Welcome to My Blog
Explore insights at the intersection of robotics, optimal control, and mechanically adaptive design. Here, you will find deep dives into compliant actuators, human augmentation, and the challenges of sim-to-real transfer. Whether you are an engineer, researcher, or industry professional, these articles offer valuable insights and thought-provoking discussions to drive advancements in robotics.
Adaptive Machines: Robotics Education, Research, and Innovation
Closing the Gap in Robotics Expertise Robotics is advancing rapidly, but challenges remain in bridging research with real-world applications. Adaptive Machines provides education, consulting, and research expertise to help students,…
Learning Finite-Horizon Optimal Control with Unknown Control-Affine Dynamics
Y. Chen, Y. Li and D.J. Braun, Learning Finite-Horizon Nonlinear Optimal Control Policies with Unknown Control-Affine Dynamics (under review). This paper introduces a model-free method for learning finite-horizon optimal control for…
Energy Minimization using Custom-Designed Magnetic-Spring Actuators
Y. Y. Fu, A.U. Kilic and D.J. Braun, Energy Minimization using Custom-Designed Magnetic-Spring Actuators, IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp. 3534-3539, October 14 – 18, Abu Dhabi,…
A Novel Approximation for the Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum Model of Locomotion
A.U. Kilic and D.J. Braun, A Novel Approximation for the Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum Model of Locomotion, IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp. 4315-4321, October 1 – 5,…
Variable Stiffness Floating Spring Leg: Performing net-zero energy cost tasks not achievable using fixed stiffness springs
S.Y. Kim and D.J. Braun, Variable Stiffness Floating Spring Leg: Performing net-zero energy cost tasks not achievable using fixed stiffness springs, vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 5400-5407, 2023. Sitting down and…
Controllable Mechanical-domain Energy Accumulators
S.Y. Kim and D.J. Braun, Controllable Mechanical-domain Energy Accumulators, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, London, United Kingdom, pp. 7359-7364, 2023. Springs are efficient in storing and returning elastic potential…
Design of a Variable Stiffness Spring with Human-Selectable Stiffness
C. Mathews and D.J. Braun, Design of a Variable Stiffness Spring with Human-Selectable Stiffness, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, London, United Kingdom, pp. 7385-7390, 2023. Springs are commonly used…
Novel Spring Mechanism Enables Iterative Energy Accumulation under Force and Deformation Constraints
C. Dempsey and D.J. Braun, Novel Spring Mechanism Enables Iterative Energy Accumulation under Force and Deformation Constraints, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, London, United Kingdom, pp. 7391-7397, 2023. Springs…
Method and Apparatus for Human Augmentation and Robot Actuation
D Braun, C. W Mathews, Method and apparatus for human augmentation and robot actuation, US Patent App. 17/872,164, 2023. The present disclosure relates to a parallel variable stiffness actuator. The…
Method and Apparatus for Augmented Locomotion
D Braun, A Sutrisno, and T Zhang, Method and Apparatus for Augmented Locomotion, US Patent 11,439,564, 2022. Provided are apparatuses for augmenting human speed, human-driven compliant mechanisms, artificial limbs to…
Variable Stiffness Mechanisms for low Energy Cost Stiffness Modulation
D Braun, S Kim, Variable Stiffness Mechanisms for low Energy Cost Stiffness Modulation, US Patent App. 17/506,164, 2022. Disclosed herein is a variable-stiffness floating spring mechanism. The variable-stiffness floating spring…
Data-Driven Iterative Optimal Control for Switched Dynamical Systems
Y. Chen, Y. Li, and D.J. Braun, Data-Driven Iterative Optimal Control for Switched Dynamical Systems, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 296-303, 2023. This article presents…
Design of Parallel Variable Stiffness Actuators
C. Mathews and D.J. Braun, Design of Parallel Variable Stiffness Actuators, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 768-782, 2023. Direct-drive motors (DDMs) have been increasingly used for robot actuation because they…
Theory of Fast Walking With Human-Driven Load-Carrying Robot Exoskeletons
T. Zhang and D.J. Braun, Theory of Fast Walking With Human-Driven Load-Carrying Robot Exoskeletons, Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, vol. 30, pp. 1971-1981, 2022. Reaching and maintaining high…
Parallel Variable Stiffness Actuators
C.W. Mathews and D.J. Braun, Parallel Variable Stiffness Actuators, IEEE-RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, pp. 8225-8231, 2021. In this paper, we introduce a new type of compliant actuator named the…
Human Driven Compliant Transmission Mechanism
T. Zhang and D.J. Braun, Human Driven Compliant Transmission Mechanism, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, pp. 7094-7099, 2021. Energetically-passive robot exoskeletons, mimicking the function of the bicycle, could enable humans to…
Iterative Online Optimal Feedback Control
Y. Chen and D.J. Braun, Iterative Online Optimal Feedback Control, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 566-580, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2021. This article proposes a data-driven iterative feedback control method to efficiently solve…
Variable Stiffness Springs for Energy Storage Applications
S. Kim, T. Zhang, and D.J. Braun, Variable Stiffness Springs for Energy Storage Applications, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Paris, FR, 2020. Theory suggests an inverse relation between the stiffness…
The Hidden Potential of Energetically-Passive Exoskeletons
A. Sutrisno and D.J. Braun, The Hidden Potential of Energetically Passive Exoskeletons, Wearable Robotics: Challenges and Trends, Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Wearable Robotics, WeRob2020, and of WearRAcon…
How to Run 50% Faster without External Energy
A. Sutrisno and D.J. Braun, How to Run 50% Faster without External Energy, vol. 6, no. 13, eaay1950, Science Advances, 2020. Technological innovations may enable next-generation running shoes to provide unprecedented mobility. But how…
Operational Space Control under Actuation Constraints using Strictly Convex Optimization
D.J. Braun, Y. Chen, L. Li, Operational Space Control under Actuation Constraints using Strictly Convex Optimization, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 302-309, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2019. Operational space feedback controllers can be used…