Dynamic Composite Data Physicalization Using Wheeled Micro-Robots

This paper introduces dynamic composite physicalizations, a new class of physical visualizations that use collections of self-propelled objects to represent data. Dynamic composite physicalizations can be used both to give physical form to well-known interactive visualization techniques, and to explore new visualizations and interaction paradigms. We first propose a design space characterizing composite physicalizations based on previous work in the fields of Information Visualization and Human Computer Interaction. We illustrate dynamic composite physicalizations in two scenarios demonstrating potential benefits for collaboration and decision making, as well as new opportunities for physical interaction. We then describe our implementation using wheeled micro-robots capable of locating themselves and sensing user input, before discussing limitations and opportunities for future work

Reactive Velocity Control Reduces Energetic Cost of Jumping with a Virtual Leg Spring on Simulated Granular Media

Robots capable of dynamic locomotion behaviors and high-bandwidth sensing with their limbs have a high cost of transport, especially when locomoting over highly dissipative substrates such as sand. We formulate the problem of reducing the energetic cost of locomotion by a Minitaur robot on sand, reacting to robot state variables in the inertial world frame without modeling the ground online. Using a bulk-behavior model of high-velocity intrusions into dry granular media, we simulated single jumps by a one-legged hopper using a Raibert-style compression-extension virtual leg spring. We compose this controller with a controller that added damping to the leg spring in proportion to the intrusion velocity of the robot\u27s foot into the simulated sand while the robot is pushing off in the second half of stance. This has the effect of both reducing the torque exerted by the motors because the added virtual active damping force acts in opposition to the virtual leg spring force, and reducing the transfer of energy from the robot to the sand by slowing the intrusion velocity of the foot. Varying the simulated robot\u27s initial conditions and the simulated ground parameters, we gained a consistent 20% energy savings by adding active damping with no cost in apex height. For more information, see the Kod*lab website: kodlab.seas.upenn.ed

3D locomotion biomimetic robot fish with haptic feedback

This thesis developed a biomimetic robot fish and built a novel haptic robot fish system based on the kinematic modelling and three-dimentional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) hydrodynamic analysis. The most important contribution is the successful CFD simulation of the robot fish, supporting users in understanding the hydrodynamic properties around it

Robotic design and modelling of medical lower extremity exoskeletons

This study aims to explain the development of the robotic Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (LEE) systems between 1960 and 2019 in chronological order. The scans performed in the exoskeleton system’s design have shown that a modeling program, such as AnyBody, and OpenSim, should be used first to observe the design and software animation, followed by the mechanical development of the system using sensors and motors. Also, the use of OpenSim and AnyBody musculoskeletal system software has been proven to play an essential role in designing the human-exoskeleton by eliminating the high costs and risks of the mechanical designs. Furthermore, these modeling systems can enable rapid optimization of the LEE design by detecting the forces and torques falling on the human muscles

Tangible user interfaces : past, present and future directions

In the last two decades, Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) have emerged as a new interface type that interlinks the digital and physical worlds. Drawing upon users' knowledge and skills of interaction with the real non-digital world, TUIs show a potential to enhance the way in which people interact with and leverage digital information. However, TUI research is still in its infancy and extensive research is required in or- der to fully understand the implications of tangible user interfaces, to develop technologies that further bridge the digital and the physical, and to guide TUI design with empirical knowledge. This paper examines the existing body of work on Tangible User In- terfaces. We start by sketching the history of tangible user interfaces, examining the intellectual origins of this field. We then present TUIs in a broader context, survey application domains, and review frame- works and taxonomies. We also discuss conceptual foundations of TUIs including perspectives from cognitive sciences, phycology, and philoso- phy. Methods and technologies for designing, building, and evaluating TUIs are also addressed. Finally, we discuss the strengths and limita- tions of TUIs and chart directions for future research

Robotic manipulation with flexible link fingers

A robot manipulator is a spatial mechanism consisting essentially of a series of bodies, called "links", connected to each other at "joints". The joints can be of various types: revolute, rotary, planar, prismatic, telescopic or combinations of these. A serial connection of the links results in an open-chain manipulator. Closed-chain manipulators result from non-serial (or parallel) connections between links. Actuators at the joints of the manipulator provide power for motion. A robot is usually not designed for a very specific or repetitive task which can be done equally well by task-specific machines. Its strength lies in its ability to handle a range of tasks by virtue of being "re-programmable". Therefore, in addition to the mechanical hardware two other elements are integral to the description of a robot: sensors and control. With the advent of micro-electronics and digital computers the availability of sensors is ever increasing and the control is usually done by software executed by computers which also collect the sensory data. It is possible to model quite accurately, the dynamics of robot manipulators for purposes of control. However, for most practical robots the models are complex and numerically intensive to calculate in real-time. Traditional analyses of robot manipulators consider the whole mechanism to be rigid. Relaxation of the assumption of rigidity leads to further complication of the dynamics of the manipulator, leading to more difficulties in control. The overall motion of the manipulator is augmented by additional motion due to the dynamics of flexibility which must be considered. Sensing is also made more difficult. However, the ability to control robots with significant structural flexibilities, referred to as flexible robots in the rest of this thesis, influences robotics in many ways. It allows for consideration of new applications, observance of less conservative structural design and performance enhancements in certain classes of robotic tasks, which will be addressed in greater detail in the sections which follow

Proprioceptive Learning with Soft Polyhedral Networks

Proprioception is the "sixth sense" that detects limb postures with motor neurons. It requires a natural integration between the musculoskeletal systems and sensory receptors, which is challenging among modern robots that aim for lightweight, adaptive, and sensitive designs at a low cost. Here, we present the Soft Polyhedral Network with an embedded vision for physical interactions, capable of adaptive kinesthesia and viscoelastic proprioception by learning kinetic features. This design enables passive adaptations to omni-directional interactions, visually captured by a miniature high-speed motion tracking system embedded inside for proprioceptive learning. The results show that the soft network can infer real-time 6D forces and torques with accuracies of 0.25/0.24/0.35 N and 0.025/0.034/0.006 Nm in dynamic interactions. We also incorporate viscoelasticity in proprioception during static adaptation by adding a creep and relaxation modifier to refine the predicted results. The proposed soft network combines simplicity in design, omni-adaptation, and proprioceptive sensing with high accuracy, making it a versatile solution for robotics at a low cost with more than 1 million use cycles for tasks such as sensitive and competitive grasping, and touch-based geometry reconstruction. This study offers new insights into vision-based proprioception for soft robots in adaptive grasping, soft manipulation, and human-robot interaction.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, submitted to the International Journal of Robotics Research for revie