The Human Centered Robotics Group

This comprehensive paper introduces a model for improving the grasp strength of multi-suction-cup grippers, addressing challenges in heavy object manipulation. It presents new constraints for trajectory planning and optimization, solves load distribution issues with a quadratic program, and validates the model through experimental results.

Our team, UT-SOTON, is leading the entry into the XPrize Wildfire competition in collaboration with the Jackson School of Geosciences, the University of Southampton, and TU Delft. The following news are from Austin’s KXAN.

Check out this video reel of the projects of Prof. Sentis’ new graduate class Design of Human Centered Robots, taught this past Spring semester. Every robot and system shown in this video is built from scratch. We are very impressed by the students creativity and skills. The arm, reinforced with carbon fiber, includes custom-built cycloidal gears inspired by Haddington Dynamics. And the dexterous hand? Although it’s a replica of an open source design, the 3D printing and assembly by the students are absolutely mind-boggling! Hand blueprints by https://robotnanohand.com, arm design inspired by Haddington Dynamics.

We had a great time at ICRA 2024. Jeeeun Lee presented a very nice paper on Jerk Constrained Time Optimal Path Planning and Control:

We also planned activities for our IEEE Technical Committee on Whole-Body Control:

And finally, current and past HCRL students got together in Yokohama during the conference:

We have launched a new website with all results of our NSF Multidisciplinary project. Click below!

Want to understand how humans react to quadruped robots? We’ve published a dataset of human-subject data, including stress responses (physiological measures + interviews). Click on the image below to access the dataset.

Check out a preprint of our latest collaborative work on stress response of people to walking robots using physiological sensors and survey analysis.

Link to Preprint of Paper: Human Stress Response and Perceived Safety during Encounters with Quadruped Robots

Graduate students ignite innovation, designing electric motors as a foundation for human-centered robotic careers.

We are proud of the Apptronik Team and our former student Nick Paine for this accomplishment. Kudos to CEO Jeff Cardenas for pushing the company to great new heights. Apptronik is a spin off from The Human Centered Robotics Lab.

A fantastic fireside chat between Luis Sentis and Ana Arriola-Kanada last Friday during SXSW 2024 in Austin, Texas. Thank you UT Good Systems and the German Innovation Org for facilitating this wonderful event.