The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:
- Gargi Saldagekar is starting as PhD student in our lab
- Jack Rao is starting as PhD student at Stanford ME
- Jonathan Mi is starting as PhD student at UMich Ann Arbor ME
Congratulations!
The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:
Congratulations!
Here is a little perspective on a beautiful work that integrated data-driven learining & simulations with good models from vigorous experimental research to enable legged robots to achieve animal-like running on sand (with Feifei Qian):
Congratulations to Qiyuan Fu for successfully defending his PhD dissertation!
Qiyuan will join Auke Ijspeert’s Biorobotics Lab at EPFL this summer to perform postdoctoral research on amphibious robot locomotion.
Congratulations Dr. Fu!
Noah Cowan, Henry Astley (virtual), Qiyuan Fu, Chen Li
PhD student Divya Ramesh and Master student Gargi Sadalgekar are selected as two out of finalists for Best Student Paper in the Division of Comparative Biomechanics of the upcoming 2023 Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology Annual Meeting, for the work they each leads on fish and fish robot locomotion on mud, respectively. They will both present in Austin, TX in January.
Congratulations Divya and Gargi for the excellent work!
Also thanks to 9 other lab members who are contributing co-authors of the conference abstracts: Qiyuan Fu, Qihan Xuan, Zachary Souders, Luke Moon, Jack Rao, Mia Urban, Milla Ivanova, Kapt Ketan Mehta, Lucas An
This year we have four sessions, with 49 talks (4 invited + 45 contributed):
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR23/Session/Q10
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR23/Session/S10
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR23/Session/W10
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR23/Session/Y10
We are hosting the 8th annual Focus Session on Robophysics at the APS March Meeting March 2023, to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, March 5-10, 2023.
Besides physicists, any biologists, engineers, applied mathematicians, etc. studying robots (on their own or as active/physical/synthetic/simulated models of natural systems) are welcome!
Please forward this abstract submission solicitation to whoever might be interested, particularly your students/postdocs.
Rationale:
This workshop addresses the need to establish a new field of robophysics–physics for complex “living” robotic/active systems (analogous to biophysics, physics for complex biological systems). Robots are moving from the factory floor and into our lives (autonomous cars, homecare assistants, search and rescue devices, etc.). However, despite the fascinating questions such future “living systems” pose for scientists, the study of such systems has been dominated by engineers and computer scientists.
We propose that interaction of researchers studying dynamical systems, gauge theory, soft materials, active matter, programmable materials, and living systems can help discover physical principles that will allow physical robotic/active systems to interact with the physical world and achieve function in diverse environments in qualitatively different ways than they do now.
And we propose that a Focus session at the APS March meeting that brings together leaders in this emerging area (most of whom are not physicists) will demonstrate the need for a physics of robotics and reveal interesting problems at the interface of nonlinear dynamics, active matter, soft matter, control, robotics, and biology.
Interest to different APS units:
DBIO: Increasingly, researchers in organismal biology are using active, robotic physical models to test biological hypotheses. These have the advantage (in locomotion for example) of not requiring models of the environment (which might be intractable or not exist). Robophysics studies rely on systematic experimentation coupled to theory and modeling to discover organizing biological principles.
GSOFT: Often robots interact with real world materials that are not yet modeled at the level of Navier-Stokes equations for fluids. This requires discovery of principles of interaction of active or programmable objects with soft materials (mud, sand, grass, litter, etc.).
GSNP: Robots are (and will be) complex dynamical systems and this complexity must be tamed. Tools from dynamical systems and gauge theory have already been applied to such systems, but more insight is needed in active systems, programmable systems, hybrid systems, complex systems, etc.
To learn more, see Aguilar et al. (2016). A review on locomotion robophysics: The study of movement at the intersection of robotics, soft matter and dynamical systems, Reports on Progress in Physics, 79 (11), 110001 PDF
Invited speakers:
Corentin Coulais, University of Amsterdam: https://coulaislab.com/
Daniel Harris, Brown University: https://sites.brown.edu/harrislab/
Abstract submission:
Submit at: https://march.aps.org/
Deadline: Thursday, October 20, 5 PM US Eastern Time.
Please submit early if you can in case of technical glitches that results in delay.
When submitting, please list the following session number:
04.01.33. Robophysics: Robotics Meets Physics (DBIO, DSOFT) [same as 02.01.55]
Note that:
Abstract is short (1300 characters) and can be new work or past work revisited.
It does NOT require submitting a full paper of new work like major robotics meetings (e.g., ICRA, IROS, RSS).
It is advised to submit early in case of system glitches (which has occurred before).
Sessions typically run in blocks of ~3 hours with a dozen 10+2 min talks and a 25+5 min invited talk.
There is a registration fee for APS March Meeting (~$600 USD, cheaper for students/postdocs).
Previous Robophysics Focus Sessions:
Our Focus Session has had great success at APS March Meetings in 2016-2022, with growing attendance by a diverse group of physicists, engineers, mathematicians, biologists, etc. with interests at the intersection of science and robotics. To get an idea of the breadth of what has been presented before, see below:
2022
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR22/Session/K03
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR22/Session/Q03
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR22/Session/W03
2021
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR21/Session/B14
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR21/Session/F14
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR21/Session/R14
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR21/Session/S14
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR21/Session/Y14
2020
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR20/Session/S22
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR20/Session/U22
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR20/Session/W22
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR20/Session/X22
2019
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR19/Session/S64
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR19/Session/V64
2018
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR18/Session/B50
https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR18/Session/C50
2017
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR17/Session/X12
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR17/Session/Y12
2016
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR16/Session/V40
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR16/Session/Y40
Thanks in advance and hope to see you and/or colleagues.
Chen Li, Johns Hopkins University
Dan Goldman, Georgia Tech
The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:
Congratulations!
The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:
Congratulations!
We developed an energy landscape to understand the physical principles of probabilistic locomotor transitions in complex 3D terrain. For a model system of cockroaches traversing beam-like obstacles, using animal experiments and robotic physical modelling, we demonstrated that locomotor transitions of animals and robots on complex 3-D terrain correspond to barrier-crossing transitions on a potential energy landscape. We discovered that locomotor modes are attracted to energy basins on landscape separated by potential energy barriers. Kinetic energy fluctuation from oscillatory self-propulsion helps the system stochastically escape from one basin and reach another to make transitions. We also found that escape is more likely toward lower barrier direction. Our energy landscape approach from first principles helps understand how multipathway transitions across locomotor modes statistically emerge from physical interaction with the complex terrain.
We presented at APS March Meeting via the Robophysics virtual session, despite meeting cancellation:
Kudos to Shai Revzen for leading the virtual session setup!
Kudos to all who participated and persevered at this challenging time!
We developed a snake robot with a partitioned gait and snake-like anisotropic friction and used it as a physical model to understand stability principles. The robot traversed steps as high as a third of its body length rapidly and stably. However, on higher steps, it was more likely to fail due to more frequent rolling and flipping over, which was absent in the snake with a compliant body. Adding body compliance reduced the robot’s roll instability by statistically improving surface contact, without reducing speed. Besides advancing understanding of snake locomotion, our robot achieved high traversal speed surpassing most previous snake robots and approaching snakes, while maintaining high traversal probability.
Qihan Xuan, Ratan Othayoth, Chen Li, Qiyuan Fu, Yaqing Wang
Prof. Chen Li is selected as one of 33 early-career faculty member to receive a 2019 Catalyst Award of Johns Hopkins University, designed to support promising research and creative endeavors.
We thank the University and the award committee for recognizing and supporting our work.
We discovered that snakes partition their body to traverse large 3-D terrain like steps. By doing so, their can maintain near-perfect static stability while generating thrusts to overcome drag. This body partitioning strategy is conserved when terrain properties like surface friction and step height changes. We also observed similar partitioning for other types of 3-D terrain. These results suggest that this may be a strategy generally useful for traversing complex 3-D terrain.
The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:
Also, Yucheng Kang is starting his job at Bito Robotics.
Evains Francois is starting college at Northwestern.
Congratulations!
Undergraduate researcher Zhiyi (Allen) Ren wins the another award from Department of Mechanical Engineering, Robert George Gerstmyer Award for outstanding undergraduate achievement!
He is going to Princeton MAE department this Fall to start his PhD research in robot control and motion planning.
Congratulations!
Keep up the great work.
Prof. Li is selected as an alumnus of Kavli Frontier of Science, National Academy of Science, and presented a poster at its 2019 30th Annual U.S. Symposium at the Beckman Center.
Qihan Xuan, Qiyuan Fu, Ratan Othayoth
Ratan Othayoth was selected for the second time in two consecutive years as a finalist for Best Student Paper Award of Division of Comparative Biomechanics at Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology 2019.
Congratulations Ratan, and keep up the good work!
Our journal paper on mechanical principles of winged self-righting wins the 6th Advanced Robotics Best Paper Award!
*Li C, Kessens CC, Fearing RS, Full RJ (2017). Mechanical principles of dynamic terrestrial self-righting using wings, Advanced Robotics, 31, 881-900 (Invited Paper) PDF
Our lab postdoc, Sean Gart, “graduated” from the lab and is starting his permanent job at Army Research Lab as Mechanical Engineer in the Autonomous Systems Division.
As the first member to join the lab, Sean has made crucial contributions to the initial setup and ongoing research program of the lab.
Sean’s excellent work has earned him three very nice first-author journal papers in just two and half years.
Congratulations and best of luck, Sean!
The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:
Also, Blake Strebel is starting his job at DMC.
Congratulations!
Prof. Chen Li is selected as a Beckman Young Investigator.
We thank the Arnold and Mable Beckman Foundation for supporting our fundamental research and novel approach.
Our high school student intern Evains Francois presented his research on cockroach-inspired legged robots at the Baltimore Science Fair and won two awards:
Congratulations to Evains (and his graduate student mentor Rick Han)!
Allen Ren was selected as a 2018 Robotics Institute Summer Scholars from Carnegie Mellon University.
Allen Ren also won a James F. Bell Award for outstanding research and scholarly achievement from JHU’s ME department.
Mona Gao won a Robert George Gerstmyer Award for outstanding undergraduate from JHU’s ME department.
Congratulations!
Allen in the RISS 2018 Cohort (fourth guy with glasses from the left in the second last row).
Qiyuan, Allen, Ratan, and Tommy are presenting at APS March Meeting in Los Angeles.
We presented research at Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology (SICB) 2018 Meeting in San Francisco on January 4-6.
Tommy Mitchel, Rick Han, Ratan Othayoth, Sean Gart, Chen Li
Ratan Othayoth and Rick Han were selected as 2 of 8 finalists for Best Student Paper Award of Division of Comparative Biomechanics at Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology 2018.
Congratulations and keep up the good work!
This 2017 Advanced Robotics journal paper is a follow up to our 2016 IROS conference paper.
Besides how wing opening magnitude, speed, height, and asymmetry affects the performance of winged dynamic self-righting, it reports additional experimental and modeling results and discussions on:
(1) how body mass and mass distribution affects dynamic winged self-righting, and
(2) how asymmetric wing opening affects final body heading and potential energy barriers.
Prof. Chen Li is selected for an Army Research Office Young Investigator Award.
We thank the Army Research Office (Mechanical Sciences Division) for supporting our fundamental research and novel approach.
The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:
Also, Scotty Thoms is starting his job at City Year.
Congratulations!
Sean, Ratan, Rick, and Scotty presented at American Physical Society March Meeting 2017 in New Orleans, LA.
Sean, Ratan, and Rick presented research at Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology (SICB) 2017 Meeting in New Orleans, LA on January 4-8, in the session on Locomotion: Obstacles and Perturbations
Photo with Prof. Bob Full (Prof. Chen Li’s postdoctoral advisor)
Prof. Li presented a highlight paper on cockroach-inspired winged self-righting robot at IROS 2016 in Daejeon, Korea on Oct 12, 2016.
Our paper on cockroach-inspired winged self-righting robot is accepted and selected as one of 20 highlight papers at IROS 2016 (out of over 800 papers).
We now have three lab rooms:
Hackerman B08C
Krieger G16 & G35
We also share animal housing facility in G31 with Noah Cowan’s LIMBS Lab.
Our lab has started!
Our first lab space is Hackerman B08C.
Two more lab spaces are under renovation and will be ready mid Spring.
Prof. Chen Li is selected for a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award at the Scientific Interface.
We thank the Burroughs Wellcome Fund for supporting our fundamental research and novel approach.