Modular robots

Modular robots consists of many mechatronic modules, which can be builts into robots of various shapes. The goal of our research is to provide methods that enable modular robots to move in an environment and avoid or overcome obstacles. This requires to generate basic gaits as well as a high-level reasoning about situation in the environment.

We developed a method for fast on-line learning of locomotion gaits, that are realized using Central Patterns Geenrators. The methods starts from scratch (=random motions) it uses a physical simulation to achieve suitable solutions, that are further improved on a real rob

Example of four motion gaits	Example of a motion plan made of the four primitives

The problem of global motion in an environment is approached using a fast motion planner, that runs on-board. Main challenges include the design and implementation of fast planner, that can be run on limited computational resources, and design of robust motion plans, that can be executed even if some module fails.

Contacts:

For further information contact Vojtěch Vonásek.

We use CoSMO modules developed at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Publications:

1. Vojtech Vonásek, Martin Saska, Karel Kosnar and Libor Preucil. Motion planning with adaptive motion primitives for modular robots. Applied Soft Computing (0):-, 2015. URL, DOI BibTeX

   @article{Vonasek2015motion,
   	title = "Motion planning with adaptive motion primitives for modular robots",
   	journal = "Applied Soft Computing",
   	volume = "",
   	number = 0,
   	pages = "-",
   	year = 2015,
   	note = "",
   	issn = "1568-4946",
   	url = "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568494615003026",
   	author = "Vojtech Vonásek and Martin Saska and Karel Kosnar and Libor Preucil",
   	keywords = "Particle swarm optimization",
   	doi = "10.1016/j.asoc.2015.05.002"
   }
   

2. Vojtech Vonásek, Martin Saska, Lutz Winkler and Libor Preucil. High-level motion planning for CPG-driven modular robots. Robotics and Autonomous Systems 68(0):116 - 128, 2015. URL PDF BibTeX

   @article{Vonasek2015high,
   	title = "High-level motion planning for CPG-driven modular robots",
   	journal = "Robotics and Autonomous Systems",
   	volume = 68,
   	number = 0,
   	pages = "116 - 128",
   	year = 2015,
   	note = "",
   	issn = "0921-8890",
   	url = "http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921889015000147",
   	author = "Vojtech Vonásek and Martin Saska and Lutz Winkler and Libor Preucil",
   	keywords = "Central pattern generator",
   	pdf = "data/papers/rasmod2015modular.pdf"
   }
   

3. V Vonásek and J Faigl. Evolution of multiple gaits for modular robots. In 2016 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI). December 2016, 1-8. URL PDF, DOI BibTeX

   @inproceedings{7850182,
   	author = "V. Vonásek and J. Faigl",
   	booktitle = "2016 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI)",
   	title = "Evolution of multiple gaits for modular robots",
   	year = 2016,
   	pages = "1-8",
   	keywords = "Aerospace electronics;Cost function;Genetic algorithms;Legged locomotion;Planning",
   	doi = "10.1109/SSCI.2016.7850182",
   	url = "http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7850182/",
   	pdf = "data/papers/ssci2016_vonasek.pdf",
   	month = "Dec"
   }
   

4. Vojtech Vonasek, Sergej Neumann, David Oertel and Heinz Worn. Online motion planning for failure recovery of modular robotic systems. In Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2015 IEEE International Conference on. May 2015, 1905-1910. PDF, DOI BibTeX

   @inproceedings{vonasek15online,
   	author = "Vonasek, Vojtech and Neumann, Sergej and Oertel, David and Worn, Heinz",
   	booktitle = "Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2015 IEEE International Conference on",
   	title = "Online motion planning for failure recovery of modular robotic systems",
   	year = 2015,
   	month = "May",
   	pages = "1905-1910",
   	keywords = "Adaptation models;Joints;Maintenance engineering;Optimization;Planning;Robots;Three-dimensional displays",
   	doi = "10.1109/ICRA.2015.7139447",
   	pdf = "data/papers/icra2015modular.pdf"
   }
   

5. Vojtech Vonasek, David Oertel, Sergej Neumann and Heinz Worn. Failure recovery for modular robot movements without reassembling modules. In Robot Motion and Control (RoMoCo), 2015 10th International Workshop on. July 2015, 136-141. URL PDF, DOI BibTeX

   @inproceedings{7219725,
   	author = "Vonasek, Vojtech and Oertel, David and Neumann, Sergej and Worn, Heinz",
   	booktitle = "Robot Motion and Control (RoMoCo), 2015 10th International Workshop on",
   	title = "Failure recovery for modular robot movements without reassembling modules",
   	year = 2015,
   	pages = "136-141",
   	keywords = "Actuators;Cost function;Generators;Joints;Legged locomotion;Planning",
   	doi = "10.1109/RoMoCo.2015.7219725",
   	month = "July",
   	pdf = "data/papers/romoco2015-modular.pdf",
   	url = "http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=7219725"
   }
   

6. P Levi, E Meister, A Rossum, T Krajník, V Vonásek, P Štěpán, W Liu and F Caparrelli. A Cognitive Architecture for Modular and Self-Reconfigurable Robots. In Proceedings of 8th Annual IEEE Systems Conference. 2014, 465–472. URL BibTeX

   @inproceedings{levi2014cognitive,
   	author = "Levi, P. and Meister, E. and van Rossum, A. and Krajn\'{i}k, T. and Von\'{a}sek, V. and \v{S}t\v{e}p\'{a}n, P. and Liu, W. and Caparrelli, F.",
   	title = "{A Cognitive Architecture for Modular and Self-Reconfigurable Robots}",
   	booktitle = "{Proceedings of 8th Annual IEEE Systems Conference}",
   	publisher = "IEEE",
   	address = "Piscataway",
   	year = 2014,
   	pages = "465--472",
   	isbn = "978-1-4799-2086-0",
   	issn = "1944-7620",
   	language = "English",
   	url = "http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=\&arnumber=6819298"
   }
   

7. V Vonasek, K Kosnar and L Preucil. Motion Planning of Self-reconfigurable Modular Robots Using Rapidly Exploring Random Trees. In Joint Proceedings of the 13th Annual TAROS Conference and the 15th Annual FIRA RoboWorld Congress. 2012, 279–290. PDF, DOI BibTeX

   @inproceedings{Vonasek12:194431,
   	author = "Vonasek, V. and Kosnar, K. and Preucil, L.",
   	title = "{Motion Planning of Self-reconfigurable Modular Robots Using Rapidly Exploring Random Trees}",
   	booktitle = "{Joint Proceedings of the 13th Annual TAROS Conference and the 15th Annual FIRA RoboWorld Congress}",
   	publisher = "Springer",
   	address = "Dordrecht",
   	year = 2012,
   	pages = "279--290",
   	isbn = "978-3-642-32526-7",
   	issn = "0302-9743",
   	language = "English",
   	doi = "10.1007/978-3-642-32527-4_25",
   	pdf = "data/papers/taros2012modular.pdf"
   }
   

8. V Vonásek, S Neumann, L Winkler, K Košnar, H Woern and L Přeučil. Task-Driven Evolution of Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robots. In From Animals to Animats 13 8575. 2014, 240–249. URL PDF BibTeX

   @inproceedings{Vonasek14:221352,
   	author = "Von\'{a}sek, V. and Neumann, S. and Winkler, L. and Ko\v{s}nar, K. and Woern, H. and P\v{r}eu\v{c}il, L.",
   	title = "{Task-Driven Evolution of Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robots}",
   	booktitle = "{From Animals to Animats 13}",
   	publisher = "Springer",
   	address = "Heidelberg",
   	year = 2014,
   	volume = 8575,
   	pages = "240--249",
   	isbn = "978-3-319-08863-1",
   	issn = "0302-9743",
   	language = "English",
   	url = "http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007\%2F978-3-319-08864-8_23\#page-1",
   	pdf = "data/papers/sab2014modular.pdf"
   }
   

9. V Vonásek, O Penc, K Košnar and L Přeučil. Optimization of Motion Primitives for High-Level Motion Planning of Modular Robots. In Mobile Service Robotics: CLAWAR 2014: 17th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines. 2014, 109–116. PDF, DOI BibTeX

   @inproceedings{Vonasek14:221349,
   	author = "Von\'{a}sek, V. and Penc, O. and Ko\v{s}nar, K. and P\v{r}eu\v{c}il, L.",
   	title = "{Optimization of Motion Primitives for High-Level Motion Planning of Modular Robots}",
   	booktitle = "{Mobile Service Robotics: CLAWAR 2014: 17th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines}",
   	publisher = "World Scientific",
   	address = "Singapore",
   	year = 2014,
   	pages = "109--116",
   	isbn = "978-981-4623-34-6",
   	language = "English",
   	doi = "https://doi.org/10.1142/9789814623353_0013",
   	pdf = "data/papers/clawar2014modular.pdf"
   }
   

10. V Vonasek, M Saska, K Kosnar and L Preucil. Global Motion Planning for Modular Robots with Local Motion Primitives. In ICRA2013: Proceedings of 2013 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. 2013, –. PDF, DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Vonasek13:205389,
    	author = "Vonasek, V. and Saska, M. and Kosnar, K. and Preucil, L.",
    	title = "{Global Motion Planning for Modular Robots with Local Motion Primitives}",
    	booktitle = "{ICRA2013: Proceedings of 2013 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation}",
    	publisher = "IEEE",
    	address = "Piscataway",
    	year = 2013,
    	pages = "--",
    	isbn = "978-1-4673-5641-1",
    	issn = "1050-4729",
    	language = "English",
    	pdf = "data/papers/icra2013modular.pdf",
    	doi = "10.1109/ICRA.2013.6630912"
    }
    

11. V Vonásek, L Winkler, J Liedke, M Saska, K Košnar and L Přeučil. Fast On-Board Motion Planning for Modular Robots. In ICRA2014: Proceedings of 2014 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. 2014, 1215–1220. URL PDF BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Vonasek14:221350,
    	author = "Von\'{a}sek, V. and Winkler, L. and Liedke, J. and Saska, M. and Ko\v{s}nar, K. and P\v{r}eu\v{c}il, L.",
    	title = "{Fast On-Board Motion Planning for Modular Robots}",
    	booktitle = "{ICRA2014: Proceedings of 2014 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation}",
    	publisher = "IEEE",
    	address = "Piscataway",
    	year = 2014,
    	pages = "1215--1220",
    	isbn = "978-1-4799-3684-7",
    	language = "English",
    	url = "http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=\&arnumber=6907008",
    	pdf = "data/papers/Modular_Robots_ICRA2014-joined.pdf"
    }
    

12. L Winkler, V Vonasek, H Worn and L Preucil. Robot3D - A Simulator for Mobile Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robots. In Proceedings of 2012 IEEE International Conference on Multisensor Fusion and Information Integration. 2012, 464–469. DOI BibTeX

    @inproceedings{Winkler12:196419,
    	author = "Winkler, L. and Vonasek, V. and Worn, H. and Preucil, L.",
    	title = "{Robot3D - A Simulator for Mobile Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robots}",
    	booktitle = "{Proceedings of 2012 IEEE International Conference on Multisensor Fusion and Information Integration}",
    	publisher = "IEEE",
    	address = "Piscataway",
    	year = 2012,
    	pages = "464--469",
    	isbn = "978-1-4673-2511-0",
    	language = "English",
    	doi = "10.1109/MFI.2012.6343016"
    }