J. Nakanishi, A. Radulescu, D.J. Braun and S. Vijayakumar, Spatio-Temporal Stiffness Optimization in Movements with Switching Dynamics, Autonomous Robots, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 273-291, 2017.
This paper presents a method for optimizing robotic movements that involve variable stiffness actuation, switching dynamics, and discontinuous state transitions such as contacts and impacts. The framework jointly optimizes control commands, stiffness profiles, switching times, and overall movement duration. The approach is validated through simulations of a simple switching system, a brachiating robot, and a hopper with variable stiffness springs.
Why it matters: Many real-world robot tasks involve phases of motion with impacts and environmental interactions. By optimizing both stiffness and timing across these phases, robots can achieve more efficient, adaptable, and robust performance, advancing the use of variable stiffness actuation in dynamic and contact-rich tasks.