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2023


An Open-Source Modular Treadmill for Dynamic Force Measurement with Load Dependant Range Adjustment
An Open-Source Modular Treadmill for Dynamic Force Measurement with Load Dependant Range Adjustment

Sarvestani, A., Ruppert, F., Badri-Spröwitz, A.

2023 (unpublished) Submitted

Abstract
Ground reaction force sensing is one of the key components of gait analysis in legged locomotion research. To measure continuous force data during locomotion, we present a novel compound instrumented treadmill design. The treadmill is 1.7 m long, with a natural frequency of 170 Hz and an adjustable range that can be used for humans and small robots alike. Here, we present the treadmill’s design methodology and characterize it in its natural frequency, noise behavior and real-life performance. Additionally, we apply an ISO 376 norm conform calibration procedure for all spatial force directions and center of pressure position. We achieve a force accuracy of ≤ 5.6 N for the ground reaction forces and ≤ 13 mm in center of pressure position.

dlg

arXiv link (url) DOI [BibTex]


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Natural Language Processing for Policymaking

Jin, Z., Mihalcea, R.

In Handbook of Computational Social Science for Policy, pages: 141-162, 7, (Editors: Bertoni, E. and Fontana, M. and Gabrielli, L. and Signorelli, S. and Vespe, M.), Springer International Publishing, 2023 (inbook)

ei

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]

2022


Reconstructing Expressive {3D} Humans from {RGB} Images
Reconstructing Expressive 3D Humans from RGB Images

Choutas, V.

ETH Zurich, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and ETH Zurich, December 2022 (thesis)

Abstract
To interact with our environment, we need to adapt our body posture and grasp objects with our hands. During a conversation our facial expressions and hand gestures convey important non-verbal cues about our emotional state and intentions towards our fellow speakers. Thus, modeling and capturing 3D full-body shape and pose, hand articulation and facial expressions are necessary to create realistic human avatars for augmented and virtual reality. This is a complex task, due to the large number of degrees of freedom for articulation, body shape variance, occlusions from objects and self-occlusions from body parts, e.g. crossing our hands, and subject appearance. The community has thus far relied on expensive and cumbersome equipment, such as multi-view cameras or motion capture markers, to capture the 3D human body. While this approach is effective, it is limited to a small number of subjects and indoor scenarios. Using monocular RGB cameras would greatly simplify the avatar creation process, thanks to their lower cost and ease of use. These advantages come at a price though, since RGB capture methods need to deal with occlusions, perspective ambiguity and large variations in subject appearance, in addition to all the challenges posed by full-body capture. In an attempt to simplify the problem, researchers generally adopt a divide-and-conquer strategy, estimating the body, face and hands with distinct methods using part-specific datasets and benchmarks. However, the hands and face constrain the body and vice-versa, e.g. the position of the wrist depends on the elbow, shoulder, etc.; the divide-and-conquer approach can not utilize this constraint. In this thesis, we aim to reconstruct the full 3D human body, using only readily accessible monocular RGB images. In a first step, we introduce a parametric 3D body model, called SMPL-X, that can represent full-body shape and pose, hand articulation and facial expression. Next, we present an iterative optimization method, named SMPLify-X, that fits SMPL-X to 2D image keypoints. While SMPLify-X can produce plausible results if the 2D observations are sufficiently reliable, it is slow and susceptible to initialization. To overcome these limitations, we introduce ExPose, a neural network regressor, that predicts SMPL-X parameters from an image using body-driven attention, i.e. by zooming in on the hands and face, after predicting the body. From the zoomed-in part images, dedicated part networks predict the hand and face parameters. ExPose combines the independent body, hand, and face estimates by trusting them equally. This approach though does not fully exploit the correlation between parts and fails in the presence of challenges such as occlusion or motion blur. Thus, we need a better mechanism to aggregate information from the full body and part images. PIXIE uses neural networks called moderators that learn to fuse information from these two image sets before predicting the final part parameters. Overall, the addition of the hands and face leads to noticeably more natural and expressive reconstructions. Creating high fidelity avatars from RGB images requires accurate estimation of 3D body shape. Although existing methods are effective at predicting body pose, they struggle with body shape. We identify the lack of proper training data as the cause. To overcome this obstacle, we propose to collect internet images from fashion models websites, together with anthropometric measurements. At the same time, we ask human annotators to rate images and meshes according to a pre-defined set of linguistic attributes. We then define mappings between measurements, linguistic shape attributes and 3D body shape. Equipped with these mappings, we train a neural network regressor, SHAPY, that predicts accurate 3D body shapes from a single RGB image. We observe that existing 3D shape benchmarks lack subject variety and/or ground-truth shape. Thus, we introduce a new benchmark, Human Bodies in the Wild (HBW), which contains images of humans and their corresponding 3D ground-truth body shape. SHAPY shows how we can overcome the lack of in-the-wild images with 3D shape annotations through easy-to-obtain anthropometric measurements and linguistic shape attributes. Regressors that estimate 3D model parameters are robust and accurate, but often fail to tightly fit the observations. Optimization-based approaches tightly fit the data, by minimizing an energy function composed of a data term that penalizes deviations from the observations and priors that encode our knowledge of the problem. Finding the balance between these terms and implementing a performant version of the solver is a time-consuming and non-trivial task. Machine-learned continuous optimizers combine the benefits of both regression and optimization approaches. They learn the priors directly from data, avoiding the need for hand-crafted heuristics and loss term balancing, and benefit from optimized neural network frameworks for fast inference. Inspired from the classic Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, we propose a neural optimizer that outperforms classic optimization, regression and hybrid optimization-regression approaches. Our proposed update rule uses a weighted combination of gradient descent and a network-predicted update. To show the versatility of the proposed method, we apply it on three other problems, namely full body estimation from (i) 2D keypoints, (ii) head and hand location from a head-mounted device and (iii) face tracking from dense 2D landmarks. Our method can easily be applied to new model fitting problems and offers a competitive alternative to well-tuned traditional model fitting pipelines, both in terms of accuracy and speed. To summarize, we propose a new and richer representation of the human body, SMPL-X, that is able to jointly model the 3D human body pose and shape, facial expressions and hand articulation. We propose methods, SMPLify-X, ExPose and PIXIE that estimate SMPL-X parameters from monocular RGB images, progressively improving the accuracy and realism of the predictions. To further improve reconstruction fidelity, we demonstrate how we can use easy-to-collect internet data and human annotations to overcome the lack of 3D shape data and train a model, SHAPY, that predicts accurate 3D body shape from a single RGB image. Finally, we propose a flexible learnable update rule for parametric human model fitting that outperforms both classic optimization and neural network approaches. This approach is easily applicable to a variety of problems, unlocking new applications in AR/VR scenarios.

ps

pdf [BibTex]

2022


pdf [BibTex]


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Life Improvement Science

Lieder, F., Prentice, M.

In Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research, Springer, November 2022 (inbook)

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[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Causality, causal digital twins, and their applications

Schölkopf, B.

Machine Learning for Science: Bridging Data-Driven and Mechanistic Modelling (Dagstuhl Seminar 22382), (Editors: Berens, Philipp and Cranmer, Kyle and Lawrence, Neil D. and von Luxburg, Ulrike and Montgomery, Jessica), September 2022 (talk)

ei

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

link (url) DOI [BibTex]


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Proceedings of the First Conference on Causal Learning and Reasoning (CLeaR 2022)

Schölkopf, B., Uhler, C., Zhang, K.

177, Proceedings of Machine Learning Research, PMLR, April 2022 (proceedings)

ei

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]


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Causal Models for Dynamical Systems

Peters, J., Bauer, S., Pfister, N.

In Probabilistic and Causal Inference: The Works of Judea Pearl, pages: 671-690, 1, Association for Computing Machinery, 2022 (inbook)

ei

arXiv DOI [BibTex]

arXiv DOI [BibTex]


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Causality for Machine Learning

Schölkopf, B.

In Probabilistic and Causal Inference: The Works of Judea Pearl, pages: 765-804, 1, Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 2022 (inbook)

ei

arXiv DOI [BibTex]

arXiv DOI [BibTex]

2021


Magnetic Micro-/Nanopropellers  for Biomedicine
Magnetic Micro-/Nanopropellers for Biomedicine

Qiu, T., Jeong, M., Goyal, R., Kadiri, V., Sachs, J., Fischer, P.

In Field-Driven Micro and Nanorobots for Biology and Medicine, pages: 389-410, 16, (Editors: Sun, Y. and Wang, X. and Yu, J.), Springer Nature, November 2021 (inbook)

Abstract
In nature, many bacteria swim by rotating their helical flagella. A particularly promising class of artificial micro- and nano-robots mimic this propeller-like propulsion mechanism to move through fluids and tissues for applications in minimally-invasive medicine. Several fundamental challenges have to be overcome in order to build micro-machines that move similar to bacteria for in vivo applications. Here, we review recent advances of magnetically-powered micro-/nano-propellers. Four important aspects of the propellers – the geometrical shape, the fabrication method, the generation of magnetic fields for actuation, and the choice of biocompatible magnetic materials – are highlighted. First, the fundamental requirements are elucidated that arise due to hydrodynamics at low Reynolds (Re) number. We discuss the role that the propellers’ shape and symmetry play in realizing effective propulsion at low Re. Second, the additive nano-fabrication method Glancing Angle Deposition is discussed as a versatile technique to quickly grow large numbers of designer nano-helices. Third, systems to generate rotating magnetic fields via permanent magnets or electromagnetic coils are presented. And finally, the biocompatibility of the magnetic materials is discussed. Iron-platinum is highlighted due to its biocompatibility and its superior magnetic properties, which is promising for targeted delivery, minimally-invasive magnetic nano-devices and biomedical applications.

pf

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

2021


link (url) DOI [BibTex]


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Physically Plausible Tracking & Reconstruction of Dynamic Objects

Strecke, M., Stückler, J.

KIT Science Week Scientific Conference & DGR-Days 2021, October 2021 (talk)

ev

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Electriflow: Augmenting Books With Tangible Animation Using Soft Electrohydraulic Actuators

Purnendu, , Novack, S., Acome, E., Alistar, M., Keplinger, C., Gross, M. D., Bruns, C., Leithinger, D.

In ACM SIGGRAPH 2021 Labs, pages: 1-2, Association for Computing Machinery, SIGGRAPH 2021, August 2021 (inbook)

Abstract
We present Electriflow: a method of augmenting books with tangible animation employing soft electrohydraulic actuators. These actuators are compact, silent and fast in operation, and can be fabricated with commodity materials. They generate an immediate hydraulic force upon electrostatic activation without an external fluid supply source, enabling a simple and self-contained design. Electriflow actuators produce an immediate shape transition from flat to folded state which enabled their seamless integration into books. For the Emerging Technologies exhibit, we will demonstrate the prototype of a book augmented with the capability of tangible animation.

rm

Supplemental Material link (url) DOI [BibTex]

Supplemental Material link (url) DOI [BibTex]


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Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on NLP for Positive Impact

Field, A., Prabhumoye, S., Sap, M., Jin, Z., Zhao, J., Brockett, C.

Association for Computational Linguistics, August 2021 (proceedings)

ei

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]


Improving Human Decision-Making by Discovering Efficient Strategies for Hierarchical Planning
Improving Human Decision-Making by Discovering Efficient Strategies for Hierarchical Planning

Heindrich, L., Consul, S., Stojcheski, J., Lieder, F.

Tübingen, Germany, The first edition of Life Improvement Science Conference, June 2021 (talk) Accepted

Abstract
The discovery of decision strategies is an essential part of creating effective cognitive tutors that teach planning and decision-making skills to humans. In the context of bounded rationality, this requires weighing the benefits of different planning operations compared to their computational costs. For small decision problems, it has already been shown that near-optimal decision strategies can be discovered automatically and that the discovered strategies can be taught to humans to increase their performance. Unfortunately, these near-optimal strategy discovery algorithms have not been able to scale well to larger problems due to their computational complexity. In this talk, we will present recent work at the Rationality Enhancement Group to overcome the computational bottleneck of existing strategy discovery algorithms. Our approach makes use of the hierarchical structure of human behavior by decomposing sequential decision problems into two sub-problems: setting a goal and planning how to achieve it. An additional metacontroller component is introduced to switch the current goal when it becomes beneficial. The hierarchical decomposition enables us to discover near-optimal strategies for human planning in larger and more complex tasks than previously possible. We then show in online experiments that teaching the discovered strategies to humans improves their performance in complex sequential decision-making tasks.

re

Project Page [BibTex]

Project Page [BibTex]


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Turbulence Modulation and Energy Transfer in Turbulent Channel Flow Coupled with One-Side Porous Media

Chu, X., Wang, W., Müller, J., Schöning, H. V., Liu, Y., Weigand, B.

In High Performance Computing in Science and Engineering’20, pages: 373-386, Springer, 2021 (incollection)

minibot

[BibTex]

[BibTex]

2020


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Voltage dependent interfacial magnetism in multilayer systems

Nacke, R.

Universität Stuttgart, Stuttgart, December 2020 (thesis)

mms

[BibTex]

2020


[BibTex]


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25th International Symposium on Vision, Modeling and Visualization, VMV 2020
(Editors: Jens Krüger and Matthias Nießner and Jörg Stückler), Eurographics Association, 2020 (proceedings)

ev

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


Excursion Search for Constrained Bayesian Optimization under a Limited Budget of Failures
Excursion Search for Constrained Bayesian Optimization under a Limited Budget of Failures

Marco, A., Rohr, A. V., Baumann, D., Hernández-Lobato, J. M., Trimpe, S.

2020 (proceedings) In revision

Abstract
When learning to ride a bike, a child falls down a number of times before achieving the first success. As falling down usually has only mild consequences, it can be seen as a tolerable failure in exchange for a faster learning process, as it provides rich information about an undesired behavior. In the context of Bayesian optimization under unknown constraints (BOC), typical strategies for safe learning explore conservatively and avoid failures by all means. On the other side of the spectrum, non conservative BOC algorithms that allow failing may fail an unbounded number of times before reaching the optimum. In this work, we propose a novel decision maker grounded in control theory that controls the amount of risk we allow in the search as a function of a given budget of failures. Empirical validation shows that our algorithm uses the failures budget more efficiently in a variety of optimization experiments, and generally achieves lower regret, than state-of-the-art methods. In addition, we propose an original algorithm for unconstrained Bayesian optimization inspired by the notion of excursion sets in stochastic processes, upon which the failures-aware algorithm is built.

am ics

arXiv code (python) PDF [BibTex]


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TUM Flyers: Vision-Based MAV Navigation for Systematic Inspection of Structures

Usenko, V., Stumberg, L. V., Stückler, J., Cremers, D.

In Bringing Innovative Robotic Technologies from Research Labs to Industrial End-users: The Experience of the European Robotics Challenges, 136, pages: 189-209, Springer International Publishing, 2020 (inbook)

ev

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]


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Adopting the Boundary Homogenization Approximation from Chemical Kinetics to Motile Chemically Active Particles

Popescu, M. N., Uspal, W. E.

In Chemical Kinetics, pages: 517-540, (Editors: Lindenberg, Katja and Metzler, Ralf and Oshanin, Gleb), World Scientific, New Jersey, NJ, 2020 (incollection)

icm

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]


Image-guided Neural Object Rendering
Image-guided Neural Object Rendering

Thies, J., Zollhöfer, M., Theobalt, C., Stamminger, M., Nießner, M.

In International Conference on Learning Representations, 2020 (incollection)

Abstract
We propose a learned image-guided rendering technique that combines the benefits of image-based rendering and GAN-based image synthesis. The goal of our method is to generate photo-realistic re-renderings of reconstructed objects for virtual and augmented reality applications (e.g., virtual showrooms, virtual tours and sightseeing, the digital inspection of historical artifacts). A core component of our work is the handling of view-dependent effects. Specifically, we directly train an object-specific deep neural network to synthesize the view-dependent appearance of an object. As input data we are using an RGB video of the object. This video is used to reconstruct a proxy geometry of the object via multi-view stereo. Based on this 3D proxy, the appearance of a captured view can be warped into a new target view as in classical image-based rendering. This warping assumes diffuse surfaces, in case of view-dependent effects, such as specular highlights, it leads to artifacts. To this end, we propose EffectsNet, a deep neural network that predicts view-dependent effects. Based on these estimations, we are able to convert observed images to diffuse images. These diffuse images can be projected into other views. In the target view, our pipeline reinserts the new view-dependent effects. To composite multiple reprojected images to a final output, we learn a composition network that outputs photo-realistic results. Using this image-guided approach, the network does not have to allocate capacity on ``remembering’’ object appearance, instead it learns how to combine the appearance of captured images. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach both qualitatively and quantitatively on synthetic as well as on real data.

ncs

Paper Video link (url) [BibTex]

Paper Video link (url) [BibTex]


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Soft Microrobots Based on Photoresponsive Materials

Palagi, S.

In Mechanically Responsive Materials for Soft Robotics, pages: 327-362, (Editors: Koshima, Hideko), Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2020 (incollection)

pf

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]

2019


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Multivariate coupling estimation between continuous signals and point processes

Safavi, S., Logothetis, N., Besserve, M.

Neural Information Processing Systems 2019 - Workshop on Learning with Temporal Point Processes, December 2019 (talk)

ei

Talk video link (url) [BibTex]

2019


Talk video link (url) [BibTex]


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Nanomagnetismus im Röntgenlicht

Schütz, G.

In Vielfältige Physik, pages: 173-182, Springer Spektrum, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2019 (incollection)

mms

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]


Das Tier als Modell für Roboter, und Roboter als Modell für Tiere
Das Tier als Modell für Roboter, und Roboter als Modell für Tiere

Badri-Spröwitz, A.

In pages: 167-175, Springer, 2019 (incollection)

dlg

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]

2018


Nanoscale robotic agents in biological fluids and tissues
Nanoscale robotic agents in biological fluids and tissues

Palagi, S., Walker, D. Q. T., Fischer, P.

In The Encyclopedia of Medical Robotics, 2, pages: 19-42, 2, (Editors: Desai, J. P. and Ferreira, A.), World Scientific, October 2018 (inbook)

Abstract
Nanorobots are untethered structures of sub-micron size that can be controlled in a non-trivial way. Such nanoscale robotic agents are envisioned to revolutionize medicine by enabling minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. To be useful, nanorobots must be operated in complex biological fluids and tissues, which are often difficult to penetrate. In this chapter, we first discuss potential medical applications of motile nanorobots. We briefly present the challenges related to swimming at such small scales and we survey the rheological properties of some biological fluids and tissues. We then review recent experimental results in the development of nanorobots and in particular their design, fabrication, actuation, and propulsion in complex biological fluids and tissues. Recent work shows that their nanoscale dimension is a clear asset for operation in biological tissues, since many biological tissues consist of networks of macromolecules that prevent the passage of larger micron-scale structures, but contain dynamic pores through which nanorobots can move.

pf

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

2018


link (url) DOI [BibTex]


Impact of Trunk Orientation  for Dynamic Bipedal Locomotion
Impact of Trunk Orientation for Dynamic Bipedal Locomotion

Drama, Ö.

Dynamic Walking Conference, May 2018 (talk)

Abstract
Impact of trunk orientation for dynamic bipedal locomotion My research revolves around investigating the functional demands of bipedal running, with focus on stabilizing trunk orientation. When we think about postural stability, there are two critical questions we need to answer: What are the necessary and sufficient conditions to achieve and maintain trunk stability? I am concentrating on how morphology affects control strategies in achieving trunk stability. In particular, I denote the trunk pitch as the predominant morphology parameter and explore the requirements it imposes on a chosen control strategy. To analyze this, I use a spring loaded inverted pendulum model extended with a rigid trunk, which is actuated by a hip motor. The challenge for the controller design here is to have a single hip actuator to achieve two coupled tasks of moving the legs to generate motion and stabilizing the trunk. I enforce orthograde and pronograde postures and aim to identify the effect of these trunk orientations on the hip torque and ground reaction profiles for different control strategies.

dlg

Impact of trunk orientation for dynamic bipedal locomotion [DW 2018] link (url) [BibTex]


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Haptics and Haptic Interfaces

Kuchenbecker, K. J.

In Encyclopedia of Robotics, (Editors: Marcelo H. Ang and Oussama Khatib and Bruno Siciliano), Springer, May 2018 (incollection)

Abstract
Haptics is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to both understand and engineer touch-based interaction. Although a wide range of systems and applications are being investigated, haptics researchers often concentrate on perception and manipulation through the human hand. A haptic interface is a mechatronic system that modulates the physical interaction between a human and his or her tangible surroundings. Haptic interfaces typically involve mechanical, electrical, and computational layers that work together to sense user motions or forces, quickly process these inputs with other information, and physically respond by actuating elements of the user’s surroundings, thereby enabling him or her to act on and feel a remote and/or virtual environment.

hi

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]


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Maschinelles Lernen: Entwicklung ohne Grenzen?

Schölkopf, B.

In Mit Optimismus in die Zukunft schauen. Künstliche Intelligenz - Chancen und Rahmenbedingungen, pages: 26-34, (Editors: Bender, G. and Herbrich, R. and Siebenhaar, K.), B&S Siebenhaar Verlag, 2018 (incollection)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Methods in Psychophysics

Wichmann, F. A., Jäkel, F.

In Stevens’ Handbook of Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, 5 (Methodology), 7, 4th, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2018 (inbook)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Transfer Learning for BCIs

Jayaram, V., Fiebig, K., Peters, J., Grosse-Wentrup, M.

In Brain–Computer Interfaces Handbook, pages: 425-442, 22, (Editors: Chang S. Nam, Anton Nijholt and Fabien Lotte), CRC Press, 2018 (incollection)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]

2017


Chapter 8 - Micro- and nanorobots in Newtonian and biological viscoelastic fluids
Chapter 8 - Micro- and nanorobots in Newtonian and biological viscoelastic fluids

Palagi, S., (Walker) Schamel, D., Qiu, T., Fischer, P.

In Microbiorobotics, pages: 133 - 162, 8, Micro and Nano Technologies, Second edition, Elsevier, Boston, March 2017 (incollection)

Abstract
Swimming microorganisms are a source of inspiration for small scale robots that are intended to operate in fluidic environments including complex biomedical fluids. Nature has devised swimming strategies that are effective at small scales and at low Reynolds number. These include the rotary corkscrew motion that, for instance, propels a flagellated bacterial cell, as well as the asymmetric beat of appendages that sperm cells or ciliated protozoa use to move through fluids. These mechanisms can overcome the reciprocity that governs the hydrodynamics at small scale. The complex molecular structure of biologically important fluids presents an additional challenge for the effective propulsion of microrobots. In this chapter it is shown how physical and chemical approaches are essential in realizing engineered abiotic micro- and nanorobots that can move in biomedically important environments. Interestingly, we also describe a microswimmer that is effective in biological viscoelastic fluids that does not have a natural analogue.

pf

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

2017


link (url) DOI [BibTex]


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Robot Learning

Peters, J., Lee, D., Kober, J., Nguyen-Tuong, D., Bagnell, J., Schaal, S.

In Springer Handbook of Robotics, pages: 357-394, 15, 2nd, (Editors: Siciliano, Bruno and Khatib, Oussama), Springer International Publishing, 2017 (inbook)

am ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Policy Gradient Methods

Peters, J., Bagnell, J.

In Encyclopedia of Machine Learning and Data Mining, pages: 982-985, 2nd, (Editors: Sammut, Claude and Webb, Geoffrey I.), Springer US, 2017 (inbook)

ei

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]


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Unsupervised clustering of EOG as a viable substitute for optical eye-tracking

Flad, N., Fomina, T., Bülthoff, H. H., Chuang, L. L.

In First Workshop on Eye Tracking and Visualization (ETVIS 2015), pages: 151-167, Mathematics and Visualization, (Editors: Burch, M., Chuang, L., Fisher, B., Schmidt, A., and Weiskopf, D.), Springer, 2017 (inbook)

ei

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]


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Robot Learning

Peters, J., Tedrake, R., Roy, N., Morimoto, J.

In Encyclopedia of Machine Learning and Data Mining, pages: 1106-1109, 2nd, (Editors: Sammut, Claude and Webb, Geoffrey I.), Springer US, 2017 (inbook)

ei

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]


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Statistical Asymmetries Between Cause and Effect

Janzing, D.

In Time in Physics, pages: 129-139, Tutorials, Schools, and Workshops in the Mathematical Sciences, (Editors: Renner, Renato and Stupar, Sandra), Springer International Publishing, Cham, 2017 (inbook)

ei

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

link (url) DOI [BibTex]


Decentralized Simultaneous Multi-target Exploration using a Connected Network of Multiple Robots
Decentralized Simultaneous Multi-target Exploration using a Connected Network of Multiple Robots

Nestmeyer, T., Robuffo Giordano, P., Bülthoff, H. H., Franchi, A.

In pages: 989-1011, Autonomous Robots, 2017 (incollection)

ps

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Momentum-Centered Control of Contact Interactions

Righetti, L., Herzog, A.

In Geometric and Numerical Foundations of Movements, 117, pages: 339-359, Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics, Springer, Cham, 2017 (incollection)

mg

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]

2016


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Proceedings of the 32nd Conference on Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence (UAI)

Ihler, A. T., Janzing, D.

pages: 869 pages, AUAI Press, June 2016 (proceedings)

ei

link (url) [BibTex]

2016


link (url) [BibTex]


Implications of Action-Oriented Paradigm Shifts in Cognitive Science
Implications of Action-Oriented Paradigm Shifts in Cognitive Science

Dominey, P. F., Prescott, T. J., Bohg, J., Engel, A. K., Gallagher, S., Heed, T., Hoffmann, M., Knoblich, G., Prinz, W., Schwartz, A.

In The Pragmatic Turn - Toward Action-Oriented Views in Cognitive Science, 18, pages: 333-356, 20, Strüngmann Forum Reports, vol. 18, J. Lupp, series editor, (Editors: Andreas K. Engel and Karl J. Friston and Danica Kragic), The MIT Press, 18th Ernst Strüngmann Forum, May 2016 (incollection) In press

Abstract
An action-oriented perspective changes the role of an individual from a passive observer to an actively engaged agent interacting in a closed loop with the world as well as with others. Cognition exists to serve action within a landscape that contains both. This chapter surveys this landscape and addresses the status of the pragmatic turn. Its potential influence on science and the study of cognition are considered (including perception, social cognition, social interaction, sensorimotor entrainment, and language acquisition) and its impact on how neuroscience is studied is also investigated (with the notion that brains do not passively build models, but instead support the guidance of action). A review of its implications in robotics and engineering includes a discussion of the application of enactive control principles to couple action and perception in robotics as well as the conceptualization of system design in a more holistic, less modular manner. Practical applications that can impact the human condition are reviewed (e.g. educational applications, treatment possibilities for developmental and psychopathological disorders, the development of neural prostheses). All of this foreshadows the potential societal implications of the pragmatic turn. The chapter concludes that an action-oriented approach emphasizes a continuum of interaction between technical aspects of cognitive systems and robotics, biology, psychology, the social sciences, and the humanities, where the individual is part of a grounded cultural system.

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The Pragmatic Turn - Toward Action-Oriented Views in Cognitive Science 18th Ernst Strüngmann Forum Bibliography Chapter link (url) [BibTex]

The Pragmatic Turn - Toward Action-Oriented Views in Cognitive Science 18th Ernst Strüngmann Forum Bibliography Chapter link (url) [BibTex]


Learning Action-Perception Cycles in Robotics: A Question of Representations and Embodiment
Learning Action-Perception Cycles in Robotics: A Question of Representations and Embodiment

Bohg, J., Kragic, D.

In The Pragmatic Turn - Toward Action-Oriented Views in Cognitive Science, 18, pages: 309-320, 18, Strüngmann Forum Reports, vol. 18, J. Lupp, series editor, (Editors: Andreas K. Engel and Karl J. Friston and Danica Kragic), The MIT Press, 18th Ernst Strüngmann Forum, May 2016 (incollection) In press

Abstract
Since the 1950s, robotics research has sought to build a general-purpose agent capable of autonomous, open-ended interaction with realistic, unconstrained environments. Cognition is perceived to be at the core of this process, yet understanding has been challenged because cognition is referred to differently within and across research areas, and is not clearly defined. The classic robotics approach is decomposition into functional modules which perform planning, reasoning, and problem-solving or provide input to these mechanisms. Although advancements have been made and numerous success stories reported in specific niches, this systems-engineering approach has not succeeded in building such a cognitive agent. The emergence of an action-oriented paradigm offers a new approach: action and perception are no longer separable into functional modules but must be considered in a complete loop. This chapter reviews work on different mechanisms for action- perception learning and discusses the role of embodiment in the design of the underlying representations and learning. It discusses the evaluation of agents and suggests the development of a new embodied Turing Test. Appropriate scenarios need to be devised in addition to current competitions, so that abilities can be tested over long time periods.

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18th Ernst Strüngmann Forum The Pragmatic Turn- Toward Action-Oriented Views in Cognitive Science Bibliography Chapter link (url) [BibTex]

18th Ernst Strüngmann Forum The Pragmatic Turn- Toward Action-Oriented Views in Cognitive Science Bibliography Chapter link (url) [BibTex]


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Nonlinear functional causal models for distinguishing cause from effect

Zhang, K., Hyvärinen, A.

In Statistics and Causality: Methods for Applied Empirical Research, pages: 185-201, 8, 1st, (Editors: Wolfgang Wiedermann and Alexander von Eye), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016 (inbook)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Analysis of multiparametric MRI using a semi-supervised random forest framework allows the detection of therapy response in ischemic stroke

Castaneda, S., Katiyar, P., Russo, F., Calaminus, C., Disselhorst, J. A., Ziemann, U., Kohlhofer, U., Quintanilla-Martinez, L., Poli, S., Pichler, B. J.

World Molecular Imaging Conference, 2016 (talk)

ei

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]


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A cognitive brain–computer interface for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Hohmann, M., Fomina, T., Jayaram, V., Widmann, N., Förster, C., Just, J., Synofzik, M., Schölkopf, B., Schöls, L., Grosse-Wentrup, M.

In Brain-Computer Interfaces: Lab Experiments to Real-World Applications, 228(Supplement C):221-239, 8, Progress in Brain Research, (Editors: Damien Coyle), Elsevier, 2016 (incollection)

ei

DOI [BibTex]

DOI [BibTex]


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Locally Weighted Regression for Control

Ting, J., Meier, F., Vijayakumar, S., Schaal, S.

In Encyclopedia of Machine Learning and Data Mining, pages: 1-14, Springer US, Boston, MA, 2016 (inbook)

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link (url) DOI [BibTex]

link (url) DOI [BibTex]


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Multi-view learning on multiparametric PET/MRI quantifies intratumoral heterogeneity and determines therapy efficacy

Katiyar, P., Divine, M. R., Kohlhofer, U., Quintanilla-Martinez, L., Siegemund, M., Pfizenmaier, K., Kontermann, R., Pichler, B. J., Disselhorst, J. A.

World Molecular Imaging Conference, 2016 (talk)

ei

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]

2015


Untethered Magnetic Micromanipulation
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.

pi

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

2015


DOI Project Page [BibTex]


Proceedings of the 37th German Conference on Pattern Recognition
Proceedings of the 37th German Conference on Pattern Recognition

Gall, J., Gehler, P., Leibe, B.

Springer, German Conference on Pattern Recognition, October 2015 (proceedings)

ps

GCPR conference website [BibTex]

GCPR conference website [BibTex]


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Causal Inference for Empirical Time Series Based on the Postulate of Independence of Cause and Mechanism

Besserve, M.

53rd Annual Allerton Conference on Communication, Control, and Computing, September 2015 (talk)

ei

[BibTex]

[BibTex]