Koditschek, Daniel E
Email Address
ORCID
Disciplines
Acoustics, Dynamics, and Controls
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Control Theory
Controls and Control Theory
Dynamic Systems
Electro-Mechanical Systems
Ordinary Differential Equations and Applied Dynamics
Robotics
Systems and Integrative Engineering
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Control Theory
Controls and Control Theory
Dynamic Systems
Electro-Mechanical Systems
Ordinary Differential Equations and Applied Dynamics
Robotics
Systems and Integrative Engineering
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Position
Faculty Member
Introduction
I am a robotics researcher with interests in applications of dynamical systems to intelligent machines using bioinspired designs.
Research Interests
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 260
Publication Stabilizing Feedback Controllers for Robotic Assembly Problems(1991-02-01) Koditschek, Daniel EAssembly problems require that a robot with a few actuated degrees of freedom manipulate an environment with a greater number of unactuated degrees of freedom. Since the dynamical coupling between degrees of freedom in this setting is a function of their relative configuration, the motion of such systems is subject to constraints that preclude smooth feedback stabilization. In other words, in contrast to purely geometric motion planning problems, assembly planning cannot be carried out within the limits of traditional control theory. This paper explores the extent to which assembly planning and control may be effected by recourse to some other methodical means of generating stabilizing feedback controllers. For more information: Kod*LabPublication Global asymptotic stability of a passive juggler: a parts feeding strategy(1995-05-21) Swanson, P. J; Burridge, Robert R; Koditschek, Daniel EIn this paper we demonstrate that a passive vibration strategy can bring a 1 degree of freedom ball to a known trajectory from all possible initial configurations. We draw motivation from the problem of parts feeding in sensorless assembly. We provide simulation results suggesting the relevance of our analytical results to the parts feeding problem.Publication Sensor Data Fusion for Body State Estimation in a Hexapod Robot With Dynamical Gaits(2006-10-01) Lin, Pei-Chun; Komsuoglu, Haldun; Koditschek, Daniel EWe report on a hybrid 12-dimensional full body state estimator for a hexapod robot executing a jogging gait in steady state on level terrain with regularly alternating ground contact and aerial phases of motion. We use a repeating sequence of continuous time dynamical models that are switched in and out of an extended Kalman filter to fuse measurements from a novel leg pose sensor and inertial sensors. Our inertial measurement unit supplements the traditionally paired three-axis rate gyro and three-axis accelerometer with a set of three additional three-axis accelerometer suites, thereby providing additional angular acceleration measurement, avoiding the need for localization of the accelerometer at the center of mass on the robot’s body, and simplifying installation and calibration. We implement this estimation procedure offline, using data extracted from numerous repeated runs of the hexapod robot RHex (bearing the appropriate sensor suite) and evaluate its performance with reference to a visual ground-truth measurement system, comparing as well the relative performance of different fusion approaches implemented via different model sequences.Publication A leg configuration sensory system for dynamical body state estimates in a hexapod robot(2003-09-14) Lin, Pei-Chun; Komsuoglu, Haldun; Koditschek, Daniel EWe report on a novel leg strain sensory system for the autonomous robot RHex [Saranli U. et al., 2001] implemented upon a cheap, high performance local wireless network [H. Komsuoglu, 2002]. We introduce a model for RHex's 4-bar legs [E.Z. Moore, 2001] relating leg strain to leg kinematic configuration in the body coordinate frame. We compare against ground truth measurement the performance of the model operating on real-time leg strain data generated under completely realistic operating conditions. We introduce an algorithm for computing six degree of freedom body posture measurements in world frame coordinates from the outputs of the six leg configuration models, together with a priori information about the ground. We discuss the manner in which such stance phase configuration estimates will be fused with other sensory data to develop the continuous time full body state estimates for RHex.Publication Parallel Composition of Templates for Tail-Energized Planar Hopping(2015-05-01) De, Avik; Koditschek, Daniel EWe have built a 4DOF tailed monoped that hops along a boom permitting free sagittal plane motion. This underactuated platform is powered by a hip motor that adjusts leg touchdown angle in flight and balance in stance, along with a tail motor that adjusts body shape in flight and drives energy into the passive leg shank spring during stance. The motor control signals arise from the application in parallel of four simple, completely decoupled 1DOF feedback laws that provably stabilize in isolation four corresponding 1DOF abstract reference plants. Each of these abstract 1DOF closedloopdynamicsrepresentssomesimplebutcrucialspecific component of the locomotion task at hand. We present a partial proof of correctness for this parallel composition of “template” reference systems along with data from the physical platform suggesting these templates are “anchored” as evidenced by the correspondence of their characteristic motions with a suitably transformed image of traces from the physical platform. For more information: http://kodlab.seas.upenn.edu/Avik/ICRA2015Publication Assembly as a noncooperative game of its pieces: the case of endogeneous disk assemblies(1995-08-10) Bozma, H. Isil; Karagöz, Cem Serkan; Koditschek, Daniel EWe propose an event-driven approach to planning and control of robot assembly problems using ideas from non-cooperative game theory. We report on the results of an extensive simulation study for a very simple two degree of freedom case - the arrangement of disks on a plane by a disk shaped robot.Publication Brachiation on a Ladder with Irregular Intervals(1999-05-10) Nakanishi, Jun; Fukuda, Toshio; Koditschek, Daniel EWe have previously developed a brachiation controller that allows a two degree of freedom robot to swing from handhold to handhold on a horizontal ladder with evenly space rungs as well as swing up from a suspended posture using a "target dynamics" controller. In this paper, we extend this class of algorithms to handle the much more natural problem of locomotion over irregularly spaced handholds. Numerical simulations and laboratory experiments illustrate the effectiveness of this generalization.Publication Composition of Templates for Transitional Pedipulation Behaviors(2019-09-05) Topping, Thomas T; Vasilopoulos, Vasileios; De, Avik; Koditschek, Daniel E.Abstract. We document the reliably repeatable dynamical mounting and dismounting of wheeled stools and carts, and of fixed ledges, by the Minitaur robot. Because these tasks span a range of length scales that preclude quasi-static execution, we use a hybrid dynamical systems framework to variously compose and thereby systematically reuse a small lexicon of templates (low degree of freedom behavioral primitives). The resulting behaviors comprise the key competences beyond mere locomotion required for robust implementation on a legged mobile manipulator of a simple version of the warehouseman’s problem.Publication Free-Standing Leaping Experiments with a Power-Autonomous, Elastic-Spined Quadruped(2013-04-01) Duperret, Jeffrey M.; Pusey, Jason L.; Haynes, G. Clark; Koditschek, Daniel E; Knopf, RyanWe document initial experiments with Canid, a freestanding, power-autonomous quadrupedal robot equipped with a parallel actuated elastic spine. Research into robotic bounding and galloping platforms holds scientific and engineering interest because it can both probe biological hypotheses regarding bounding and galloping mammals and also provide the engineering community with a new class of agile, efficient and rapidly-locomoting legged robots. We detail the design features of Canid that promote our goals of agile operation in a relatively cheap, conventionally prototyped, commercial off-the-shelf actuated platform. We introduce new measurement methodology aimed at capturing our robot’s “body energy” during real time operation as a means of quantifying its potential for agile behavior. Finally, we present joint motor, inertial and motion capture data taken from Canid’s initial leaps into highly energetic regimes exhibiting large accelerations that illustrate the use of this measure and suggest its future potential as a platform for developing efficient, stable, hence useful bounding gaits. For more information: Kod*LabPublication The Application of Total Energy as a Lyapunov Function for Mechanical Control Systems(1989-02-14) Koditschek, Daniel EExamination of total energy shows that the global limit behavior of a dissipative mechanical system is essentially equivalent to that of its constituent gradient vector field. The class of “navigation functions” is introduced and shown to result in “almost global” asymptotic stability for closed loop mechanical control systems upon which a navigation function has been imposed as an artifical potential energy. Two examples from the engineering literature - satellite attitude tracking and robot obstacle avoidance - are provided to demonstrate the utility of these observations. For more information: Kod*Lab