Variable Impedance

Variable impedance control focuses on dynamically adjusting a robot's stiffness and damping to safely and effectively interact with unpredictable environments or human partners. Current research emphasizes developing compact and efficient actuators, often using thermal or electroadhesive mechanisms, and incorporating advanced control algorithms like reinforcement learning and optimization-based methods to manage impedance in real-time. These advancements are improving the safety and performance of robots in diverse applications, ranging from assistive robotics for healthcare and human-robot collaboration to navigating challenging terrains for visually impaired individuals and precise medical image registration.