Robophysics: Robotics Meets Physics

We are hosting the 10th annual Focus Session on Robophysics at the APS March Meeting, to be held in Anaheim, CA, USA, March 16-21, 2025.

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:

Hod Lipson, Columbia: https://www.creativemachineslab.com/

George Lauder, Harvard: https://sites.harvard.edu/glauder/

Dan Goldman, Georgia Tech, on 10 years of Robophysics focus sessions (tentative): https://crablab.gatech.edu/

Abstract submission:

Submit at: https://summit.aps.org/attend/abstracts

Deadline: Friday, October 25, 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:

04.01.24. Robophysics: Robotics Meets Physics (DBIO, DSOFT) [same as 02.01.71]

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).

Sessions typically run in blocks of ~3 hours with a dozen 10+2 min talks and a 25+5 min invited talk.

Robophysics Focus Sessions over the years:

Our Focus Session has had great success at APS March Meetings since 2016, 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:

2024

https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR24/Session/D38

https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR24/Session/F38

https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR24/Session/G38

https://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR24/Session/M38

2023

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

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

PBS’s Wild Kratts Visit Chen Li’s Terradynamics Lab

https://pbskids.org/videos/watch/wild-kratts-full-episodes/1385807/fish-out-of-water/1485713

https://pbskids.org/videos/watch/wild-kratts-full-episodes/1385807/fish-out-of-water/1485713

https://pbskids.org/videos/watch/wild-kratts-full-episodes/1385807/fish-out-of-water/1485713

https://pbskids.org/videos/watch/wild-kratts-full-episodes/1385807/fish-out-of-water/1485713

Congratulations Eugene! Excellent job!

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!

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):

https://rdcu.be/c8dTG

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

Mi J, Wang Y, *Li C (2022). Omni-Roach: A legged robot capable of traversing multiple types of large obstacles and self-righting, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), in press (Movie) PDF

Congratulations Jonathan and Yaqing!

The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:

• Yishun Zhou is starting as PhD student at UMichigan Robotics
• Yifeng Zhang is starting as PhD student at USC ECE

Congratulations!

The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:

• Bokun Zheng is starting as PhD student at Virginia Tech ME
• Ryan Utz is starting as PhD student at CMU ME

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.

Read more

Download paper

Watch movies

We presented at APS March Meeting via the Robophysics virtual session, despite meeting cancellation:

1. Othayoth R, Thoms G, *Li C (2020), Robots and animals transition from less to more favorable modes to traverse obstacles, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 65 Abstract
2. Xuan Q, *Li C (2020), A template model reveals self-righting mechanism of a winged robot, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 65 Abstract
3. Wang Y, Othayoth R, *Li C (2020), Active adjustments help cockroaches traverse obstacles by lowing potential energy barrier, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 65 Abstract
4. Fu Q, *Li C (2020), Body compliance helps oscillating snake robots reduce roll instability to traverse large steps, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 65 Abstract

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.

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Download paper

Watch movies

Qihan Xuan, Ratan Othayoth, Chen Li, Qiyuan Fu, Yaqing Wang

1. Othayoth R, Thoms G, *Li C (2020), Animals and robots transition from more challenging to easier locomotor modes to traverse obstacles, Integrative and Comparative Biology 60 Abstract
2. Xuan Q, *Li C (2020), Template model reveals mechanism of wing and leg coordination during self-righting of a cockroach-inspired robot, Integrative and Comparative Biology 60 Abstract
3. Wang Y, Othayoth R, *Li C (2020), Cockroaches bend head and use legs differentially to traverse grass-like beam obstacles, Integrative and Comparative Biology 60 Abstract
4. Fu Q, Gart SW, Mitchel TW, Kim JS, Chirikjian GS, *Li C (2020), Body lateral deformation and compliance help snakes and snake robots stably traverse large steps, Integrative and Comparative Biology 60 Abstract

Read more

Download paper

Watch movies

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.

Read more

Download paper

Watch movies

The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:

• Allen Ren is starting as PhD student at Princeton MAE
• Yaqing Wang is starting as PhD student at JHU ME
• Tim Greco is starting as PhD student at UPenn ESE
• Daniel Hse is starting as MSE student at MIT ME
• Rafael de la Tijera Obert is starting as MSE student at JHU Robotics
• Zhong Guan is starting as MSE student at CMU Robotics
• Xiangyu Peng is starting as MSE student at U Michigan Robotics

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

1. Othayoth R, Thoms G, *Li C (2019), Animals and robots vibrate to explore locomotion energy landscapes to make locomotor transitions, Integrative and Comparative Biology 59 Abstract
2. Xuan Q, Othayoth R, *Li C (2019), In silico experiments reveal the importance of randomness of motions in cockroach’s winged self-righting, Integrative and Comparative Biology 59 Abstract
3. Gart SW, Fu Q, Mitchel TW, *Li C (2019), Snakes partition their body to traverse large steps and inspire a snake robot, Integrative and Comparative Biology 59 Abstract
4. Fu Q, *Li C (2019), Body compliance helps snakes traverse large step obstacles, Integrative and Comparative Biology 59 Abstract

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.

1. Gart SW, Mitchel TW, *Li C (2019). Snakes partition their body to traverse large steps stably, Journal of Experimental Biology, 222, jeb185991 PDF
2. Gart SW, Yan C, Othayoth R, Ren Z, *Li C (2018). Dynamic traversal of large gaps by insects and legged robots reveals a template, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 13, 026006 PDF
3. Gart SW, *Li C (2018). Body-terrain interaction affects large bump traversal of insects and legged robots, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 13, 026005 PDF

Congratulations and best of luck, Sean!

The following students are starting graduate school this Fall:

• Mona Gao is starting as PhD student at Berkeley ME
• Zhiyu Zhang is starting as PhD student at Boston U. Sys. Engr.
• Dongkai Wang is starting as a PhD student at Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute
• Jundong Yi is starting as MSE student at CMU ME
• Nansong Yi is starting as MSE student at UW ME
• Changfan Chen is starting as MSE student at JHU Robotics

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:

• Third place award presented by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the physical sciences
• Honorable mention award presented by the INCOSE Chesapeake Chapter

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.

1. Mitchel TW, Xuan Q, Kim JS, Chirikjian GS, *Li C (2018), A novel 3-D full body model of snake locomotion in complex 3-D terrains, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 63 Abstract
2. Othayoth R, *Li C (2018), Insects change locomotion modes to traverse 3-D obstacles with varied potential energy barriers, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 63 Abstract
3. Ren Z, Othayoth R, *Li C (2018), Legged robots change locomotor modes to traverse 3-D obstacles with varied stiffness, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 63 Abstract
4. Fu Q, Mitchel TW, Yi N, Gart SW, *Li C (2018), Snake robot’s poor 3-D obstacle traversal reveals snake’s better stability mechanisms, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 63 Abstract

More supplemental movies and press release.

Download Gap Paper

Download Bump Paper

We presented research at Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology (SICB) 2018 Meeting in San Francisco on January 4-6.

• Snakes traversing large step obstacles: kinematics and mechanics
• Mitchel TW, Gart SW, Kim JS, Chirikjian GS, *Li C
• Abstract

• Snakes traversing large step obstacles: behavior, gait, and performance
• Gart SW, Mitchel TW, *Li C
• Abstract

• Cockroaches change locomotor modes to traverse beam obstacles of varied stiffness
• Othayoth R, *Li C
• Abstract

• Cockroach and robot locomotion reveals the need to integrate sensory feedback with body mechanics to traverse complex 3-D terrains
• Han Y, *Li C
• Abstract

• Body vibrations induced by legged locomotion help traverse complex 3-D obstacles
• Thoms G, *Li C
• Abstract

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.

Download PDF

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:

• Nastasia Winey is starting as PhD student at MIT ME
• Qihan Xuan is starting as PhD student at JHU ME
• Zheliang Wang is starting as PhD student at JHU ME
• Yifu Luo is starting as PhD student at Northwestern ME
• Yucheng Kang is starting as MSE student at JHU ME
• Jieming Bi is starting as MSE student at JHU CS
• Neil McCarter is starting as MSE student at JHU Robotics
• Dimitri Nikitopoulos is starting as MSE student at CMU ME
• Siyuan Yu is starting as MSE student at Columbia CS

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.

• Gart SW, Winey N, Obert RDLT, *Li C (2017), Dynamic traversal of high bumps and large gaps by a small legged robot, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 62 Abstract
• Othayoth R, Xuan Q, *Li C (2017), Induced vibrations increase performance of a winged self-righting robot, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 62 Abstract
• Han Y, Wang Z, *Li C (2017), Body shape helps legged robots climb and turn in complex 3-D terrains, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 62 Abstract
• Thoms G, Yu S, Kang Y, *Li C (2017), Induced vibrations facilitate traversal of cluttered obstacles, Bulletin of the American Physical Society 62 Abstract

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

• Gart SW, *Li C (2017), Dynamic traversal of large gaps and high bumps by cockroaches, Integrative and Comparative Biology 57 Abstract
• Othayoth R, Xuan Q, *Li C (2017), Leg vibrations help cockroaches self-right using wings, Integrative and Comparative Biology 57 Abstract
• Han Y, Luo Y, Bi J, *Li C (2017) Body shape affects yaw and pitch motions of insects traversing complex 3-D terrains, Integrative and Comparative Biology 57 Abstract

Photo with Prof. Bob Full (Prof. Chen Li’s postdoctoral advisor)

Our research on cockroach-inspired winged self-righting robot is freatured in IEEE Spectrum.

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).

From Program Committee:

“selected as one of the top quality IROS 2016 papers.”

Download paper

Learn more

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.

See B&B Highlights of 2015.

“selected for presentation of outstanding new research, receipt of the highest praise from our international referees and the largest number of downloads last year.”

Our lab has started!

Our first lab space is Hackerman B08C.

Two more lab spaces are under renovation and will be ready mid Spring.

Download paper

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Selected press:

• Inside Science
• IEEE Spectrum
• IOP News
• Discovery News
• Reuters
• LiveScience
• VICE Motherboard

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.