Robotics

Applications of CPS technologies dealing with automated machines that can take the place of humans in dangerous environments or manufacturing processes, or resemble humans in appearance, behavior, and/or cognition.
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Visible to the public CPS: Frontier: Collaborative Research: bioCPS for Engineering Living Cells

Our overall aim in this project is to synthesize desired behaviors in populations of bacterial and mammalian cells. To this goal, we define the basis of a next-generation cyber-physical system (CPS) called biological CPS (bioCPS). The enabling technologies are synthetic biology and micron-scale mobile robotics. Synthetic genetic circuits for decision making and local communication among the cells are automatically synthesized using a Bio-Design Automation (BDA) workflow.

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Visible to the public CPS: Synergy: Tracking Fish Movement with a School of Gliding Robotic Fish

The goal of this project is to create an integrative framework for the design of coupled biological and robotic systems that accommodates system uncertainties and competing objectives in a rigorous, holistic, and effective manner. The design principles are developed using a concrete, end-to-end application of tracking and modeling fish movement with a network of gliding robotic fish. The proposed robotic platform is an energy-efficient underwater gliding robotic fish that travels by changing its buoyancy and mass distribution (gliding) or by flapping tail fin (swimming).

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Visible to the public CPS: Synergy: Collaborative Research: Safe and Efficient Cyber-Physical Operation System for Construction Equipment

Equipment operation represents one of the most dangerous tasks on a construction sites and accidents related to such operation often result in death and property damage on the construction site and the surrounding area. Such accidents can also cause considerable delays and disruption, and negatively impact the efficiency of operations. This Cyber Physical System (CPS) research project will conduct research to improve the safety and efficiency of cranes by integrating advances in robotics, computer vision, and construction management.

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Visible to the public CPS: Synergy: Collaborative Research: Learning Control Sharing Strategies for Assistive Cyber-Physical Systems

Assistive machines such as robotic arms and powered wheelchairs promote independence and ability in those with severe motor impairments. As the field of assistive robotics progresses rapidly, these devices are becoming more capable and dextrous and as a result, higher dimensional and harder to control. The dimensionality mismatch between high-dimensional robots and low-dimensional control interfaces requires the control space to be partitioned into control modes. For full control of the robot the user switches between these partitions and this is known as mode switching.

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Visible to the public Designing Semi-autonomous Networks of Miniature Robots for Inspection of Bridges and Other Large Infrastructures

Visual identification of structural flaws is quite valuable not only to predict an imminent collapse of a bridge, but also to determine effective precautionary measures and repairs.

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Visible to the public CPS: Synergy: Multi-Robot Cyber-Physical System for Assisting Young Developmentally-Delayed Children in Learning to Walk

A challenge for assisting young developmentally-delayed children in learning to walk is to (1) stabilize medio-lateral body sway while promoting opportunities for exploratory behavior, and (2) develop gait that exploits exchange of potential and kinetic energy. To meet the challenge, we have built a modular multi-robot CPS: a scaffold that applies forces at the pelvis via cables to modulate and stabilize center of mass behavior, and a wearable robot that applies assistive torques at the hip.