Giuseppe Quaglia | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Feasible Static Workspace Optimization of Tendon Driven Continuum Robot based on Euclidean norm

This paper focuses on the optimal design of a tendon-driven continuum robot (TDCR) based on its feasible static workspace (FSW). The TDCR under consideration is a two-segment robot driven by eight tendons, with four tendon actuators per segment. Tendon forces are treated as design variables, while the feasible static workspace (FSW) serves as the optimization objective. To determine the robot's feasible static workspace, a genetic algorithm optimization approach is employed to maximize a Euclidian norm of the TDCR's tip position over the workspace. During the simulations, the robot is subjected to external loads, including torques and forces. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in identifying optimal tendon forces to maximize the feasible static workspace, even under the influence of external forces and torques.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2022

Marvin: an Innovative Omni-Directional Robotic Assistant for Domestic Environments

Population ageing and pandemics recently demonstrate to cause isolation of elderly people in their houses, generating the need for a reliable assistive figure. Robotic assistants are the new frontier of innovation for domestic welfare, and elderly monitoring is one of the services a robot can handle for collective well-being. Despite these emerging needs, in the actual landscape of robotic assistants there are no platform which successfully combines a reliable mobility in cluttered domestic spaces, with lightweight and offline Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for perception and interaction. In this work, we present Marvin, a novel assistive robotic platform we developed with a modular layer-based architecture, merging a flexible mechanical design with cutting-edge AI for perception and vocal control. We focus the design of Marvin on three target service functions: monitoring of elderly and reduced-mobility subjects, remote presence and connectivity, and night assistance. Compared to previous works, we propose a tiny omnidirectional platform, which enables agile mobility and effective obstacle avoidance. Moreover, we design a controllable positioning device, which easily allows the user to access the interface for connectivity and extends the visual range of the camera sensor. Nonetheless, we delicately consider the privacy issues arising from private data collection on cloud services, a critical aspect of commercial AI-based assistants. To this end, we demonstrate how lightweight deep learning solutions for visual perception and vocal command can be adopted, completely running offline on the embedded hardware of the robot.

cs.RO↗