02018nas a2200229 4500008004100000022001500041245010300056210006900159300001200228490000700240520132900247653001301576100001801589700001401607700002101621700001501642700002001657700001501677700001701692700001501709856006401724 2017 eng d a1070-9932 00aThe Quest for Natural Machine Motion: An Open Platform to Fast-Prototyping Articulated Soft Robots0 aQuest for Natural Machine Motion An Open Platform to FastPrototy a48 - 560 v243 a
Soft robots are one of the most significant recent evolutions in robotics. They rely on compliant physical structures purposefully designed to embody desired characteristics. Since their introduction, they have shown remarkable applicability in overcoming their rigid counterparts in such areas as interaction with humans, adaptability, energy efficiency, and maximization of peak performance. Nonetheless, we believe
that research on novel soft robot applications is still slowed by the difficulty in obtaining or developing a working soft robot structure to explore novel applications.
In this article, we present the Natural Machine Motion Initiative (NMMI), a modular open platform that aims to provide the scientific community with tools for fast and easy prototyping of articulated soft robots. Such a platform is composed of three main open hardware modules: the Qbmoves variable-stiffness actuators (VSAs) to build the main robotic structure, soft end effectors (EEs) to interact with the world, and a pool of application-specific add-ons. We also discuss many novel uses of the platform to rapidly prototype (RP) and test new robotic structures with original soft capabilities, and we propose NMMI- based experiments.
10aRobotics1 aDella Santina1 aPiazza, C1 aGasparri, G., M.1 aBonilla, M1 aCatalano, M. G.1 aGrioli, G.1 aGarabini, M.1 aBicchi, A. uhttp://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=785769203052nas a2200169 4500008004100000022002200041245010800063210006900171260001300240300001200253490004800265520239000313100001602703700001702719700001502736856013102751 2016 eng d a978-3-319-26705-000aQuasi-Static Analysis of Synergistically Underactuated Robotic Hands in Grasping and Manipulation Tasks0 aQuasiStatic Analysis of Synergistically Underactuated Robotic Ha bSpringer a211-2330 vSpringer Series on Touch and Haptic Systems3 a

As described in Chaps. 25, neuroscientific studies showed that the control of the human hand is mainly realized in a synergistic way. Recently, taking inspiration from this observation, with the aim of facing the complications consequent to the high number of degrees of freedom, similar approaches have been used for the control of robotic hands. As Chap. 12 describes SynGrasp, a useful technical tool for grasp analysis of synergy-inspired hands, in this chapter recently developed analysis tools for studying robotic hands equipped with soft synergy underactuation (see Chap. 8) are exhaustively described under a theoretical point of view. After a review of the quasi-static model of the system, the Fundamental Grasp Matrix (FGM) and its canonical form (cFGM) are presented, from which it is possible to extract relevant information as, for example, the subspaces of the controllable internal forces, of the controllable object displacements and the grasp compliance. The definitions of some relevant types of manipulation tasks (e.g. the pure squeeze, realized maintaining the object configuration fixed but changing contact forces, or the kinematic grasp displacements, in which the grasped object can be moved without modifying contact forces) are provided in terms of nullity or non-nullity of the variables describing the system. The feasibility of such predefined tasks can be verified thanks to a decomposition method, based on the search of the row reduced echelon form (RREF) of suitable portions of the solution space. Moreover, a geometric interpretation of the FGM and the possibility to extend the above mentioned methods to the study of robotic hands with different types of underactuation are discussed. Finally, numerical results are presented for a power grasp example, the analysis of which is initially performed for the case of fully-actuated hand, and later verifying, after the introduction of a synergistic underactuation, which capacities of the system are lost, and which other are still present.

1 aFarnioli, E1 aGabiccini, M1 aBicchi, A. uhttps://www.centropiaggio.unipi.it/publications/quasi-static-analysis-synergistically-underactuated-robotic-hands-grasping-and01298nas a2200157 4500008004100000245005500041210005400096520078700150653002100937653001300958100001500971700001900986700001601005700001501021856010401036 2004 eng d00aQuantised Control in Distributed Embedded Systems.0 aQuantised Control in Distributed Embedded Systems3 a

Traditional control design is based on ideal assumptions concerning the amount, type and accuracy of the information flow that can be circulated across the controller. Unfortunately, real implementation platforms exhibit non-idealities that may substantially invalidate such assumptions. As a result, the system’s closed-loop performance can be severely affected and sometimes stability itself is jeopardised. These problems show up with particular strength when multiple feedback loops share a limited pool of computation and communication resources. In this case the designer is confronted with the challenging task of choosing at the same time the control law and the optimal allocation policy for the shared resources (control algortihm/system architecture co-design).

10aEmbedded Control10aRobotics1 aBicchi, A.1 aJohansson, K H1 aPalopoli, L1 aPicasso, B uhttps://www.centropiaggio.unipi.it/publications/quantised-control-distributed-embedded-systems.html01408nas a2200157 4500008004100000245006200041210006100103300001200164520088300176653002101059653001301080100001601093700001701109700001501126856010901141 2003 eng d00aQuality of service control in soft real-time applications0 aQuality of service control in soft realtime applications a664-6693 a

In this paper we present results obtained in the context of Quality of Service (QoS) control for soft real-time applications. The discussion addresses the issue of dynamically adjusting the bandwidth for a set of periodic tasks, when a reservation-based (RB) CPU scheduling policy is used. RB techniques are particularly suitable for this kind of applications since they allow an accurate mathematical modelling of the dynamic evolution of the QoS experienced by tasks. Based on this model, a control policy guaranteeing specified QoS levels for different tasks is illustrated, along with necessary and sufficient conditions for its existence. Moreover, the problem of steering a task QoS back into its nominal level is tackled, in response to deviations due to temporary overload conditions. Simulation results are reported, for the purpose of validating the approach.

10aEmbedded Control10aRobotics1 aPalopoli, L1 aCucinotta, T1 aBicchi, A. uhttps://www.centropiaggio.unipi.it/publications/quality-service-control-soft-real-time-applications.html00594nas a2200157 4500008004100000245005500041210005500096260003300151653004000184653003000224653003000254100001500284700001400299700001500313856010800328 2000 eng d00aQuantized Control Systems and Discrete Nonholonomy0 aQuantized Control Systems and Discrete Nonholonomy aPrinceton, NJ, USAbElsevier10aHybrid and Embedded Control Systems10aNonlinear Control Systems10aQuantized Control Systems1 aBicchi, A.1 aMarigo, A1 aPiccoli, B uhttps://www.centropiaggio.unipi.it/publications/quantized-control-systems-and-discrete-nonholonomy.html00588nas a2200145 4500008004100000245008700041210006900128260000900197653002100206653003000227100001600257700001500273700001800288856013600306 1995 eng d00aQuasi-Block Diagonal Dominance Condition for Robust Decentralized Tracking Control0 aQuasiBlock Diagonal Dominance Condition for Robust Decentralized aRome10aEmbedded Control10aNonlinear Control Systems1 aBalluchi, A1 aBicchi, A.1 aBalestrino, A uhttps://www.centropiaggio.unipi.it/publications/quasi-block-diagonal-dominance-condition-robust-decentralized-tracking-control.html00609nas a2200169 4500008004100000245007200041210006900113260003900182300001200221653001300233100001500246700001800261700001300279700001400292700001500306856011800321 1992 eng d00aQuasi-Static Compensation of Force Errors for Flexible Manipulators0 aQuasiStatic Compensation of Force Errors for Flexible Manipulato aOxford, U.K.bPergamon Press Books a381-38510aRobotics1 aBicchi, A.1 aMelchiorri, C1 aTroch, I1 aDesoer, K1 aKopacek, P uhttps://www.centropiaggio.unipi.it/publications/quasi-static-compensation-force-errors-flexible-manipulators.html