Hydraulic Force Control University of Stuttgart, September 2015 (mastersthesis)

[BibTex]

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Experimental investigation of optimal adhesion of mushroomlike elastomer microfibrillar adhesives

Marvi, H., Song, S., Sitti, M.

Langmuir, 31(37):10119-10124, American Chemical Society, August 2015 (article)

Abstract
Optimal fiber designs for the maximal pull-off force have been indispensable for increasing the attachment performance of recently introduced gecko-inspired reversible micro/nanofibrillar adhesives. There are several theoretical studies on such optimal designs; however, due to the lack of three-dimensional (3D) fabrication techniques that can fabricate such optimal designs in 3D, there have not been many experimental investigations on this challenge. In this study, we benefitted from recent advances in two-photon lithography techniques to fabricate mushroomlike polyurethane elastomer fibers with different aspect ratios of tip to stalk diameter (β) and tip wedge angles (θ) to investigate the effect of these two parameters on the pull-off force. We found similar trends to those predicted theoretically. We found that β has an impact on the slope of the force-displacement curve while both β and θ play a role in the stress distribution and crack propagation. We found that these effects are coupled and the optimal set of parameters also depends on the fiber material. This is the first experimental verification of such optimal designs proposed for mushroomlike microfibers. This experimental approach could be used to evaluate a wide range of complex microstructured adhesive designs suggested in the literature and optimize them.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Marvi, H., Song, S., Sitti, M. Experimental investigation of optimal adhesion of mushroomlike elastomer microfibrillar adhesives Langmuir, 31(37):10119-10124, American Chemical Society, August 2015 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

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Micro-fiber arrays with tip coating and transfer method for preparing same

Sitti, M., Washburn, N. R., Glass, P. S., Chung, H.

July 2015, US Patent 9,079,215 (patent)

Abstract
Present invention describes a patterned and coated micro- and nano-scale fibers elastomeric material for enhanced adhesion in wet or dry environments. A multi-step fabrication process including optical lithography, micromolding, polymer synthesis, dipping, stamping, and photopolymerization is described to produce uniform arrays of micron-scale fibers with mushroom-shaped tips coated with a thin layer of an intrinsically adhesive synthetic polymer, such as lightly crosslinked p(DMA-co-MEA).

pi

[BibTex]

pi Sitti, M., Washburn, N. R., Glass, P. S., Chung, H. Micro-fiber arrays with tip coating and transfer method for preparing same July 2015, US Patent 9,079,215 (patent)

[BibTex]

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Direct Loss Minimization Inverse Optimal Control

Doerr, A., Ratliff, N., Bohg, J., Toussaint, M., Schaal, S.

In Proceedings of Robotics: Science and Systems, Rome, Italy, Robotics: Science and Systems XI, July 2015 (inproceedings)

Abstract
Inverse Optimal Control (IOC) has strongly impacted the systems engineering process, enabling automated planner tuning through straightforward and intuitive demonstration. The most successful and established applications, though, have been in lower dimensional problems such as navigation planning where exact optimal planning or control is feasible. In higher dimensional systems, such as humanoid robots, research has made substantial progress toward generalizing the ideas to model free or locally optimal settings, but these systems are complicated to the point where demonstration itself can be difficult. Typically, real-world applications are restricted to at best noisy or even partial or incomplete demonstrations that prove cumbersome in existing frameworks. This work derives a very flexible method of IOC based on a form of Structured Prediction known as Direct Loss Minimization. The resulting algorithm is essentially Policy Search on a reward function that rewards similarity to demonstrated behavior (using Covariance Matrix Adaptation (CMA) in our experiments). Our framework blurs the distinction between IOC, other forms of Imitation Learning, and Reinforcement Learning, enabling us to derive simple, versatile, and practical algorithms that blend imitation and reinforcement signals into a unified framework. Our experiments analyze various aspects of its performance and demonstrate its efficacy on conveying preferences for motion shaping and combined reach and grasp quality optimization.

am ics

PDF Video Project Page [BibTex]

am ics Doerr, A., Ratliff, N., Bohg, J., Toussaint, M., Schaal, S. Direct Loss Minimization Inverse Optimal Control In Proceedings of Robotics: Science and Systems, Rome, Italy, Robotics: Science and Systems XI, July 2015 (inproceedings)

PDF Video Project Page [BibTex]

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LMI-Based Synthesis for Distributed Event-Based State Estimation

Muehlebach, M., Trimpe, S.

In Proceedings of the American Control Conference, July 2015 (inproceedings)

Abstract
This paper presents an LMI-based synthesis procedure for distributed event-based state estimation. Multiple agents observe and control a dynamic process by sporadically exchanging data over a broadcast network according to an event-based protocol. In previous work [1], the synthesis of event-based state estimators is based on a centralized design. In that case three different types of communication are required: event-based communication of measurements, periodic reset of all estimates to their joint average, and communication of inputs. The proposed synthesis problem eliminates the communication of inputs as well as the periodic resets (under favorable circumstances) by accounting explicitly for the distributed structure of the control system.

am ics

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

am ics Muehlebach, M., Trimpe, S. LMI-Based Synthesis for Distributed Event-Based State Estimation In Proceedings of the American Control Conference, July 2015 (inproceedings)

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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pH-taxis of biohybrid microsystems

Zhuang, J., Carlsen, R. W., Sitti, M.

Scientific reports, 5, Nature Publishing Group, June 2015 (article)

Abstract
The last decade has seen an increasing number of studies developing bacteria and other cell-integrated biohybrid microsystems. However, the highly stochastic motion of these microsystems severely limits their potential use. Here, we present a method that exploits the pH sensing of flagellated bacteria to realize robust drift control of multi-bacteria propelled microrobots. Under three specifically configured pH gradients, we demonstrate that the microrobots exhibit both unidirectional and bidirectional pH-tactic behaviors, which are also observed in free-swimming bacteria. From trajectory analysis, we find that the swimming direction and speed biases are two major factors that contribute to their tactic drift motion. The motion analysis of microrobots also sheds light on the propulsion dynamics of the flagellated bacteria as bioactuators. It is expected that similar driving mechanisms are shared among pH-taxis, chemotaxis, and thermotaxis. By identifying the mechanism that drives the tactic behavior of bacteria-propelled microsystems, this study opens up an avenue towards improving the control of biohybrid microsystems. Furthermore, assuming that it is possible to tune the preferred pH of bioactuators by genetic engineering, these biohybrid microsystems could potentially be applied to sense the pH gradient induced by cancerous cells in stagnant fluids inside human body and realize targeted drug delivery.

pi

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

pi Zhuang, J., Carlsen, R. W., Sitti, M. pH-taxis of biohybrid microsystems Scientific reports, 5, Nature Publishing Group, June 2015 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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Guaranteed H2 Performance in Distributed Event-Based State Estimation

Muehlebach, M., Trimpe, S.

In Proceeding of the First International Conference on Event-based Control, Communication, and Signal Processing, June 2015 (inproceedings)

am ics

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

am ics Muehlebach, M., Trimpe, S. Guaranteed H2 Performance in Distributed Event-Based State Estimation In Proceeding of the First International Conference on Event-based Control, Communication, and Signal Processing, June 2015 (inproceedings)

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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On the Choice of the Event Trigger in Event-based Estimation

Trimpe, S., Campi, M.

In Proceeding of the First International Conference on Event-based Control, Communication, and Signal Processing, June 2015 (inproceedings)

am ics

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

am ics Trimpe, S., Campi, M. On the Choice of the Event Trigger in Event-based Estimation In Proceeding of the First International Conference on Event-based Control, Communication, and Signal Processing, June 2015 (inproceedings)

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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Object Detection Using Deep Learning - Learning where to search using visual attention

Kloss, A.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, May 2015 (mastersthesis)

Abstract
Detecting and identifying the different objects in an image fast and reliably is an important skill for interacting with one’s environment. The main problem is that in theory, all parts of an image have to be searched for objects on many different scales to make sure that no object instance is missed. It however takes considerable time and effort to actually classify the content of a given image region and both time and computational capacities that an agent can spend on classification are limited. Humans use a process called visual attention to quickly decide which locations of an image need to be processed in detail and which can be ignored. This allows us to deal with the huge amount of visual information and to employ the capacities of our visual system efficiently. For computer vision, researchers have to deal with exactly the same problems, so learning from the behaviour of humans provides a promising way to improve existing algorithms. In the presented master’s thesis, a model is trained with eye tracking data recorded from 15 participants that were asked to search images for objects from three different categories. It uses a deep convolutional neural network to extract features from the input image that are then combined to form a saliency map. This map provides information about which image regions are interesting when searching for the given target object and can thus be used to reduce the parts of the image that have to be processed in detail. The method is based on a recent publication of Kümmerer et al., but in contrast to the original method that computes general, task independent saliency, the presented model is supposed to respond differently when searching for different target categories.

am

PDF Project Page [BibTex]

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Fiberbot: A miniature crawling robot using a directional fibrillar pad

Han, Y., Marvi, H., Sitti, M.

In Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2015 IEEE International Conference on, pages: 3122-3127, May 2015 (inproceedings)

Abstract
Vibration-driven locomotion has been widely used for crawling robot studies. Such robots usually have a vibration motor as the actuator and a fibrillar structure for providing directional friction on the substrate. However, there has not been any studies about the effect of fiber structure on robot crawling performance. In this paper, we develop Fiberbot, a custom made mini vibration robot, for studying the effect of fiber angle on robot velocity, steering, and climbing performance. It is known that the friction force with and against fibers depends on the fiber angle. Thus, we first present a new fabrication method for making millimeter scale fibers at a wide range of angles. We then show that using 30° angle fibers that have the highest friction anisotropy (ratio of backward to forward friction force) among the other fibers we fabricated in this study, Fiberbot speed on glass increases to 13.8±0.4 cm/s (compared to ν = 0.6±0.1 cm/s using vertical fibers). We also demonstrate that the locomotion direction of Fiberbot depends on the tilting direction of fibers and we can steer the robot by rotating the fiber pad. Fiberbot could also climb on glass at inclinations of up to 10° when equipped with fibers of high friction anisotropy. We show that adding a rigid tail to the robot it can climb on glass at 25° inclines. Moreover, the robot is able to crawl on rough surfaces such as wood (ν = 10.0±0.2 cm/s using 30° fiber pad). Fiberbot, a low-cost vibration robot equipped with a custom-designed fiber pad with steering and climbing capabilities could be used for studies on collective behavior on a wide range of topographies as well as search and exploratory missions.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Han, Y., Marvi, H., Sitti, M. Fiberbot: A miniature crawling robot using a directional fibrillar pad In Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2015 IEEE International Conference on, pages: 3122-3127, May 2015 (inproceedings)

DOI [BibTex]

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Platform design and tethered flight of a motor-driven flapping-wing system

Hines, L., Colmenares, D., Sitti, M.

In Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2015 IEEE International Conference on, pages: 5838-5845, May 2015 (inproceedings)

Abstract
In this work, we examine two design modifications to a tethered motor-driven flapping-wing system. Previously, we had demonstrated a simple mechanism utilizing a linear transmission for resonant operation and direct drive of the wing flapping angle for control. The initial two-wing system had a weight of 2.7 grams and a maximum lift-to-weight ratio of 1.4. While capable of vertical takeoff, in open-loop flight it demonstrated instability and pitch oscillations at the wing flapping frequency, leading to flight times of only a few wing strokes. Here the effect of vertical wing offset as well as an alternative multi-wing layout is investigated and experimentally tested with newly constructed prototypes. With only a change in vertical wing offset, stable open-loop flight of the two-wing flapping system is shown to be theoretically possible, but difficult to achieve with our current design and operating parameters. Both of the new two and four-wing systems, however, prove capable of flying to the end of the tether, with the four-wing system prototype eliminating disruptive wing beat oscillations.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Hines, L., Colmenares, D., Sitti, M. Platform design and tethered flight of a motor-driven flapping-wing system In Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2015 IEEE International Conference on, pages: 5838-5845, May 2015 (inproceedings)

DOI [BibTex]

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Structural optimization for flexure-based parallel mechanisms–Towards achieving optimal dynamic and stiffness properties

Lum, G. Z., Teo, T. J., Yeo, S. H., Yang, G., Sitti, M.

Precision Engineering, 42, pages: 195-207, Elsevier, May 2015 (article)

Abstract
Flexure-based parallel mechanisms (FPMs) are a type of compliant mechanisms that consist of a rigid end-effector that is articulated by several parallel, flexible limbs (a.k.a. sub-chains). Existing design methods can enhance the FPMs’ dynamic and stiffness properties by conducting a size optimization on their sub-chains. A similar optimization process, however, was not performed for their sub-chains’ topology, and this may severely limit the benefits of a size optimization. Thus, this paper proposes to use a structural optimization approach to synthesize and optimize the topology, shape and size of the FPMs’ sub-chains. The benefits of this approach are demonstrated via the design and development of a planar X − Y − θz FPM. A prototype of this FPM was evaluated experimentally to have a large workspace of 1.2 mm × 1.2 mm × 6°, a fundamental natural frequency of 102 Hz, and stiffness ratios that are greater than 120. The achieved properties show significant improvement over existing 3-degrees-of-freedom compliant mechanisms that can deflect more than 0.5 mm and 0.5°. These compliant mechanisms typically have stiffness ratios that are less than 60 and a fundamental natural frequency that is less than 45 Hz.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Lum, G. Z., Teo, T. J., Yeo, S. H., Yang, G., Sitti, M. Structural optimization for flexure-based parallel mechanisms–Towards achieving optimal dynamic and stiffness properties Precision Engineering, 42, pages: 195-207, Elsevier, May 2015 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

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Leveraging Big Data for Grasp Planning

Kappler, D., Bohg, B., Schaal, S.

In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, May 2015 (inproceedings)

Abstract
We propose a new large-scale database containing grasps that are applied to a large set of objects from numerous categories. These grasps are generated in simulation and are annotated with different grasp stability metrics. We use a descriptive and efficient representation of the local object shape at which each grasp is applied. Given this data, we present a two-fold analysis: (i) We use crowdsourcing to analyze the correlation of the metrics with grasp success as predicted by humans. The results show that the metric based on physics simulation is a more consistent predictor for grasp success than the standard ε-metric. The results also support the hypothesis that human labels are not required for good ground truth grasp data. Instead the physics-metric can be used to generate datasets in simulation that may then be used to bootstrap learning in the real world. (ii) We apply a deep learning method and show that it can better leverage the large-scale database for prediction of grasp success compared to logistic regression. Furthermore, the results suggest that labels based on the physics-metric are less noisy than those from the ε-metric and therefore lead to a better classification performance.

am

PDF data DOI Project Page [BibTex]

am Kappler, D., Bohg, B., Schaal, S. Leveraging Big Data for Grasp Planning In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, May 2015 (inproceedings)

PDF data DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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Robot Arm Tracking with Random Decision Forests

Widmaier, F.

Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, May 2015 (mastersthesis)

Abstract
For grasping and manipulation with robot arms, knowing the current pose of the arm is crucial for successful controlling its motion. Often, pose estimations can be acquired from encoders inside the arm, but they can have significant inaccuracy which makes the use of additional techniques necessary. In this master thesis, a novel approach of robot arm pose estimation is presented, that works on single depth images without the need of prior foreground segmentation or other preprocessing steps. A random regression forest is used, which is trained only on synthetically generated data. The approach improves former work by Bohg et al. by considerably reducing the computational effort both at training and test time. The forest in the new method directly estimates the desired joint angles while in the former approach, the forest casts 3D position votes for the joints, which then have to be clustered and fed into an iterative inverse kinematic process to finally get the joint angles. To improve the estimation accuracy, the standard training objective of the forest training is replaced by a specialized function that makes use of a model-dependent distance metric, called DISP. Experimental results show that the specialized objective indeed improves pose estimation and it is shown that the method, despite of being trained on synthetic data only, is able to provide reasonable estimations for real data at test time.

am

PDF Project Page [BibTex]

am Widmaier, F. Robot Arm Tracking with Random Decision Forests Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, May 2015 (mastersthesis)

PDF Project Page [BibTex]

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Event-based Estimation and Control for Remote Robot Operation with Reduced Communication

Trimpe, S., Buchli, J.

In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, May 2015 (inproceedings)

Abstract
An event-based communication framework for remote operation of a robot via a bandwidth-limited network is proposed. The robot sends state and environment estimation data to the operator, and the operator transmits updated control commands or policies to the robot. Event-based communication protocols are designed to ensure that data is transmitted only when required: the robot sends new estimation data only if this yields a significant information gain at the operator, and the operator transmits an updated control policy only if this comes with a significant improvement in control performance. The developed framework is modular and can be used with any standard estimation and control algorithms. Simulation results of a robotic arm highlight its potential for an efficient use of limited communication resources, for example, in disaster response scenarios such as the DARPA Robotics Challenge.

am ics

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

am ics Trimpe, S., Buchli, J. Event-based Estimation and Control for Remote Robot Operation with Reduced Communication In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, May 2015 (inproceedings)

PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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Lernende Roboter

Trimpe, S.

In Jahrbuch der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Max Planck Society, May 2015, (popular science article in German) (inbook)

am ics

link (url) [BibTex]

am ics Trimpe, S. Lernende Roboter In Jahrbuch der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Max Planck Society, May 2015, (popular science article in German) (inbook)

link (url) [BibTex]

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The Coordinate Particle Filter - A novel Particle Filter for High Dimensional Systems

Wüthrich, M., Bohg, J., Kappler, D., Pfreundt, C., Schaal, S.

In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, May 2015 (inproceedings)

Abstract
Parametric filters, such as the Extended Kalman Filter and the Unscented Kalman Filter, typically scale well with the dimensionality of the problem, but they are known to fail if the posterior state distribution cannot be closely approximated by a density of the assumed parametric form. For nonparametric filters, such as the Particle Filter, the converse holds. Such methods are able to approximate any posterior, but the computational requirements scale exponentially with the number of dimensions of the state space. In this paper, we present the Coordinate Particle Filter which alleviates this problem. We propose to compute the particle weights recursively, dimension by dimension. This allows us to explore one dimension at a time, and resample after each dimension if necessary. Experimental results on simulated as well as real data con- firm that the proposed method has a substantial performance advantage over the Particle Filter in high-dimensional systems where not all dimensions are highly correlated. We demonstrate the benefits of the proposed method for the problem of multi-object and robotic manipulator tracking.

am

arXiv Video Bayesian Filtering Framework Bayesian Object Tracking DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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Autonomous Robots

Schaal, S.

In Jahrbuch der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, May 2015 (incollection)

am

[BibTex]

am Schaal, S. Autonomous Robots In Jahrbuch der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, May 2015 (incollection)

[BibTex]

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Controlled surface topography regulates collective 3D migration by epithelial–mesenchymal composite embryonic tissues

Song, J., Shawky, J. H., Kim, Y., Hazar, M., LeDuc, P. R., Sitti, M., Davidson, L. A.

Biomaterials, 58, pages: 1-9, Elsevier, April 2015 (article)

Abstract
Cells in tissues encounter a range of physical cues as they migrate. Probing single cell and collective migratory responses to physically defined three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments and the factors that modulate those responses are critical to understanding how tissue migration is regulated during development, regeneration, and cancer. One key physical factor that regulates cell migration is topography. Most studies on surface topography and cell mechanics have been carried out with single migratory cells, yet little is known about the spreading and motility response of 3D complex multi-cellular tissues to topographical cues. Here, we examine the response to complex topographical cues of microsurgically isolated tissue explants composed of epithelial and mesenchymal cell layers from naturally 3D organized embryos of the aquatic frog Xenopus laevis. We control topography using fabricated micropost arrays (MPAs) and investigate the collective 3D migration of these multi-cellular systems in these MPAs. We find that the topography regulates both collective and individual cell migration and that dense MPAs reduce but do not eliminate tissue spreading. By modulating cell size through the cell cycle inhibitor Mitomycin C or the spacing of the MPAs we uncover how 3D topographical cues disrupt collective cell migration. We find surface topography can direct both single cell motility and tissue spreading, altering tissue-scale processes that enable efficient conversion of single cell motility into collective movement.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Song, J., Shawky, J. H., Kim, Y., Hazar, M., LeDuc, P. R., Sitti, M., Davidson, L. A. Controlled surface topography regulates collective 3D migration by epithelial–mesenchymal composite embryonic tissues Biomaterials, 58, pages: 1-9, Elsevier, April 2015 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

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Transfer Printing of Metallic Microstructures on Adhesion-Promoting Hydrogel Substrates

Wu, H., Sariola, V., Zhu, C., Zhao, J., Sitti, M., Bettinger, C. J.

Advanced Materials, 27(22):3398-3404, April 2015 (article)

Abstract
Fabrication schemes that integrate inorganic microstructures with hydrogel substrates are essential for advancing flexible electronics. A transfer printing process that is made possible through the design and synthesis of adhesion-promoting hydrogels as target substrates is reported. This fabrication technique may advance ultracompliant electronics by melding microfabricated structures with swollen hydrogel substrates.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Wu, H., Sariola, V., Zhu, C., Zhao, J., Sitti, M., Bettinger, C. J. Transfer Printing of Metallic Microstructures on Adhesion-Promoting Hydrogel Substrates Advanced Materials, 27(22):3398-3404, April 2015 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

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Dry adhesives and methods for making dry adhesives

Sitti, M., Murphy, M., Aksak, B.

March 2015, US Patent App. 14/625,162 (patent)

Abstract
Dry adhesives and methods for forming dry adhesives. A method of forming a dry adhesive structure on a substrate, comprises: forming a template backing layer of energy sensitive material on the substrate; forming a template layer of energy sensitive material on the template backing layer; exposing the template layer to a predetermined pattern of energy; removing a portion of the template layer related to the predetermined pattern of energy, and leaving a template structure formed from energy sensitive material and connected to the substrate via the template backing layer.

pi

[BibTex]

pi Sitti, M., Murphy, M., Aksak, B. Dry adhesives and methods for making dry adhesives March 2015, US Patent App. 14/625,162 (patent)

[BibTex]

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Biomedical applications of untethered mobile milli/microrobots

Sitti, M., Ceylan, H., Hu, W., Giltinan, J., Turan, M., Yim, S., Diller, E.

Proceedings of the IEEE, 103(2):205-224, IEEE, March 2015 (article)

Abstract
Untethered robots miniaturized to the length scale of millimeter and below attract growing attention for the prospect of transforming many aspects of health care and bioengineering. As the robot size goes down to the order of a single cell, previously inaccessible body sites would become available for high-resolution in situ and in vivo manipulations. This unprecedented direct access would enable an extensive range of minimally invasive medical operations. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the current advances in biomedical untethered mobile milli/microrobots. We put a special emphasis on the potential impacts of biomedical microrobots in the near future. Finally, we discuss the existing challenges and emerging concepts associated with designing such a miniaturized robot for operation inside a biological environment for biomedical applications.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Sitti, M., Ceylan, H., Hu, W., Giltinan, J., Turan, M., Yim, S., Diller, E. Biomedical applications of untethered mobile milli/microrobots Proceedings of the IEEE, 103(2):205-224, IEEE, March 2015 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

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Understanding the Geometry of Workspace Obstacles in Motion Optimization

Ratliff, N., Toussaint, M., Schaal, S.

In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, March 2015 (inproceedings)

am

PDF Video Project Page [BibTex]

am Ratliff, N., Toussaint, M., Schaal, S. Understanding the Geometry of Workspace Obstacles in Motion Optimization In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, March 2015 (inproceedings)

PDF Video Project Page [BibTex]

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Collective 3D Migration of Embryonic Epithelial Mesenchymal Composite Tissues are Regulated by Surface Topology

Song, J., Shawky, J., Kim, Y. T., Hazar, M., Sitti, M., LeDuc, P. R., Davidson, L. A.

Biophysical Journal, 108(2):455a, Elsevier, January 2015 (article)

Abstract
Cells in tissues encounter a range of physical cues as they migrate. Probing single cell and collective migratory responses to physically defined three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments and the factors that modulate those responses are critical to understanding how tissue migration is regulated during development, regeneration, and cancer. One key physical factor that regulates cell migration is topology. Most studies on surface topology and cell mechanics have been carried out with single migratory cells, yet little is known about the spreading and motility response of 3D complex multicellular tissues to topological cues. Here, we examine the behaviors of microsurgically isolated tissue explants composed of epithelial and mesenchymal cell layers from naturally 3D organized embryos of the aquatic frog Xenopus laevis to complex topological cues. We control topology using fabricated micropost arrays (MPAs) with different diameters (e.g., different spacing gaps) and investigate the collective 3D migration of these multicellular systems in these MPAs. Our topographical controlled approach for cellular application enables us to achieve a high degree of control over micropost positioning and geometry via simple, accurate, and repeatable microfabrication processes. We find that the topology regulates both collective and individual cell migration and that dense MPAs reduce but do not eliminate tissue spreading. By modulating cell size through the cell cycle inhibitor Mitomycin C or the spacing within MPAs we discover a role for topology in disrupting collective enhancement of cell migration. We find 3D topological cues can direct both single cell motility and tissue spreading, altering tissue-scale processes that enable efficient conversion of single cell motility into collective movement.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Song, J., Shawky, J., Kim, Y. T., Hazar, M., Sitti, M., LeDuc, P. R., Davidson, L. A. Collective 3D Migration of Embryonic Epithelial Mesenchymal Composite Tissues are Regulated by Surface Topology Biophysical Journal, 108(2):455a, Elsevier, January 2015 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

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Three-dimensional heterogeneous assembly of coded microgels using an untethered mobile microgripper

Chung, S. E., Dong, X., Sitti, M.

Lab on a Chip, 15(7):1667-1676, Royal Society of Chemistry, January 2015 (article)

Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) heterogeneous assembly of coded microgels in enclosed aquatic environments is demonstrated using a remotely actuated and controlled magnetic microgripper by a customized electromagnetic coil system. The microgripper uses different ‘stick–slip’ and ‘rolling’ locomotion in 2D and also levitation in 3D by magnetic gradient-based pulling force. This enables the microrobot to precisely manipulate each microgel by controlling its position and orientation in all x–y–z directions. Our microrobotic assembly method broke the barrier of limitation on the number of assembled microgel layers, because it enabled precise 3D levitation of the microgripper. We used the gripper to assemble microgels that had been coded with different colours and shapes onto prefabricated polymeric microposts. This eliminates the need for extra secondary cross-linking to fix the final construct. We demonstrated assembly of microgels on a single micropost up to ten layers. By increasing the number and changing the distribution of the posts, complex heterogeneous microsystems were possible to construct in 3D.

pi

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

pi Chung, S. E., Dong, X., Sitti, M. Three-dimensional heterogeneous assembly of coded microgels using an untethered mobile microgripper Lab on a Chip, 15(7):1667-1676, Royal Society of Chemistry, January 2015 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

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Integrating mechanism synthesis and topological optimization technique for stiffness-oriented design of a three degrees-of-freedom flexure-based parallel mechanism

Lum, G. Z., Teo, T. J., Yang, G., Yeo, S. H., Sitti, M.

Precision Engineering, 39, pages: 125-133, Elsevier, January 2015 (article)

Abstract
This paper introduces a new design approach to synthesize multiple degrees-of-freedom (DOF) flexure-based parallel mechanism (FPM). Termed as an integrated design approach, it is a systematic design methodology, which integrates both classical mechanism synthesis and modern topology optimization technique, to deliver an optimized multi-DOF FPM. This design approach is separated into two levels. At sub-chain level, a novel topology optimization technique, which uses the classical linkage mechanisms as DNA seeds, is used to synthesize the compliant joints or limbs. At configuration level, the optimal compliant joints are used to form the parallel limbs of the multi-DOF FPM and another stage of optimization was conducted to determine the optimal space distribution between these compliant joints so as to generate a multi-DOF FPM with optimized stiffness characteristic. In this paper, the design of a 3-DOF planar motion FPM was used to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of this proposed design approach.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

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Actively controlled fibrillar friction surfaces

Marvi, H, Han, Y, Sitti, M

Applied Physics Letters, 106(5):051602, AIP Publishing, January 2015 (article)

Abstract
In this letter, we propose a technique by which we can actively adjust frictional properties of elastic fibrillar structures in different directions. Using a mesh attached to a two degree-of-freedom linear stage, we controlled the active length and the tilt angle of fibers, independently. Thus, we were able to achieve desired levels of friction forces in different directions and significantly improve passive friction anisotropies observed in the same fiber arrays. The proposed technique would allow us to readily control the friction anisotropy and the friction magnitude of fibrillar structures in any planar direction.

pi

DOI [BibTex]

pi Marvi, H, Han, Y, Sitti, M Actively controlled fibrillar friction surfaces Applied Physics Letters, 106(5):051602, AIP Publishing, January 2015 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

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Policy Search for Imitation Learning

Doerr, A.

University of Stuttgart, January 2015 (thesis)

am ics

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

am ics Doerr, A. Policy Search for Imitation Learning University of Stuttgart, January 2015 (thesis)

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

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Learning of Non-Parametric Control Policies with High-Dimensional State Features

van Hoof, H., Peters, J., Neumann, G.

In Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics, 38, pages: 995–1003, (Editors: Lebanon, G. and Vishwanathan, S.V.N. ), JMLR, AISTATS, 2015 (inproceedings)

am ei

link (url) [BibTex]

am ei van Hoof, H., Peters, J., Neumann, G. Learning of Non-Parametric Control Policies with High-Dimensional State Features In Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics, 38, pages: 995–1003, (Editors: Lebanon, G. and Vishwanathan, S.V.N. ), JMLR, AISTATS, 2015 (inproceedings)

link (url) [BibTex]

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Data-Driven Online Decision Making for Autonomous Manipulation

Kappler, D., Pastor, P., Kalakrishnan, M., Wuthrich, M., Schaal, S.

In Proceedings of Robotics: Science and Systems, Rome, Italy, 2015 (inproceedings)

am

Project Page [BibTex]

am Kappler, D., Pastor, P., Kalakrishnan, M., Wuthrich, M., Schaal, S. Data-Driven Online Decision Making for Autonomous Manipulation In Proceedings of Robotics: Science and Systems, Rome, Italy, 2015 (inproceedings)

Project Page [BibTex]

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Predicting Human Reaching Motion in Collaborative Tasks Using Inverse Optimal Control and Iterative Re-planning

Mainprice, J., Hayne, R., Berenson, D.

In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2015 (inproceedings)

am

Project Page [BibTex]

am Mainprice, J., Hayne, R., Berenson, D. Predicting Human Reaching Motion in Collaborative Tasks Using Inverse Optimal Control and Iterative Re-planning In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2015 (inproceedings)

Project Page [BibTex]