Embracing Mechanical Intelligence for Agile Locomotion

Speaker:        Professor Kwok Wai Samuel AU
                Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering
                Department of Surgery (by courtesy)
                The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Title:  "Embracing Mechanical Intelligence for Agile Locomotion"

Date:   Monday, 3 October 2022

Time:   4:00pm - 5:00pm

Venue:  Lecture Theater F (Leung Yat Sing Lecture Theater)
        (near lift 25/26, HKUST)


Abstract:

Understanding the locomotion principle behind animals is crucial in
developing next generation of agile robotic platforms. Over the past
decades, a wide range of bio-inspired legged robots have been developed
that can run, jump, and even climb over various challenging terrains.
However, in terms of maneuverability they still lag far behind animals.
Animals have instinct to use their mechanical body and appendages (such as
tails) effectively to achieve spectacular maneuverability, energy
efficient locomotion, and robust stabilization to large perturbations
which cannot be easily attained in the existing legged robots. One highly
dynamic example is when Kangaroo rats (k-rats) interact with rattlesnakes,
a classic predator-prey interaction. Mainly relying on their legs and
tails, k-rats can leap explosively into the air, reorient rapidly, kick
the snake in the air, but most importantly, they can always land stably
with an immediate bound away while escaping from rattlesnakes.

In this talk, we will present our efforts on the development of innovative
legged robots with greater mobility and robustness, comparable to its
biological counterpart. We will firstly discuss the fundamental challenges
for legged robots and then show our initial results to demonstrate the
feasibility of developing such systems using engineering solutions such as
novel appendage mechanisms and advanced control algorithms.  We will also
talk about how the predator-prey interaction behaviors in nature (k-rats
vs rattlesnakes) inspired us to develop the latest robotic platform, Bruce
that can enable evasive survival behaviors as k-rats via a telescoping
aerodynamic appendage.  Bruce can achieve highly agile behaviors that
require high aerial maneuverability and robust landing capability such as
Bruce Lee flying kick, consecutive forward-backward flipping, and double
flipping. We believe our locomotion solutions could potentially lead to
more agile legged robot design, giving them greater mobility and
robustness for traversing complex real-world environments, comparable to
its biological counterpart.


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Biography:

Dr. Kwok Wai Samuel Au is currently a Professor of the Department of
Mechanical and Automation Engineering and Department of Surgery (by
courtesy) at CUHK, and the Founding Director of Multiscale Medical
Robotics Center, InnoHK.  In Sept 2019, Dr. Au found Cornerstone Robotics
and has been serving as the president of the company, aiming to create
affordable surgical robotic solution.  Dr. Au received the B.Eng. and
M.Phil degrees in Mechanical and Automation Engineering from CUHK in 1997
and 1999, respectively and completed his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical
Engineering at MIT in 2007.  During his PhD study, Prof. Hugh Herr, Dr.
Au, and other colleagues from MIT Biomechatronics group co-invented the
MIT Powered Ankle-foot Prosthesis.

Before joining CUHK(2016), he was the manager of Systems Analysis of the
New Product Development Department at Intuitive Surgical, Inc.  At
Intuitive Surgical, he co-invented and was leading the software and
control algorithm development for the FDA cleared da Vinci Si Single-Site
surgical platform (2012), Single-Site Wristed Needle Driver (2014), and da
Vinci Xi Single-Site surgical platform (2016). He was also a founding team
member for the early development of Intuitive Surgical's FDA cleared
robot-assisted catheter system, da Vinci ION system from 2008 to 2012.

Dr. Au co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference
journals, 17 granted US patents/EP, and 3 pending US Patents.  He has won
numerous awards including the first prize in the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Student Mechanism Design Competition in 2007,
Intuitive Surgical Problem Solving Award in 2010, and Intuitive Surgical
Inventor Award in 2011.