On Agility and Control of High-Dimensional Dynamical Systems

Author(s):

Charles Edelson, Mulugeta Haile, Gregory Barber, and Mark Bundy

Abstract:

Modern robotics systems are incapable of replicating the agile behaviors of biological organisms moving through complex natural environments. We investigate the origin of this performance discrepancy by reviewing current literature in the fields of soft robotics control and biological sensorimotor control–agile behavior. We discuss the use of model predictive control and decentralized control for the agile control of soft and compliant robotics systems before reviewing theories of how biological organisms perform sensorimotor and reflexive control. Finally, we finish our discussion with a review of current metrics of behavioral agility and discuss potential new metrics that could be used for computational design and optimization of agile systems.