Robot Hands for Space

We are aiming to develop the next generation robot hands, for applications requiring versatility in manipulation. In particular, we are interested in the interplay of mechanical and computational intelligence, and focus on all aspects of designing, building and then using a robot hand: mechanism synthesis, design optimization, assembly, low-level control, and high-level planning. We are equally interested in sensing for manipulation, from range sensing and vision to tactile sensing and proprioception. 

Selected publications and resources

  • ROAM Lab. "Versatile Manipulation for Assistive Free-Flyers", video summary of our work in the NASA Early Stage Innovations program, 2021 [video]
  • T. Chen*, T. Zhang* and M. Ciocarlie. "Design Paradigms Based on Spring Agonists for Underactuated Robot Hands: Concepts and Application", IEEE Intl. Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2021 [arXiv, presentation video] (*joint first authors)
  • T. Chen. "On the Interplay between Mechanical and Computational Intelligence in Robot Hands", Columbia University Doctoral Dissertation, 2021 [pdf]
  • T. Chen*, Z. He* and M. Ciocarlie. "Hardware as Policy: Mechanical and Computational Co-Optimization using Deep Reinforcement Learning", Conference on Robot Learning, 2020 (*joint first authors) [arXivpaper webpage, 5-minute CoRL presentation video]
  • T. Chen, L. Wang, M. Haas Heger and M. Ciocarlie. "Tendon-driven Underactuated Hand Design via Optimization of Mechanically Realizable Manifolds in Posture and Torque Spaces", IEEE Transactions on Robotics 36(3), 2020 [arXiv, link to IEEE XPlorevideo]
  • T. Chen and M. Ciocarlie. “Grasping Unknown Objects with Proprioception Using a Series-Elastic-Actuated Gripper”, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2018 (in press) [arXivvideo]
  • I. Park, T. Smith, H. Sanchez, S. W. WongP. Piacenza and M. Ciocarlie. “Developing a 3-DOF Compliant Perching Arm for a Free-Flying Robot on the International Space Station”, IEEE International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, 2017 [IEEE Xplore]