Research
Frontier robotics research: arXiv cs.RO papers, embodied AI, VLA models, manipulation, navigation and learning systems.
Frontier robotics research: arXiv cs.RO papers, embodied AI, VLA models, manipulation, navigation and learning systems.
Latest in Research
2771 storiesEgoGuide: Egocentric Guidance for Efficient Robot-Free Demonstration Collection and Learning
arXiv:2606.14665v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Robot learning from real-world demonstrations is currently constrained by data scaling. Universal Manipulation I…
Encoder Winners Do Not Reliably Transfer Across VLA Backbone Scale: A Frozen-Backbone Grafting Diagnostic
arXiv:2606.14153v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Vision-language-action (VLA) policies typically inherit their vision encoder from upstream VLM releases, but i…
Micro-Swarm Locomotion Optimization in Dynamic Flow using Multi-Objective Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
arXiv:2605.25025v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Coordinating micro-robotic swarms in realistic, time-dependent fluid environments remains a major challenge …
Output-Level Regularization Eliminates the Seed Lottery in Single-GPU VLA Fine-Tuning
arXiv:2606.13856v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Fine-tuning a vision-language-action model (VLA-JEPA) on a single GPU should be simple: load a pretrained checkp…
Low-Burden LLM-Based Preference Learning: Personalizing Assistive Robots from Natural Language Feedback for Users with Paralysis
arXiv:2604.01463v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Physically Assistive Robots require personalized behaviors to ensure user safety and comfort. However, tradi…
A Unified Control Architecture for Macro-Micro Manipulation using a Active Remote Center of Compliance for Manufacturing Applications
arXiv:2602.01948v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Macro-micro manipulators combine a macro manipulator with a large workspace, such as an industrial robot, wi…
Optimality-Preserving Decomposition for Scalable QAOA in Natural-Language-Guided Multi-Drone Assignment
arXiv:2606.14252v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: As multi-drone fleets scale, zone assignment rapidly evolves into an intractable NP-hard combinatorial problem t…
AERMANI-PLACE: Language Guided Object Placement with Aerial Manipulators
arXiv:2606.14531v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Object placement is a fundamental component of aerial manipulation tasks, yet existing systems typically require…
PhysVLA: Towards Physically-Grounded VLA for Embodied Robotic Manipulation
arXiv:2606.13886v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models excel at mapping visual inputs and natural language instructions directly to…
Learning Dynamic Swing-Up of an Inverted Pendulum using Remote Magnetic Actuation
arXiv:2606.13915v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Electromagnetic Navigation Systems (eMNS) have gained considerable attention for minimally invasive surgery and …
Causal Object-Centric Models for Planning with Monte Carlo Tree Search
arXiv:2606.14418v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: We introduce COMET (Causal Object-centric Model for Efficient Tree search), a model-based reinforcement learni…
Cross-Stage Sensorimotor Perception Scheduling and Sparse Map Encoding for Efficient Edge Embodied Navigation
arXiv:2405.14154v5 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Embodied agents must close a perception-to-action loop on embedded hardware under tight latency, memory, and…
Schr\"odinger's Navigator: Imagining an Ensemble of Futures for Zero-Shot Object Navigation
arXiv:2512.21201v3 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Zero-shot object navigation (ZSON) requires robots to find target objects in unseen environments without tas…
Unsupervised Learning of Efficient Exploration: Pre-training Adaptive Policies via Self-Imposed Goals
arXiv:2601.19810v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: Unsupervised pre-training can equip reinforcement learning agents with prior knowledge and accelerate …
FAWAM: Force-Aware World Action Models for Closed-Loop Contact-Rich Manipulation
arXiv:2606.08555v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Force signals provide critical interaction cues for contact-rich robotic manipulation. However, existing met…
Semidefinite Relaxations for Collision-Free Motion Planning
arXiv:2606.14063v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We study semidefinite relaxations for collision-free motion planning. We focus on a point robot moving from star…
Safe Reinforcement Learning of Autonomous Highway Driving: A Unified Framework for Safety and Efficiency
arXiv:2606.14609v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) offers a compelling route to decision-making for advanced autonomous vehicles …
Whole-Body Impedance Model Predictive Control for Safe Physical Human--Robot Interaction on Floating-Base Platforms
arXiv:2606.14617v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Floating-base robots must balance under rigid contact constraints while interacting safely with humans. Existing…
An integrated interpretable control effectiveness learning and nonlinear control allocation methodology for overactuated aircrafts
arXiv:2606.13794v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Nonlinear dynamics and the strong couplings that arise between multiple effectors undermine the assumptions be…
RT-VLA: Real-Time Vision-Language-Action Models via Knowledge Distillation
arXiv:2606.14010v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models have shown strong potential for end-to-end autonomous driving by jointly m…
Provably Safe, Yet Scalable Reinforcement Learning
arXiv:2606.14536v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Safe reinforcement learning (RL) aims to learn policies that optimize rewards while satisfying constraints. Pr…
ADAPT: An Autonomous Forklift for Construction Site Operation
arXiv:2503.14331v4 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Efficient material logistics play a critical role in controlling costs and schedules in the construction ind…
Kine2Go: Kinematic dataset for the Unitree Go2 robot with diverse gaits and motions
arXiv:2606.14433v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: The recent popularity of robotics, combined with the steadily decreasing cost of robotic hardware, has lowered t…
What Robots Do Matters More Than What They Look Like: Task Context Shapes Trust in Educational HRI
arXiv:2606.14602v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Socially assistive robots (SARs) are increasingly deployed in educational and information-sharing contexts, supp…
Asymmetric Friction in Geometric Locomotion
arXiv:2512.22484v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Geometric mechanics models of locomotion have provided insight into how robots and animals use environmental…
Instruct-Particulate: Scaling Feed-Forward 3D Object Articulation with Kinematic Control
arXiv:2606.14699v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Reconstructing articulated 3D objects is important for animation, gaming, and robotic simulations. Recent neur…
ReactVLA: Fast and Lightweight Reactive Robot Manipulation via Improved Mean Flow Action Generation
arXiv:2606.14255v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Diffusion-based Vision-Language-Action (VLA) policies have demonstrated strong capability in modeling expressive…
Universal Manipulation Exoskeleton: Learning Compliant Whole-body Policies with Real-time Torque Feedback
arXiv:2606.14218v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: For robots to work safely in household environments, they need to be compliant and react to torque and force fee…
FloVerse: Floor Plan-Guided Multi-Modal Navigation
arXiv:2606.14267v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Floor plans encapsulate compact spatial priors, enabling agents to navigate unseen scenes more efficiently. Whil…
Robust Fall Recovery for Armless Bipedal-Wheeled Robots Via Force-Guided Learning
arXiv:2606.14270v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Fall recovery is critical for autonomous legged locomotion. Existing methods have demonstrated that some legged …