Transformations and Frontiers in Robot Motion and Manipulation

Abstract

Robotics is undergoing three transformations, which are changing our research focus and opening doors to new applications. The need for robotic manipulation in unstructured environments, human-robot collaborative systems, and handling soft materials is transforming the fundamental assumptions underlying our methods for manipulation planning and creating new opportunities for applications in service robotics, health care, and manufacturing. Berenson presents his team's contributions to these transformations, which include new algorithms that plan motion with multiple simultaneous constraints, manage sensor uncertainty in the planning process, model human motion in collaborative settings, and control manipulation of soft objects. He discusses the theory behind these approaches and show practical applications on real-world robots. He ends by identifying three frontiers that are emerging as a result of these transformations as well as prospects for their exploration.