Human-Robot Teaming
Mentor: Dr. Julie A. Adams
Website: https://research.engr.oregonstate.edu/hmtl/
This project seeks to develop new methods for adapting interaction between humans and robots based on the human's workload and awareness. The human’s physiological data is analyzed to detect nominal and potentially detrimental workload conditions,. The robot can adapt its interaction method, autonomy level, or assigned tasks based on the human’s state. REU students will work to develop new algorithms for for adapting the robot's interactive capabilities based on the workload detection. The project will require algorithm design, implementation and software testing. Further, REU students will evaluate the algorithms with actual human-robot teams.
Re-engineering the Musculoskeletal System Using Novel Robotics-inspired Passive Orthopedic Implants
Mentor: Dr. Ravi Balasubramanian
Website: https://web.engr.oregonstate.edu/~balasubr/
Current reconstructive orthopedic surgeries use sutures to attach muscles and tendons. However, this leads to poor surgical outcomes because of the suture’s limited ability to transmit the muscle’s forces and movement to the tendons. It is expected that using passive implants, such as pulleys and rods, to surgically construct mechanisms in situ using the existing biological tendons will significantly improve post-surgery function (when compared to using sutures) and lead to the development of new surgical procedures.
Example projects:
- Implants for hand surgery: https://bit.ly/
3XwSUFk - General problem space: https://bit.ly/3EPF3Tb
Robotic Crop Manipulation
Mentor: Dr. Cindy Grimm
Website: https://cindygr.github.io/
Robots are needed to help with the production of specialty crops such as fresh market fruits and vegetables. However, specialty crop cultivation systems are challenging, unstructured environments. Some of the challenges include uneven terrain, variable lighting conditions, occlusions, clutter, and delicate products that can be easily damaged. Another constraint is the seasonal nature of agriculture that limits data collection in the field (the fruit may only be ripe for a few days each year!). Our work aims to advance manipulation in unstructured environments like specialty crop systems through a combination of tactile sensing, soft robotics, and learning from physical twins. This project will involve field testing at commercial farms around the Willamette Valley.
Example projects include:
- Building grippers for picking fruit
- Developing physical testbeds
- Creating simulation environments to study crop manipulation
Soft Robots for Exploration and Manipulation
Mentor: Dr. Brian Do
Website: https://doroboticslab.org/
Soft robots can take on a variety of form factors and enable new designs not possible with existing robots. My work aims to design new types of robots that can change their shape and mechanical properties to enable new types of interactions between robots and the world around them. For example, soft robots capable of growth, often referred to as “vine” robots, can be used for grasping objects like an elephant trunk or exploring rubble like a snake. The REU student would be involved with the design, modeling, and/or fabrication of new types of soft robots.
Example projects include:
- Building growing soft robot arms
- Developing new soft grippers
- Building soft robots for exploring underwater or in other environments
Shape and Stiffness Change for Vine Robots
Mentors: Dr. Brian Do and Dr. Devin Roach
Website: https://doroboticslab.org and https://vamoslab.org/
Vine robots are a class of soft robots that navigate their environments through growth. Their ability to extend from the tip enables remarkable access, yet they remain limited in controlled bending, variable stiffness, and shape locking. We propose embedding liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) into vine robots to provide reversible, distributed actuation through thermally induced shape change that is compatible with vine robot growth. This project will involve design and fabrication of novel materials and soft robots, culminating in a demonstration of a deployable vine robot with embedded LCEs. This project aims to establish a new paradigm for vine robot actuation and mechanical programmability.
Teaching Humanoid Robots to Do Things
Mentor: Dr. Alan Fern
Website: https://mime.engineering.oregonstate.edu/research/drl/
The Dynamic Robotics and AI Lab works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and legged robotics, focusing on both humanoid and quadruped platforms. The primary robot platforms include multiple Agility Robotics Digit V3 humanoids, Unitree Go2 quadrupeds, and a Boston Dynamics Spot quadruped. Our research spans the full autonomy stack: whole-body control for locomotion and manipulation, mid-level skill learning, 3D semantic mapping and perception, and high-level decision making and planning. There are a variety of projects that students can contribute to, such as:
- Improving the teleoperation interface for humanoid robots
- Enhancing mapping, localization, and world-modeling for quadrupeds and humanoids
- Designing, building, and integrating new end-effectors for task-specific manipulation
- Assisting with high-level planning or skill-learning systems for real robot deployment
Robots for Health Promotion
Mentor: Dr. Naomi Fitter
Website: https://osusharelab.com/research/
Compared to other types of interactive technologies, robots possess a unique ability to motivate people because people tend to perceive them as a "social other," rather than a tool or device. The OSU SHARE Lab studies applications of robots in health-promoting scenarios, including mobility interventions and physical activity encouragement. For example, children are becoming more sedentary over time; we are curious about the role robots can play in encouraging physical exploration and play for children with typical development and children with motor disabilities. Older adult wellness is a huge topic of interest and study as the need for elder care exceeds the current capacity of the healthcare system; we are researching ways that robots could help to support physical, cognitive, and social wellness in this population.
Example projects:
- Supporting the design and deployment of robotic systems for interventions with people
- Designing and evaluating robot behaviors
- Gathering and analyzing human user data
Autonomy for Underwater Vehicles Exploring and Manipulating Ocean Environments
Mentor: Dr. Geoff Hollinger
Website: http://research.engr.
There are many ocean environments which are unsuitable for crewed research vessels, either because they are too dangerous (e.g., under an ice shelf or in the deep ocean), or require too many resources to be effective. We seek to design a new generation of Resident Autonomous Vehicles (RAVs) that can stay in place for long periods of time to measure ocean dynamics and perform maintenance/inspection in extreme environments. This research project involves the programming, hardware design, and construction of robust autonomous underwater systems to explore the ocean in Greenland, Antarctica, and in remote ocean basins. The REU student will join an interdisciplinary team of researchers from mechanical engineering, computer science, and oceanography to assist in building and programming the RAVs currently being designed at Oregon State University.
Example projects:
- Designing algorithms for robust underwater manipulation and grasping
- Optimization and testing of autonomous underwater docking capabilities
- Programming autonomous vehicles to operate with minimal operator control
- Learning from human operators to coordinate autonomous marine vehicles
- Designing multi-robot mothership-passenger systems for remote under-ice environments
Human-Robot Social Interaction
Mentor: Dr. Bill Smart
Website: https://engineering.oregonstate.edu/people/bill-smart
As robots enter our daily lives, they will have to learn the social and privacy rules that humans follow. How close can you stand to someone? When can you interrupt to ask a question without being annoying? Where do you get to go in a home while still respecting the occupants' privacy? Although we do these things every day without thinking about them, they can be challenging for robots to get right. This project will involve designing, implementing, and evaluating social interactions between a mobile robot and people. We’ll be building on prior work in social psychology, privacy, and social robotics, and evaluating our work in real-world settings on the OSU campus.
Human-Robot Teaming for Field Science Data Collection
Mentor: Dr. Cristina Wilson
The RAD Lab investigates how humans and technology can collaborate effectively in complex, uncertain field environments. We develop cognition-aware robotics and digital platforms, that understand and adapt to how human experts reason, to collaboratively support human expert decision making during field exploration and operations. Our work spans applications in Earth and planetary science, precision agriculture, critical resource extraction, and wildfire management.
REU students will contribute to research that integrates digital or robotic technologies, cognitive science, and field-based scientific inquiry. Depending on project needs and student interest, this may include: designing and running human-technology interaction studies, building and testing decision-support interfaces, evaluating digital data systems, or working with robotic platforms in field environments. Students will gain experience with interdisciplinary research across robotics, cognitive science, and environmental science.