Event-based Integrated Sensorimotor Planning and Control for Insect-scale Robots

ONR_logo.jpg

N00014-17-1-2614

ONR_logo_small.jpg


July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2021

$1,022,160


ONR

Aerospace Science Research Division

PI:

S. Ferrari

Co-PI:

R. Wood (Harvard University)


Project Description

This project seeks to develop efficient event-based control algorithms that are tightly integrated with event-based sensors to provide low-power and low-latency feedback control. These algorithms are currently being implemented and tested on the RoboBee, a 14mm insect-scale flapping robot currently in development at the Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory.

Research Goals

  • Physics-based model of RoboBee using blade-element theory
  • Adaptive controllers based on biologically-inspired spiking neural networks
  • Stabilizing robot flight control while adapting to manufacturing irregularities
  • Neuromorphic hardware implementation

Peer-Reviewed Publications

  1. T. S. Clawson, T. C. Stewart, C. Eliasmith, S. Ferrari “An Adaptive Spiking Neural Controller for Flapping Insect-scale Robots,” IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI), Honolulu, HI, December 2017. [PDF]
  2. T. S. Clawson, S. B. Fuller, R. J. Wood, S. Ferrari “A Blade Element Approach to Modeling Aerodynamic Flight of an Insect-scale Robot,” American Control Conference (ACC), Seattle, WA, May 2017. [PDF]
  3. T. S. Clawson, S. Ferrari, S. B. Fuller, R. J. Wood, “Spiking Neural Network (SNN) Control of a Flapping Insect-scale Robot,” Proc. of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Las Vegas, NV, pp. 3381-3388, December 2016. [PDF]

Presentations

  1. “Event-based Sensorimotor Planning and Control,” ONR Unmanned Maritime Systems Technology (UMST) Program Review, Miramar Beach, FL, January 2019. [PDF]
  2. “Neuromorphic Sensing and Control of Bio-Inspired Robots,” Biocene 2018, Cleveland, OH, August 2018. [PDF]
  3. “An Adaptive Spiking Neural Controller for Flapping Insect-scale Robots,” IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence, Honolulu, HI, December 2017. [PDF]
  4. “A Blade Element Approach to Modeling Aerodynamic Flight of an Insect-scale Robot,” American Control Conference (ACC), Seattle, WA, May 2017. [PDF]
  5. “Spiking Neural Network (SNN) Control of a Flapping Insect-scale Robot,” IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Las Vegas, NV, December 2016. [PDF]

Special Events

  1. T. S. Clawson, “Bandwidth Limited Sensing with Neuromorphic Cameras,” Meeting with Industry, Ithaca, NY, December 2018. [PDF]
  2. H. Yang, “Indoor Airflow Modeling and Data Assimilation,” Meeting with Industry, Ithaca, NY, December 2018. [PDF]
  3. T. S. Clawson, “Neuromorphic Vision,” Presentation to the Cornell Engineering College Council, Ithaca, NY, October 2018.
  4. T. S. Clawson, “Neuromorphic Sensing and Control of Bio-Inspired Robots,” Invited Talk, NASA Biocene 2018, Cleveland, OH, August 2018. [PDF]
  5. T. S. Clawson, “Neuromorphic Sensing and Control of Autonomous Micro-Aerial Vehicles,” Commercialization Fellowship Technical Presentation, Ithaca, NY, June 2018. [PDF]