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Both morphology and control of an end-effector play a key role in determining physical interaction. Given a desired interaction, how do we optimize them simultaneously? In our work, we study algorithmic approaches to optimal design and control for kinematic and dynamic contact tasks. The goal is to provide a natural framework to describe tasks that respect and exploit frictional constraints, and explore the design space shared between morphology (e.g., shape, texture, compliance) and behavior (e.g., motion, forces).
Shape and Motion Planning for Dynamic Planar Manipulation. We have developed a framework where the shape and motion of an end-effector are decision variables, represented as splines. We optimize them to satisfy a task represented as a set of constraints and a fitness metric, to force the solution to be compatible with the dynamics of frictional hard contact. We demonstrate the approach by applying it to three classical design problems, the rolling brachistochrone, the design of teeth of involute gears, and the pitch curve of rolling cams, and demonstrate the case study of the optimization of the shape and motion of a dynamic throwing arm
Contact: Orion Taylor
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