首页期刊导航|IEEE transactions on robotics: A publication of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society
期刊信息/Journal information
IEEE transactions on robotics: A publication of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
双月刊
1552-3098
IEEE transactions on robotics: A publication of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society/Journal IEEE transactions on robotics: A publication of the IEEE Robotics and Automation SocietyEIISTPSCI
查看更多>>摘要：Many robotics applications benefit from being able to compute multiple geodesic paths in a given configuration space. Existing paradigm is to use topological path planning, which can compute optimal paths in distinct topological classes. However, these methods usually require nontrivial geometric constructions, which are prohibitively expensive in 3-D, and are unable to distinguish between distinct topologically equivalent geodesics that are created due to high-cost/curvature regions or prismatic obstacles in 3-D. In this article, we propose an approach to compute $k$ geodesic paths using the concept of a novel neighborhood-augmented graph, on which graph search algorithms can compute multiple optimal paths that are topo-geometrically distinct. Our approach does not require complex geometric constructions, and the resulting paths are not restricted to distinct topological classes, making the algorithm suitable for problems where finding and distinguishing between geodesic paths are of interest. We demonstrate the application of our algorithm to planning shortest traversible paths for a tethered robot in 3-D with cable-length constraint.
查看更多>>摘要：The stability criterion is critical for the design of legged robots' motion planning and control algorithms. If these algorithms cannot theoretically ensure legged robots' stability, we need many trials to identify suitable parameters for stable locomotion. However, most existing stability criteria are tailored to robots driven solely by legs and cannot be applied to thruster-assisted legged robots. Here, we propose a stability criterion for a thruster-assisted underwater hexapod robot by finding maximum and minimum allowable thruster forces and comparing them with the current thrusts to check its stability. On this basis, we propose a method to increase the robot's stability margin by adjusting the value of thrusts. This process is called stability enhancement. The criterion uses the optimization method to transform multiple variables such as attitude, velocity, acceleration of the robot body, and the angle and angular velocity of leg joints into one kind of variable (thrust) to judge the stability directly. In addition, the stability enhancement method is straightforward to implement because it only needs to adjust the thrusts. These provide insights into how multiclass forces such as inertia force, fluid force, thrust, gravity, and buoyancy affect the robot's stability.
查看更多>>摘要：Vision-based tactile sensors have recently become popular due to their combination of low cost, very high spatial resolution, and ease of integration using widely available miniature cameras. The associated field of view and focal length, however, are difficult to package in a human-sized finger. In this article we employ optical fiber bundles to achieve a form factor that, at 15 mm diameter, is smaller than an average human fingertip. The electronics and camera are also located remotely, further reducing package size. The sensor achieves a spatial resolution of 0.22 mm and a minimum force resolution 5 mN for normal and shear contact forces. With these attributes, the DIGIT Pinki sensor is suitable for applications such as robotic and teleoperated digital palpation. We demonstrate its utility for palpation of the prostate gland and show that it can achieve clinically relevant discrimination of prostate stiffness for phantom and ex vivo tissue.
Giuseppe MilazzoSimon LemerleGiorgio GrioliAntonio Bicchi...
82-95页
查看更多>>摘要：Intuitively, prostheses with user-controllable stiffness could mimic the intrinsic behavior of the human musculoskeletal system, promoting safe and natural interactions and task adaptability in real-world scenarios. However, prosthetic design often disregards compliance because of the additional complexity, weight, and needed control channels. This article focuses on designing a variable stiffness actuator (VSA) with weight, size, and performance compatible with prosthetic applications, addressing its implementation for the elbow joint. While a direct biomimetic approach suggests adopting an agonist-antagonist (AA) layout to replicate the biceps and triceps brachii with elastic actuation, this solution is not optimal to accommodate the varied morphologies of residual limbs. Instead, we employed the AA layout to craft an elbow prosthesis fully contained in the user's forearm, catering to individuals with distal transhumeral amputations. In addition, we introduce a variant of this design where the two motors are split in the upper arm and forearm to distribute mass and volume more evenly along the bionic limb, enhancing comfort for patients with more proximal amputation levels. We characterize and validate our approach, demonstrating that both architectures meet the target requirements for an elbow prosthesis. The system attains the desired 120$^{\circ }$ range of motion, achieves the target stiffness range of [2, 60] N $\cdot$ m/rad, and can actively lift up to 3 kg. Our novel design reduces weight by up to 50% compared to existing VSAs for elbow prostheses while achieving performance comparable to the state of the art. Case studies suggest that passive and variable compliance could enable robust and safe interactions and task adaptability in the real world.
Min Jin YangHyunjo ChungYoonjin KimKyungseo Park...
96-109页
查看更多>>摘要：Robotic systems start to coexist around humans but cannot physically interact as humans do due to the absence of tactile sensitivity across their bodies. Various studies have developed a scalable tactile sensor to grant a body-scale robotic skin, yet many faced drawbacks arising from the rapidly increasing number of sensing elements or a limited sensibility to a wide range of touches. This article proposes a body-scale robotic skin composed of multimodal sensing modules and a multilayered fabric, simultaneously utilizing superresolution and tomographic transducing mechanisms. These mechanisms employ fewer sensing elements across a large area and complement each other in perceiving a wide range of stimuli humans can sense. Their measurements are processed to encode spatiotemporal properties of touch, which are decoded by a trained convolutional neural network to classify the touch modality, while their computational costs are minimized for on-device computation. The robotic skin was demonstrated on a commercial robotic arm and interpreted human touches for tactile communication, suggesting its capability as a body-scale robotic skin for further physical interaction.
Oscar de GrootLaura FerrantiDariu M. GavrilaJavier Alonso-Mora...
110-126页
查看更多>>摘要：Ground robots navigating in complex, dynamic environments must compute collision-free trajectories to avoid obstacles safely and efficiently. Nonconvex optimization is a popular method to compute a trajectory in real time. However, these methods often converge to locally optimal solutions and frequently switch between different local minima, leading to inefficient and unsafe robot motion. In this work, we propose a novel topology-driven trajectory optimization strategy for dynamic environments that plans multiple distinct evasive trajectories to enhance the robot's behavior and efficiency. A global planner iteratively generates trajectories in distinct homotopy classes. These trajectories are then optimized by local planners working in parallel. While each planner shares the same navigation objectives, they are locally constrained to a specific homotopy class, meaning each local planner attempts a different evasive maneuver. The robot then executes the feasible trajectory with the lowest cost in a receding horizon manner. We demonstrate on a mobile robot navigating among pedestrians that our approach leads to faster trajectories than existing planners.
查看更多>>摘要：Sitting, standing, and walking are fundamental activities crucial for maintaining independence in daily life. However, aging or lower limb injuries can impede these activities, posing obstacles to individuals' autonomy. In response to this challenge, we developed the LM-Ease (lower-limb movement ease), a compact and soft wearable robot designed to provide hip assistance. Its purpose is to aid users in carrying out essential daily activities such as sitting, standing, and walking. The LM-Ease features a fully actuated tendon-driven system that seamlessly transitions between assistance actuation profiles tailored for sitting, standing, and walking movements. This device provides the user with gravity support during stand-to-sit, and offers hip extension assistance pulling force during sit-to-stand and walking. Our preliminary results show that with the LM-Ease, healthy young adults (n $=$ 8) had significantly lower muscle activation: average reduction of 15.6% during stand-to-sit and 17.8% during sit-to-stand. Furthermore, with LM-Ease, participants demonstrated a 12.7% reduction in metabolic cost during ground walking. These evidences suggest that the LM-Ease holds potential in reducing muscular activation and energy expenditure during these fundamental daily activities. It could serve as a valuable tool for individuals seeking assistance in enhancing lower limb mobility, thereby bolstering their independence and overall quality of life.
查看更多>>摘要：We have developed a two-degree-of-freedom robotic wrist with variable stiffness capability, designed for situations where collisions between the end-effector and the environment are inevitable. To enhance environmental adaptability and prevent physical damage, the wrist can operate in a low-stiffness mode. However, the flexibility of this mode might negatively impact stable and precise manipulation. To address this, we proposed a robotic wrist that switches between a passive low-stiffness mode for environmental adaptation and an active high-stiffness mode for precise manipulation. Initially, we developed a functional prototype that could manually switch between these modes, demonstrating the wrist's passive low-stiffness and active high-stiffness states. This prototype was designed as a lightweight, flat-type modular device, incorporating a sheet-type flexure as the motion guide and embedding all essential components, including actuators, sensors, and a control unit, into the wrist module. Based on the functional prototype, we developed an improved version to enhance durability and functionality. The resulting wrist module incorporates a three-axis force/torque sensor and an impedance control system to control the stiffness. It measures 55 mm in height, weighs 200 g, and offers a 232.4-fold active stiffness variation.
NETL
NSTL
IEEE