Distributed manipulators - consisting of a set of
actuators or robots working cooperatively to achieve a manipulation task - are robust and flexible tools for performing a range
of planar manipulation skills. One novel example is the delta
array, a distributed manipulator composed of a grid of delta
robots, capable of performing dexterous manipulation tasks
using strategies incorporating both dynamic and static contact.
Hand-designing effective distributed control policies for such
a manipulator can be complex and time consuming, given the
high-dimensional action space and unfamiliar system dynamics.
In this paper, we examine the principles guiding development
and control of such a delta array for a planar translation task.
We explore policy learning as a robust cooperative control
approach, allowing for smooth manipulation of a range of
objects, showing improved accuracy and efficiency over baseline
human-designed policies.
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Towards Robust Planar Translations using Delta-manipulator Arrays
Distributed manipulators - consisting of a set of actuators or robots working cooperatively to achieve a manipulation task - are robust and flexible tools for performing a range of planar manipulation skills. One novel example is the delta array, a distributed manipulator composed of a grid of delta robots, capable of performing dexterous manipulation tasks using strategies incorporating both dynamic and static contact. Hand-designing effective distributed control policies for such a manipulator can be complex and time consuming, given the high-dimensional action space and unfamiliar system dynamics. In this paper, we examine the principles guiding development and control of such a delta array for a planar translation task. We explore policy learning as a robust cooperative control approach, allowing for smooth manipulation of a range of objects, showing improved accuracy and efficiency over baseline human-designed policies.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2024794
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10296761
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International Conference of Robotics and Automation
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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