120 research outputs found
Robust High-speed Running for Quadruped Robots via Deep Reinforcement Learning
Deep reinforcement learning has emerged as a popular and powerful way to
develop locomotion controllers for quadruped robots. Common approaches have
largely focused on learning actions directly in joint space, or learning to
modify and offset foot positions produced by trajectory generators. Both
approaches typically require careful reward shaping and training for millions
of time steps, and with trajectory generators introduce human bias into the
resulting control policies. In this paper, we instead explore learning foot
positions in Cartesian space, which we track with impedance control, for a task
of running as fast as possible subject to environmental disturbances. Compared
with other action spaces, we observe less needed reward shaping, much improved
sample efficiency, the emergence of natural gaits such as galloping and
bounding, and ease of sim-to-sim transfer. Policies can be learned in only a
few million time steps, even for challenging tasks of running over rough
terrain with loads of over 100% of the nominal quadruped mass. Training occurs
in PyBullet, and we perform a sim-to-sim transfer to Gazebo, where our
quadruped is able to run at over 4 m/s without a load, and 3.5 m/s with a 10 kg
load, which is over 83% of the nominal quadruped mass. Video results can be
found at https://youtu.be/roE1vxpEWfw.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2011.0708
CPG-RL: Learning Central Pattern Generators for Quadruped Locomotion
In this letter, we present a method for integrating central pattern
generators (CPGs), i.e. systems of coupled oscillators, into the deep
reinforcement learning (DRL) framework to produce robust and omnidirectional
quadruped locomotion. The agent learns to directly modulate the intrinsic
oscillator setpoints (amplitude and frequency) and coordinate rhythmic behavior
among different oscillators. This approach also allows the use of DRL to
explore questions related to neuroscience, namely the role of descending
pathways, interoscillator couplings, and sensory feedback in gait generation.
We train our policies in simulation and perform a sim-to-real transfer to the
Unitree A1 quadruped, where we observe robust behavior to disturbances unseen
during training, most notably to a dynamically added 13.75 kg load representing
115% of the nominal quadruped mass. We test several different observation
spaces based on proprioceptive sensing and show that our framework is
deployable with no domain randomization and very little feedback, where along
with the oscillator states, it is possible to provide only contact booleans in
the observation space. Video results can be found at
https://youtu.be/xqXHLzLsEV4.Comment: Accepted for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, September 202
Cognitive Control and Bilingualism: The Bilingual Advantage Through the Lens of Dimensional Overlap
Past research shows that the bilingual experience may enhance cognitive executive
function. In this experiment, we evaluated cognitive control in bilinguals relative to
monolinguals by using a dimensional overlap model to predict performance in a task
composed of Stroop and Simon stimuli. A group of 24 Spanish monolinguals and 24
bilinguals with differing first languages and all having Spanish as a second language (L2)
did a picture naming task and a task composed of Stroop and Simon stimuli, where
the effect of different overlap conditions (spatial/color) between stimuli and responses
were examined. The tasks were performed in Spanish for both groups and performance
was indexed with behavioral and electrophysiological measures. We hypothesized that
the bilinguals’ daily language practice in L2 reflected overlap conditions similar to the
Simon task. Both naming a picture in L2 and the Simon task would involve conflict
at the response level. L2 picture naming entails interference between two potential
oral responses, to name in L2 vs. L1 (correct vs. incorrect responses, respectively).
Similarly, incongruent stimuli in the Simon task produce interference because the
irrelevant dimension (spatial location) overlap with an incorrect response. In contrast, the
manual Stroop task involves a different type of conflict between two overlapping stimulus
dimensions (the ink color and the color meaning). We predicted for these reasons a
superior performance in Simon tasks over Stroop tasks for bilinguals, while monolinguals
were expected to have a similar performance in both tasks. We also expected to see
a correlation between the performance on the picture naming task and the Simon task
in bilinguals. However, the behavioral results did not confirm these hypotheses. In fact,
both groups had similar congruency effects as measured by reaction times and error
rates, and there was no correlation between the picture naming and Simon task in
bilinguals. Despite this, the electrophysiological data suggested a relationship between
the picture naming task and the P300 congruency effect in bilinguals. Our findings
provide insights into the neurocognitive bases of language and serve as a research
avenue for language behaviors in bilinguals.Spanish Government
PID2019-111359GB-I00/SRA State Research Agency/10.13039/50110001103
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