Papers for

robot system integrators

Papers whose findings have a practical use for this group, as judged from the abstract. Open a paper to read what it means in practice.

Robot control adapts feedforward actions for new payloads automatically

Payload generalization on feedforward control actions for trajectory tracking in robots with rigid and elastic joints

Abstract: Industries employ robots for repetitive tasks due to their high precision and performance, typically achieved through feedforward control actions based on an accurate robot description. However, an exact dynamic model can be difficult to obtain, especially for robots with elastic elements or when the payload changes. Learning-based feedforward approaches are promising for trajectory tracking under model uncertainties, but typically face generalization issues when task parameters vary. This paper proposes a novel method to generalize the feedforward control action with respect to payload parameters, independently of the underlying controller. Firstly, the minimal number of example objects needed for payload generalization is derived. Then, an algorithm is proposed to execute the same trajectory with a new payload, given only its parameters, without knowledge of the robot's dynamic model and even in the presence of elastic joints. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is validated in simulations and experiments on tracking tasks with different robots and controllers. Two sets of experiments are performed: on a standard Franka Emika Panda robot, and on a Franka Emika Panda robot equipped with an elastic wrist.

Wed 21 OctRobotics
The gist
Robots do repetitive tasks well when they know how their parts move and how heavy their loads are. But it’s hard to know exactly how a robot with flexible parts moves or how a different load changes its movements. The authors created a way for robots to adjust their pre-planned movements when the load changes, without needing to know the exact robot details. This method works even for robots with flexible joints and lets them repeat the same motions smoothly with different objects.
Open → 2610.29356v1

Adaptive control improves balance of humanoid robots lifting unknown weights

Adaptive Whole-Body MPC with Optimal Posture Planning for Humanoid Robots under Unknown Payloads

Abstract: Humanoid robots performing lifting and material-handling tasks must maintain balance despite unknown and varying payloads. However, payload uncertainty significantly affects whole-body dynamics and may destabilize conventional controllers. We propose an adaptive whole-body control architecture that integrates three components: (i) a centroidal model predictive controller (MPC) that generates dynamically feasible reference motions, (ii) an adaptive fuzzy balance controller that compensates for payload-induced model mismatch by generating corrective torques distributed across the supporting-leg joints, and (iii) a waypoint-based optimal posture planner built on a triple-integrator model that produces smooth sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit trajectories satisfying center-of-mass (CoM) stability constraints, joint limits, and whole-body feasibility requirements. Together, these components enable stable lowering, grasping, lifting, carrying, and placing behaviors under significant payload uncertainty. Extensive simulation and hardware experiments demonstrate that the proposed framework improves balance robustness and reduces tracking degradation during posture transitions and lifting tasks compared to non-adaptive baselines.

Fri 9 OctRobotics
The gist
Humanoid robots can struggle to keep their balance when lifting or carrying objects if the weight is unknown or changes unexpectedly. The authors created a system that helps robots adjust in real-time by predicting stable body motions, correcting for weight differences, and planning smooth movements like standing up and sitting down. This combination lets robots handle and move objects more safely and steadily. Their tests with simulations and real robots showed better balance and more accurate movements compared to earlier methods.
Open → 2610.12972v1

Robot decisions improve with conflict aware failure recall and belief gating

CoreSense: Traceable Failure Recall and Conflict-Aware Belief Gating for Auditable Robot Decisions

Abstract: Robots can recall prior failures without knowing whether recalled evidence remains valid, conflicts with current observations, or is sufficient to guide a decision. We present CoreSense, a robot-system integration architecture that combines traceable episodic evidence with a conflict-aware belief gate and bounded, auditable recommendations. The gate checks scope, provenance, time, contradiction, and support before it permits PROCEED, requests re-observation, abstains, or escalates. Evaluation follows three complementary layers without commanding a physical robot: offline public real-robot data, a frozen signal-level simulation, and a live cloud deployment path. On CableTrace-120 and BotFails-200, belief gating reduces protocol-defined unsafe proceeds from 20% and 40% to 0%. A disjointly calibrated raw-video policy also reaches 0% unsafe proceed, but overblocks every nominal episode. On public data, a ViFailback-BotFails visual detector reaches 0.778 AUROC yet remains all-blocking, whereas cycle-disjoint UR3 telemetry for protective stops yields 0% unsafe proceed, 36.1% overblocking, and 61.9% coverage; grip-loss transfer remains a negative result. Controlled physical corroboration yields 3.3%, 0%, and 42.0%, while conflict-aware fusion yields 4.7%, 0%, and 42.8%. Finally, 20/20 cloud recalls validate a CockroachDB Cloud-Amazon Bedrock deployment path. The evidence supports an auditable integration pattern, not autonomous recovery or certified safety.

Thu 17 SeptRoboticsArtificial Intelligence
The gist
Robots sometimes remember past mistakes but struggle to tell if those memories still apply or if they clash with what they see now. The authors present CoreSense, a way to combine past evidence with current observations to decide whether to continue, recheck, or stop and ask for help. Their system checks details like timing and contradictions to make safer decisions and records all steps for auditing. Tests using robot data and simulations showed CoreSense stopped unsafe actions completely while reducing unnecessary stopping compared to other methods. The system focuses on supporting auditability rather than guaranteeing perfect safety or recovery.
Open → 2609.19512v1