Developing autonomous robots capable of learning complex motions from demonstrations remains a fundamental challenge in robotics. On the one hand, movement primitives (MP) provide a compact and modular representation of continuous trajectories. On the othe ...
Birds have the remarkable ability to travel boundlessly both on the ground and in the air. This unique capability has inspired engineers to develop multimodal robots capable of terrestrial and aerial locomotion for a wider application of robots with multip ...
Computational Imaging (CI) is the field concerned with reconstructing images of some quantity of interest from a finite number of measurements.
It is pervasive in science and engineering problems by enabling the reconstruction of images from a variety of m ...
Robots outside of the fenced factories have to deal with continuously changing environment, this requires fast and flexible modes of control. Planning methods or complex learning models can find optimal paths in complex surroundings, but they are computati ...
Modular robotics link the reliability of a centralised system with the adaptivity of a decentralised system.
It is difficult for a robot with a fixed shape to be able to perform many different types of tasks.
As the task space grows, the number of functi ...
This paper builds up the skill of impact aware non prehensile manipulation through a hitting motion by allowing the robot arm to come in contact with the environment with parts other than its end effector. Hitting with other joints allows us to manipulate ...
Planning multicontact motions in a receding horizon fashion requires a value function to guide the planning with respect to the future, e.g., building momentum to traverse large obstacles. Traditionally, the value function is approximated by computing traj ...
Given the patchy nature of gas plumes and the slow response of conventional gas sensors, the use of mobile robots for Gas Source Localization (GSL) tasks presents significant challenges. These aspects increase the difficulties in obtaining gas measurements ...
Harmful chemical compounds are released daily in warehouses, chemical plants and during environmental emergencies.
Their uncontrolled dispersion contributes to the pollution of the atmosphere and threatens human and animal lives.
When gas leaks occur, the ...
Modern neuroscience research is generating increasingly large datasets, from recording thousands of neurons over long timescales to behavioral recordings of animals spanning weeks, months, or even years. Despite a great variety in recording setups and expe ...
The rise of robotic body augmentation brings forth new developments that will transform robotics, human-machine interaction, and wearable electronics. Extra robotic limbs, although building upon restorative technologies, bring their own set of challenges i ...
Machine learning (ML) enables artificial intelligent (AI) agents to learn autonomously from data obtained from their environment to perform tasks. Modern ML systems have proven to be extremely effective, reaching or even exceeding human intelligence.
Altho ...
This doctoral thesis navigates the complex landscape of motion coordination and formation control within teams of rotary-wing Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs). Prompted by the intricate demands of real-world applications such as search and rescue or surveillan ...
Biohybrid systems in which robotic lures interact with animals have become compelling tools for probing and identifying the mechanisms underlying collective animal behavior. One key challenge lies in the transfer of social interaction models from simulatio ...
The eyes of arthropods, such as those found in bees and dragonflies, are sophisticated 3D vision tools that are composed of an array of directional microlenses. Despite the attempts in achieving artificial panoramic vision by mimicking arthropod eyes with ...
In various robotics applications, the selection of function approximation methods greatly influences the feasibility and computational efficiency of algorithms. Tensor Networks (TNs), also referred to as tensor decomposition techniques, present a versatile ...
Social insects, such as ants, termites, and honeybees, have evolved sophisticated societies where the collaborative efforts of "simple" individuals can lead to the emergence of complex dynamics. The reliance of each organism on the collective is so great t ...
This article summarizes the recent advancements in the design, fabrication, and control of microrobotic devices for the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders. With a focus on diverse actuation methods, we discuss how advancements in materials science ...
In the past few years, Machine Learning (ML) techniques have ushered in a paradigm shift, allowing the harnessing of ever more abundant sources of data to automate complex tasks. The technical workhorse behind these important breakthroughs arguably lies in ...
In this thesis we explore the applications of projective geometry, a mathematical theory of the relation between 3D scenes and their 2D images, in modern learning-based computer vision systems. This is an interesting research question which contradicts the ...