Critical Impediments and Future Challenges

for Multi-Modal Robotic Locomotion

Oct. 15, 2009

IROS 2009 Workshop on:

 

Organizers

Ravi Vaidyanathan (co-chair*)

Senior Lecturer in Biodynamics

Mechanical Engineering

University of Bristol

Bristol, UK

r.vaidyanathan@bristol.ac.uk

 

Roger D. Quinn (co-chair)

Arthur P. Armington Professor

Mechanical Engineering

Case Western Reserve

Cleveland, 44106-7222, USA

rdq@case.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

*corresponding co-chair: +44 7970 330 814

Low Kin Huat (co-chair)

Professor

Mechanical Engineering

Nanyang Tech. University

Singapore

mkhlow@ntu.edu.sg

 

Xin-Yan Deng (co-chair)

Assistant Professor

Mechanical Engineering

University of Delaware

Newark, 19716, USA

deng@udel.edu

Jorge Solis (co-chair)

Research Associate

Modern Mechanical Engineering

Waseda University

169-8555 Tokyo, Japan

solis@kurenai.waseda.jp

Recent research in robotic locomotion, in particular efforts drawing upon inspiration from biology, has resulted in remarkable progress towards mobile platforms with the capacity to traverse challenging environments.  However, there remain significant issues which have impeded the development of truly robust ambulatory platforms capable of locomotion in more than one medium; this dearth has resulted in a plateau in the present utility of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles.  Specifically, the challenges of transitioning between combinations of aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial modes of locomotion present an array of issues in sensor development, energy consumption, mechanical design, sensor integration, perception and planning, and control system development.  At this time, the system design issues involved in creating a hybrid vehicle capable of morphing locomotion modalities have yet to be fully clarified by the research community.  It is the aim of this half-day workshop to provide a forum for discussion in regard to new research addressing systems-level issues as they pertain to robots and sensor platforms with the capacity for multiple modes of locomotion.  Ideally, the exchange of ideas will spur new research efforts targeting the creation of mobile robots synergizing mechanical and control subsystems to achieve the adaptability and robustness necessary for multi-modal locomotion. 

Click here for the full workshop program pdf.  (updated 9/9/09.)

 

Morphing micro air-land vehicles

(Ravi Vaidyanathan)

Salamander robot

(Kostas Karakasiliotis)

Water strider robot

(Metin Sitti)

Amphibious Whegs^TM

(Roger Quinn)

Page updated 12/14/09

Lecture slideshows:

Salamander robot and control of multi-modal structures. 

Kostas Karakasiliotis  video

 

Hybrid jumping miniature robots.

Mirko Kovac  video

 

Water Runner Robot: Steps Towards Amphibious Locomotion. 

Metin Sitti  video

 

Design of a Semi-Autonomous Hybrid Mobility Surf-Zone Robot.

Roger Quinn video

 

A Small, Biologically-Inspired Vehicle with Hybrid Air-Land Mobility.

Ravi Vaidyanathan  video