HCII PhD Defense: Jianzhe Gu
When
-
Where
NSH 3305
Description
Computational Design of Morphing Looped Graph Structures
Lining Yao (Berkeley)
Alexandra Ion (CMU HCII)
Nikolas Martelaro (CMU HCII)
Ding Zhao (CMU Mechanical Engineering)
Abstract:
Over the past few decades, the robotics field has undergone a transformative evolution, driving unprecedented advancements both in mechatronic performance and algorithm innovation. This thesis focuses on looped-graph structures (LGSs), particularly truss robots and tensegrity robots, which are distinguished by their unique looped topology consisting of nodes and length-changeable edges.
We introduce novel approaches to address the challenges of Curse of Dimensionality (CoD) and the discrete nature of LGSs, including an actuator grouping mechanism, an interactive editor for design, and optimization techniques using genetic algorithms. We further introduce a truss grammar for sequence representation of truss topology, and generate and optimize the topology of truss robots using variational auto-encoders. For the first time, we generate truss robot designs with both topology and parameters optimized simultaneously. Our work enables the physical fabrication and design optimization of complex morphing LGSs towards multiple objectives, demonstrating a wide range of shape deformations for both traditional and novel robotic tasks.
The defense is open to the public and I encourage you to attend if you're interested in robotics, computational design, or innovative approaches to shape changing devices!