5,762 research outputs found
Data-Driven Approach to Simulating Realistic Human Joint Constraints
Modeling realistic human joint limits is important for applications involving
physical human-robot interaction. However, setting appropriate human joint
limits is challenging because it is pose-dependent: the range of joint motion
varies depending on the positions of other bones. The paper introduces a new
technique to accurately simulate human joint limits in physics simulation. We
propose to learn an implicit equation to represent the boundary of valid human
joint configurations from real human data. The function in the implicit
equation is represented by a fully connected neural network whose gradients can
be efficiently computed via back-propagation. Using gradients, we can
efficiently enforce realistic human joint limits through constraint forces in a
physics engine or as constraints in an optimization problem.Comment: To appear at ICRA 2018; 6 pages, 9 figures; for associated video, see
https://youtu.be/wzkoE7wCbu
Deep Forward and Inverse Perceptual Models for Tracking and Prediction
We consider the problems of learning forward models that map state to
high-dimensional images and inverse models that map high-dimensional images to
state in robotics. Specifically, we present a perceptual model for generating
video frames from state with deep networks, and provide a framework for its use
in tracking and prediction tasks. We show that our proposed model greatly
outperforms standard deconvolutional methods and GANs for image generation,
producing clear, photo-realistic images. We also develop a convolutional neural
network model for state estimation and compare the result to an Extended Kalman
Filter to estimate robot trajectories. We validate all models on a real robotic
system.Comment: 8 pages, International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)
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Using humanoid robots to study human behavior
Our understanding of human behavior advances as our humanoid robotics work progresses-and vice versa. This team's work focuses on trajectory formation and planning, learning from demonstration, oculomotor control and interactive behaviors. They are programming robotic behavior based on how we humans “program” behavior in-or train-each other
Automatic Differentiation of Rigid Body Dynamics for Optimal Control and Estimation
Many algorithms for control, optimization and estimation in robotics depend
on derivatives of the underlying system dynamics, e.g. to compute
linearizations, sensitivities or gradient directions. However, we show that
when dealing with Rigid Body Dynamics, these derivatives are difficult to
derive analytically and to implement efficiently. To overcome this issue, we
extend the modelling tool `RobCoGen' to be compatible with Automatic
Differentiation. Additionally, we propose how to automatically obtain the
derivatives and generate highly efficient source code. We highlight the
flexibility and performance of the approach in two application examples. First,
we show a Trajectory Optimization example for the quadrupedal robot HyQ, which
employs auto-differentiation on the dynamics including a contact model. Second,
we present a hardware experiment in which a 6 DoF robotic arm avoids a randomly
moving obstacle in a go-to task by fast, dynamic replanning
Computational neural learning formalisms for manipulator inverse kinematics
An efficient, adaptive neural learning paradigm for addressing the inverse kinematics of redundant manipulators is presented. The proposed methodology exploits the infinite local stability of terminal attractors - a new class of mathematical constructs which provide unique information processing capabilities to artificial neural systems. For robotic applications, synaptic elements of such networks can rapidly acquire the kinematic invariances embedded within the presented samples. Subsequently, joint-space configurations, required to follow arbitrary end-effector trajectories, can readily be computed. In a significant departure from prior neuromorphic learning algorithms, this methodology provides mechanisms for incorporating an in-training skew to handle kinematics and environmental constraints
A Model of Operant Conditioning for Adaptive Obstacle Avoidance
We have recently introduced a self-organizing adaptive neural controller that learns to control movements of a wheeled mobile robot toward stationary or moving targets, even when the robot's kinematics arc unknown, or when they change unexpectedly during operation. The model has been shown to outperform other traditional controllers, especially in noisy environments. This article describes a neural network module for obstacle avoidance that complements our previous work. The obstacle avoidance module is based on a model of classical and operant conditioning first proposed by Grossberg ( 1971). This module learns the patterns of ultrasonic sensor activation that predict collisions as the robot navigates in an unknown cluttered environment. Along with our original low-level controller, this work illustrates the potential of applying biologically inspired neural networks to the areas of adaptive robotics and control.Office of Naval Research (N00014-95-1-0409, Young Investigator Award
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