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MIT CSAIL

Robot Locomotion Research

Advancing robotic mobility through innovative locomotion systems, dynamic control algorithms, and adaptive navigation strategies

Whole-body Athleticism

Whole-body Athleticism
DribbleBot in action

DribbleBot

A quadruped robot that can dribble a soccer ball under the same real-world conditions as humans. The system learns to dribble through deep reinforcement learning, demonstrating whole-body coordination and dynamic balance while performing complex athletic maneuvers. The robot can navigate various terrains while maintaining ball control, showcasing advanced locomotion capabilities.

Project Website
Whole-body Athleticism
Bridging the Sim-to-Real Gap for Athletic Loco-Manipulation

Bridging the Sim-to-Real Gap for Athletic Loco-Manipulation

We propose a two-stage pipeline that enables robots to perform dynamic, goal-driven tasks like lifting, throwing, and dragging with high fidelity from simulation to reality. Our Unsupervised Actuator Net (UAN) leverages real-world data to bridge the sim-to-real gap for complex actuation, while pre-training and fine-tuning strategies guide robust learning.

Project Website

Compliance and Steerability

Compliance and Steerability
Walk These Ways

Walk These Ways

We introduce a locomotion controller that learns a family of diverse walking strategies, enabling robots to rapidly adapt to new tasks and environments without retraining. This approach unlocks robust, real-time gait selection for challenges like crouching, hopping, stair climbing, and more.

Project Website
Compliance and Steerability
Force Control for Locomotion

Force Control for Locomotion

Advanced force control strategies for compliant locomotion that enable robots to adapt to varying terrain conditions and maintain stability through intelligent force distribution. Our research focuses on developing controllers that can modulate contact forces in real-time, allowing for smooth transitions between different walking surfaces and improved energy efficiency.