Geometry-aware Manipulability Learning, Tracking and Transfer

Body posture influences human and robots performance in manipulation tasks, as appropriate poses facilitate motion or force exertion along different axes. In robotics, manipulability ellipsoids arise as a powerful descriptor to analyze, control and design the robot dexterity as a function of the articulatory joint configuration. This descriptor can be designed according to different task requirements, such as tracking a desired position or apply a specific force. In this context, this paper presents a novel \emph{manipulability transfer} framework, a method that allows robots to learn and reproduce manipulability ellipsoids from expert demonstrations. The proposed learning scheme is built on a tensor-based formulation of a Gaussian mixture model that takes into account that manipulability ellipsoids lie on the manifold of symmetric positive definite matrices. Learning is coupled with a geometry-aware tracking controller allowing robots to follow a desired profile of manipulability ellipsoids. Extensive evaluations in simulation with redundant manipulators, a robotic hand and humanoids agents, as well as an experiment with two real dual-arm systems validate the feasibility of the approach.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Intl. Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR). Website: https://sites.google.com/view/manipulability. Code: https://github.com/NoemieJaquier/Manipulability. 24 pages, 20 figures, 3 tables, 4 appendice

Concept Refinement of a Payload Derived Position Acquisition System for Parachute Recovery Systems

20th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar, Seattle, WA, May 4-7 2009.The paper covers the continued development of a Payload Derived Position Acquisition System (PDPAS) to overcome current limitations posed on recovering the trajectory data for a generic parachute recovery system (PRS). The PDPAS is an instrumentation set and software algorithm that is to be installed onto PRS in order to estimate PRS state vector parameters in real-time for testing and operational use. The development of the PDPAD has progressed to a point where it is providing quality data and is ready for development into a usable instrumentation package. The paper discusses the concept of the PDPAS, the first implementation of the PDPAS, changes made to the PDPAS due to continued development, and the steps for needed for the PDPAS to be a validated instrumentation package

Damping control of polodes, inertia and natural frequencies: Theory and application to automotive suspensions

This paper shows how tunable dampers can help control the instant centre of rotation of a 2D rigid body and its polode in planar motion, which in turn implies that the inertia tensor can also be controlled. For mechanisms equipped with some elasticity the results show that damping can also control their natural frequencies. The foundation of a general theory to control the polode is presented, exploring the chance of an optimal control formulation of the problem via a variational control principle, approached by the LQR (Linear Quadratic Regulator) method, after a suitable linearization. Application to automotive suspension linkages is presented that demonstrates the control of the instant roll centre and axis and consequently its instant roll vibration frequency to optimize the response, when excited by lateral inertia forces

Dynamics and forces in the mitotic spindle

Mikrotubuli sind zylinderförmige Filamente und Teil des Zytoskeletts. Ihre Polymerisationsdynamik zeichnet sich durch eine dynamische Instabilität von Wachstums- und Schrumpfphasen aus. Die zufälligen Wechsel vom schrumpfenden in den wachsenden Zustand und umgekehrt werden als Rettungen bzw. Katastrophen bezeichnet. Letztere können experimentellen Beobachtungen zufolge als Mehrschrittprozesse beschrieben werden. Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit wird das empirische Dogterom-Leibler-Modell der dynamischen Instabilität erweitert, um auszuarbeiten, welche Auswirkungen eine Mehrschrittkatastrophe auf die Längenverteilung eines Mikrotubulus in den Regimen gebundenen und ungebundenen Wachstums hat. Es zeigt sich, dass die Mikrotubuluslängen im gebundenen Regime nicht mehr exponentiell und weniger endlastig verteilt sind, wenn eine Katastrophe aus mehreren Schritten besteht. Wenn Rettungen möglich sind, hat die Verteilung ein Maximum und der Mikrotubulus somit eine wahrscheinlichste Länge, die größer ist als 0. Im Regime ungebundenen Wachstums nähert sich die Längenverteilung einer Normalverteilung an, die mit steigender Anzahl der Katastrophenschritte schmaler wird. In der Mitosespindel sind Mikrotubuli durch Kinetochore mit den Chromosomen verbunden und üben so Kräfte aus, die in der Metaphase zu stochastischen Oszillationen der Chromosomen führen. Im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit untersuchen wir in Modellen der Mitosespindel die kollektive Dynamik von Mikrotubuli, die durch elastische Federn an Kinetochore gebunden sind. Die Modelle beinhalten die dynamische Instabilität der Mikrotubuli und die Kräfte, die durch die elastischen Verbindungen wirken. Für ein einseitiges Modell mit nur einem Kinetochor, das einer externen Kraft ausgesetzt ist, können mithilfe einer Molekularfeldnäherung Fokker-Planck-Gleichungen aufgestellt und gelöst werden. Aus der Lösung folgt eine bistabile Abhängigkeit der Kinetochorgeschwindigkeit von der externen Kraft. Im zweiseitigen Modell mit zwei elastisch gekoppelten Kinetochoren führt die Bistabilität zu Oszillationen, die denen der Chromosomen in der Metaphase gleichen. Das Modell kann erklären, warum in Zellen mit einem schnellen polwärtigen Mikrotubulusfluss keine Oszillationen beobachtet wurden. Polare Auswurfkräfte gewährleisten im Modell eine Anordnung der Kinetochore am Spindeläquator und führen zu geregelteren Oszillationen mit verringerter Amplitude. Wenn das Modell so geändert wird, dass die Mikrotubuli nur Zugkräfte auf das Kinetochor ausüben können, treten Oszillationen nur unter der Voraussetzung auf, dass in der Nähe der Kinetochore Katastrophen induziert werden. Die Modellparameter können so angepasst werden, dass die modellierten Oszillationen auch in quantitativer Hinsicht mit Messungen in PtK1-Zellen übereinstimmen. Ein wichtiger Bestandteil des Kinetochors sind stäbchenförmige Ndc80-Komplexe, die den Mikrotubulus binden und deren elastischen Eigenschaften als wichtig für die Kraftübertragung vom Mikrotubulus auf das Chromosom erachtet werden. Im letzten Teil dieser Arbeit wird eine Methode präsentiert, die es erlaubt, den zeitlichen Verlauf der effektiven Steifigkeit von Ndc80-Komplexen zu ermitteln, die in einer optischen Falle entgegen einer Kraft dem schrumpfenden Ende eines Mikrotubulus folgen. Die Anwendung der Methode auf mehrere Experimente zeigt, dass sowohl der Wildtyp als auch drei weitere Ndc80-Varianten steifer werden, wenn der schrumpfende Mikrotubulus sie unter Spannung setzt. Die gemessene Steifigkeit hat eine annähernd lineare Abhängigkeit von der angelegten Kraft und ist unabhängig vom dynamischen Zustand des Mikrotubulus. Mithilfe eines elastischen Modells kann die Versteifung auf die spezielle Architektur des Ndc80-Komplexes sowie auf das Biegen gekrümmter Protofilamente zurückgeführt werden. Ein Modell mit einer kraftabhängigen Bindungsaffinität reproduziert die lineare Beziehung zwischen Steifigkeit und Kraft.Microtubules are cylindrical cytoskeletal filaments. Their polymerization dynamics is characterized by a dynamic instability between phases of growth and shrinkage. The stochastic switches from shrinkage to growth and vice versa are called rescues and catastrophes, respectively. Experimental observations characterized the latter ones as multistep processes. In the first part of this thesis, we extend the empirical Dogterom–Leibler model of dynamic instability to discuss the effect that a multistep catastrophe mechanism has on the distribution of microtubule lengths in the two regimes of bounded and unbounded growth. We show that, in the former case, the steady state length distribution is non-exponential and has a lighter tail if multiple steps are required to undergo a catastrophe. If rescue events are possible, we detect a maximum in the distribution, i.e., the microtubule has a most probable length greater than zero. In the regime of unbounded growth, the length distribution converges to a Gaussian distribution whose variance decreases with the number of catastrophe steps. In the mitotic spindle, microtubules attach to chromosomes via kinetochores, and their depolymerization forces give rise to stochastic chromosome oscillations during metaphase. In the second part of this thesis, we investigate the cooperative stochastic microtubule dynamics in spindle models consisting of ensembles of parallel microtubules, which are attached to kinetochores via elastic linkers. We include the dynamic instability of microtubules and forces on microtubules and kinetochores from elastic linkers. A one-sided model with a single kinetochore exposed to an external force is solved analytically employing a mean-field approach based on Fokker–Planck equations. The solution establishes a bistable force–velocity relation of the kinetochore. Coupling the kinetochores of two such bistable systems elastically in the full two-sided model gives rise to oscillations, which can explain stochastic chromosome oscillations in metaphase. We derive constraints on linker stiffness and microtubule number for these oscillations. Including poleward microtubule flux into the model, we can provide an explanation for the experimentally observed suppression of chromosome oscillations in cells with high flux velocities. Chromosome oscillations persist in the presence of polar ejection forces, however, with a reduced amplitude and a phase shift between sister kinetochores. Moreover, polar ejection forces are necessary to align the chromosomes at the spindle equator and stabilize an alternating oscillation pattern of the two kinetochores. Finally, we modify the model such that microtubules can only exert tensile forces on the kinetochore. Then, induced microtubule catastrophes after reaching the kinetochore are necessary to stimulate oscillations. The model parameters can be adapted to reproduce experimental results for kinetochore oscillations in PtK1 cells quantitatively. The microtubule-binding Ndc80 complex is an integral part of kinetochores and is essential to transmit forces from dynamic microtubule ends to the chromosomes. The Ndc80 complex has a rod-like appearance and its mechanical properties are considered important for the dynamic interaction between kinetochores and microtubules. In the final part of this thesis, we present a novel method that allows us to time-trace the effective stiffness of Ndc80 complexes following shortening microtubule ends against an applied force in optical trap experiments. Applying this method to wild type Ndc80 and three further variants, we reveal that each variant exhibits strain stiffening, i.e., the effective stiffness increases under tension that is built up by a depolymerizing microtubule. The strain stiffening relation is roughly linear and independent of the dynamic state of the microtubule. We introduce an elastic model, which shows that the strain stiffening can be traced back to the specific architecture of the Ndc80 complex and the bending elasticity of flaring protofilaments. The model reproduces the roughly linear strain stiffening behavior if a force-dependent binding affinity is taken into account

Design, analysis and kinematic control of highly redundant serial robotic arms

The use of robotic manipulators in industry has grown in the last decades to improve and speed up industrial processes. Industrial manipulators started to be investigated for machining tasks since they can cover larger workspaces, increasing the range of achievable operations and improving flexibility. The company Nimbl’Bot developed a new mechanism, or module, to build stiffer flexible serial modular robots for machining applications. This manipulator is a kinematic redundant robot with 21 degrees of freedom. This thesis thoroughly analysis the Nimbl’Bot robot features and is divided into three main topics. The first topic regards using a task priority kinematic redundancy resolution algorithm for the Nimbl’Bot robot tracking trajectory while optimizing its kinetostatic performances. The second topic is the kinematic redundant robot design optimization with respect to a desired application and its kinetostatic performance. For the third topic, a new workspace determination algorithm is proposed for kinematic redundant manipulators. Several simulation tests are proposed and tested on some Nimbl’Bot robot designs for each subjects

Dynamically Feasible Trajectories of Fully-Constrained Cable-Suspended Parallel Robots

Cable-Driven Parallel Robots employ multiple cables, whose lengths are controlled by winches, to move an end-effector (EE). In addition to the advantages of other parallel robots, such as low moving inertias and the potential for high dynamics, they also provide specific advantages, such as large workspaces and lower costs. Thus, over the last 30 years, they have been the object of academic research; also, they are being employed in industrial applications. The main issue with cable actuation is its unilaterality, as cables must remain in tension: if they become slack, there is a risk of losing control of the EE's pose. This complicates the control of cable-driven robots and is among the most studied topics in this field. Most previous works resort to extra cables or rigid elements pushing on the EE to guarantee that cables remain taut, but this complicates robot design. An alternative is to use the gravitational and inertial forces acting on the EE to keep cables in tension. This thesis shows that the robot's workspace can be greatly increased, by considering two model architectures. Moreover, practical limits to the feasibility of a motion, such as singularities of the kinematic chain and interference between cables, are considered. Even if a motion is feasible, there is no guarantee that it can be performed with an acceptable precision in the end-effector's pose, due to the inevitable errors in the positioning of the actuators and the elastic deflections of the structure. Therefore, a set of indexes are evaluated to measure the sensitivity of the end-effector's pose to actuation errors. Finally, the stiffness of one of the two architectures is modeled and indexes to measure the global compliance of the robot due to the elasticity of the cables are presented.I robot paralleli a cavi impiegano cavi, la cui lunghezza è controllata da argani, per muovere un elemento terminale o end-effector (EE). Oltre ai vantaggi degli altri robot paralleli, come basse inerzie in movimento e la possibilità di raggiungere velocità e accelerazioni elevate, possono anche fornire vantaggi specifici, come ampi spazi di lavoro e costi inferiori. Pertanto, negli ultimi 30 anni, questi robot sono stati oggetto di ricerche accademiche e stanno trovando applicazione anche in campo industriale. Il problema principale dell'azionamento mediante cavi è che è unilaterale, poiché i cavi possono essere tesi ma non compressi: quando diventano laschi, si rischia di perdere il controllo della posa dell'EE. Questo complica il controllo dei robot ed è uno dei temi più studiati nel settore. Gli studi compiuti sinora ricorrono prevalentemente a cavi addizionali o a elementi rigidi che spingono sull'EE per garantire che i cavi rimangano tesi, ma questo complica la progettazione dei robot. Un'alternativa è sfruttare le forze gravitazionali e inerziali che agiscono sull'EE per mantenere i cavi in tensione. Questa tesi dimostra che, in questo caso, lo spazio di lavoro del robot può essere notevolmente aumentato, applicando questo concetto a due architetture modello. Inoltre, vengono considerati i limiti imposti all'effettiva realizzabilità di un movimento, come le singolarità della catena cinematica e l'interferenza tra i cavi. Anche se un movimento è fattibile, non è garantito che si possa eseguire con precisione accettabile, a causa degli inevitabili errori di posizionamento degli attuatori e delle deformazioni elastiche della struttura. Si valutano quindi alcuni indici per misurare la sensibilità della posizione dell'elemento terminale agli errori di azionamento. Infine, è modellata la rigidezza di una delle due architetture proposte e sono presentati indici per misurare la cedevolezza globale del robot dovuta all'elasticità dei cavi

Geometrical postural optimisation of 7-DoF limb-like manipulators

Robots are moving towards applications in less structured environments, but their model-based controllers are challenged by the tasks’ complexity and intrinsic environmental unpredictability. Studying biological motor control can provide insights into overcoming these limitations due to the high dexterity and stability observable in humans and animals. This work presents a geometrical solution to the postural optimisation of 7-DoF limbs-like mechanisms, which are robust to singularities and computationally efficient. The theoretical formulation identified two separate decoupled optimisation strategies. The shoulder and elbow strategy align the plane of motion with the expected plane of motion and guarantee the reachability of the end-posture. The wrist strategy ensures the end-effector orientation, which is essential to retain manipulability when nearing a singular configuration. The numerical results confirmed the theoretical observations and allowed us to identify the effect of different grasp strategies on system manipulability. The geometrical method was numerically tested in thousands of configurations proving to be both robust and accurate. The tested scenarios include left and right arm postures, singular configurations, and walking scenarios. The proposed geometrical approach can find application in developing efficient and robust interaction controllers that could be applied in computational neuroscience and robotics

Kinematics and Robot Design II (KaRD2019) and III (KaRD2020)

This volume collects papers published in two Special Issues “Kinematics and Robot Design II, KaRD2019” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/robotics/special_issues/KRD2019) and “Kinematics and Robot Design III, KaRD2020” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/robotics/special_issues/KaRD2020), which are the second and third issues of the KaRD Special Issue series hosted by the open access journal robotics.The KaRD series is an open environment where researchers present their works and discuss all topics focused on the many aspects that involve kinematics in the design of robotic/automatic systems. It aims at being an established reference for researchers in the field as other serial international conferences/publications are. Even though the KaRD series publishes one Special Issue per year, all the received papers are peer-reviewed as soon as they are submitted and, if accepted, they are immediately published in MDPI Robotics. Kinematics is so intimately related to the design of robotic/automatic systems that the admitted topics of the KaRD series practically cover all the subjects normally present in well-established international conferences on “mechanisms and robotics”.KaRD2019 together with KaRD2020 received 22 papers and, after the peer-review process, accepted only 17 papers. The accepted papers cover problems related to theoretical/computational kinematics, to biomedical engineering and to other design/applicative aspects

Sizing the Actuators for a Dragon Fly Prototype

In order to improve the design of the actuators of a Dragon Fly prototype, we study the loads applied to the actuators in operation. Both external and inertial forces are taken into account, as well as internal loads, for the purposes of evaluating the influence of the compliance of the arms on that of the "end-effector". We have shown many inadequacies of the arms regarding the stiffness needed to meet the initial design requirements. In order to reduce these inadequacies, a careful structural analysis of the stiffness of the actuators is carried out with a FEM technique, aimed at identifying the design methodology necessary to identify the mechanical elements of the arms to be stiffened. As an example, the design of the actuators is presented, with the aim of proposing an indirect calibration strategy. We have shown that the performances of the Dragon Fly prototype can be improved by developing and including in the control system a suitable module to compensate the incoming errors. By implementing our model in some practical simulations, with a maximum load on the actuators, and internal stresses, we have shown the efficiency of our model by collected experimental data. A FEM analysis is carried out on each actuator to identify the critical elements to be stiffened, and a calibration strategy is used to evaluate and compensate the expected kinematic errors due to gravity and external loads. The obtained results are used to assess the size of the actuators. The sensitivity analysis on the effects of global compliance within the structure enables us to identify and stiffen the critical elements (typically the extremities of the actuators). The worst loading conditions have been evaluated, by considering the internal loads in the critical points of the machine structure results in enabling us the sizing of the actuators. So that the Dragon fly prototype project has been set up, and the first optimal design of the arms has been performed by means of FEM analysis