Morphological computation - A potential solution for the control problem in soft robotics

Helmut Hauser*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference Contribution (Conference Proceeding)

3 Citations (Scopus)
491 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Soft robotics provides a new and exciting approach to design robots. Often inspired by the remarkable performances of biological systems a number of soft robotic designs have been proposed and implemented. Despite their great potential with respect to safety, energy efficiency, and adaptivity, soft robotics still faces a number of fundamental problems, e.g. their inherent complex dynamics that makes it difficult to apply classical control approaches. Morphological computation, a concept that understands that physical bodies can carry out computation, has the great potential to overcome this challenge by providing a novel point of view. Recent theoretical models on morphological computation as well real-world proof of concepts suggest that these unwanted complex dynamics of soft bodies can be actually beneficial and that they can be exploited as a computational resource. As a result, morphological computation allows to simplify the control and learning tasks by outsourcing computation to the physical body and, therefore, pointing to a potential solution for the control problem in soft robotics.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Cooperative Robotics
Subtitle of host publicationProceedings of the 19th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines, CLAWAR 2016
PublisherWorld Scientific Publishing Co.
Pages757-764
Number of pages8
ISBN (Print)9789813149120
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Oct 2016
Event19th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines, CLAWAR 2016 - London, United Kingdom
Duration: 12 Sept 201614 Sept 2016

Conference

Conference19th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines, CLAWAR 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityLondon
Period12/09/1614/09/16

Keywords

  • Control
  • Embodiment
  • Morphological computation
  • Soft robotics

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