Due to excellent mechanism characteristics of high rigidity, maneuverability and strength-to-weight ratio, 6 Degree-of-Freedom (DoF) Stewart structure is widely adopted to construct flight simulator platforms for replicating motion feelings during training pilots. Unlike conventional serial link manipulator based mechanisms, Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) in complex flight status is often accompanied by large speed and violent rate of change in angular velocity of the simulator. However, Classical Washout Filter (CWF) based Motion Cueing Algorithm (MCA) shows limitations in providing rapid response to drive motors to satisfy high accuracy performance requirements. This paper aims at exploiting Model Predictive Control (MPC) based MCA which is proved to be efficient in Hexapod-based motion simulators through controlling over limited linear workspace. With respect to uncertainties and control solution errors from the extraction of Terminal Constraints (COTC), this paper proposes a Switchable Model Predictive Control (S-MPC) based MCA under model adaptive architecture to mitigate the solution uncertainties and inaccuracies. It is verified that high accurate tracking is achievable using the MPC-based MCA with COTC within the simulator operating envelope. The proposed method provides optimal tracking solutions by switching to MPC based MCA without COTC outside the operating envelope. By demonstrating the UPRT with horizontal stall conditions following Average Absolute Scale(AAS) evaluation criteria, the proposed S-MPC based MCA outperforms MPC based MCA and SWF based MCA by 42.34% and 65.30%, respectively.

While multi-joint continuum robots are highly dexterous and flexible, designing an optimal robot can be challenging due to its kinematics involving curvatures. Hence, the current work presents a computational method developed to find optimal designs of continuum robots given reachability constraints. First, we leverage both forward and inverse kinematic computations to perform reachability analysis in an efficient yet accurate manner. While implementing inverse kinematics, we also integrate torque minimization at joints such that robot configurations with the minimum actuator torque required to reach a given workspace could be found. Lastly, we apply an estimation of distribution algorithm (EDA) to find optimal robot dimensions while considering reachability, where the objective function could be the total length of the robot or the actuator torque required to operate the robot. Through three application problems, we show that the EDA is superior to a genetic algorithm (GA) in finding better solutions within a given number of iterations, as the objective values of the best solutions found by the EDA are 4-15\% lower than those found by the GA.

Large language models (LLMs) have greatly accelerated the automation of algorithm generation and optimization. However, current methods such as EoH and FunSearch mainly rely on predefined templates and expert-specified functions that focus solely on the local evolution of key functionalities. Consequently, they fail to fully leverage the synergistic benefits of the overall architecture and the potential of global optimization. In this paper, we introduce an end-to-end algorithm generation and optimization framework based on LLMs. Our approach utilizes the deep semantic understanding of LLMs to convert natural language requirements or human-authored papers into code solutions, and employs a two-dimensional co-evolution strategy to optimize both functional and structural aspects. This closed-loop process spans problem analysis, code generation, and global optimization, automatically identifying key algorithm modules for multi-level joint optimization and continually enhancing performance and design innovation. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our method outperforms traditional local optimization approaches in both performance and innovation, while also exhibiting strong adaptability to unknown environments and breakthrough potential in structural design. By building on human research, our framework generates and optimizes novel algorithms that surpass those designed by human experts, broadening the applicability of LLMs for algorithm design and providing a novel solution pathway for automated algorithm development.

Depending on multiple parameters, soft robots can exhibit different modes of locomotion that are difficult to model numerically. As a result, improving their performance is complex, especially in small-scale systems characterized by low Reynolds numbers, when multiple aero-and hydrodynamical processes influence their movement. In this work, we optimize light-powered millimetre-scale underwater swimmer locomotion by applying experimental results - measured swimming speed - as the fitness function in two evolutionary algorithms: particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm. As these soft, light-powered robots with different characteristics (phenotypes) can be fabricated quickly, they provide a great platform for optimisation experiments, using many competing robots to improve swimming speed over consecutive generations. Interestingly, just like in natural evolution, unexpected gene combinations led to surprisingly good results, including eight-fold increase in speed or the discovery of a self-oscillating underwater locomotion mode. Several key parameters influence the robot speed, including laser power, scanning frequency, and the geometry of the robots' body. Optimising the performance of such robots is a challenging task, often addressed through simulations that predict the robot's behaviour based on its design parameters LCE robots were submerged in a narrow, water-filled tank and actuated by heat generated through laser light absorption. To achieve underwater locomotion, the laser scan in one direction was fast enough to avoid inducing a response in the material, while the scan in the opposite direction was slow enough to generate a deformation traveling along the robot. The setup allowed for control over (1) laser power, (2) scanning frequency, and (3) polarization direction.

The six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) robotic arm has gained widespread application in human-coexisting environments. While previous research has predominantly focused on functional motion generation, the critical aspect of expressive motion in human-robot interaction remains largely unexplored. This paper presents a novel real-time motion generation planner that enhances interactivity by creating expressive robotic motions between arbitrary start and end states within predefined time constraints. Our approach involves three key contributions: first, we develop a mapping algorithm to construct an expressive motion dataset derived from human dance movements; second, we train motion generation models in both Cartesian and joint spaces using this dataset; third, we introduce an optimization algorithm that guarantees smooth, collision-free motion while maintaining the intended expressive style. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, which can generate expressive and generalized motions in under 0.5 seconds while satisfying all specified constraints.

Scenario-based testing with driving simulators is extensively used to identify failing conditions of automated driving assistance systems (ADAS) and reduce the amount of in-field road testing. However, existing studies have shown that repeated test execution in the same as well as in distinct simulators can yield different outcomes, which can be attributed to sources of flakiness or different implementations of the physics, among other factors. In this paper, we present MultiSim, a novel approach to multi-simulation ADAS testing based on a search-based testing approach that leverages an ensemble of simulators to identify failure-inducing, simulator-agnostic test scenarios. During the search, each scenario is evaluated jointly on multiple simulators. Scenarios that produce consistent results across simulators are prioritized for further exploration, while those that fail on only a subset of simulators are given less priority, as they may reflect simulator-specific issues rather than generalizable failures. Our case study, which involves testing a deep neural network-based ADAS on different pairs of three widely used simulators, demonstrates that MultiSim outperforms single-simulator testing by achieving on average a higher rate of simulator-agnostic failures by 51%. Compared to a state-of-the-art multi-simulator approach that combines the outcome of independent test generation campaigns obtained in different simulators, MultiSim identifies 54% more simulator-agnostic failing tests while showing a comparable validity rate. An enhancement of MultiSim that leverages surrogate models to predict simulator disagreements and bypass executions does not only increase the average number of valid failures but also improves efficiency in finding the first valid failure.

With the advancement of multi-robot technology, cooperative exploration tasks have garnered increasing attention. This paper presents a comprehensive review of multi-robot cooperative exploration systems. First, we review the evolution of robotic exploration and introduce a modular research framework tailored for multi-robot cooperative exploration. Based on this framework, we systematically categorize and summarize key system components. As a foundational module for multi-robot exploration, the localization and mapping module is primarily introduced by focusing on global and relative pose estimation, as well as multi-robot map merging techniques. The cooperative motion module is further divided into learning-based approaches and multi-stage planning, with the latter encompassing target generation, task allocation, and motion planning strategies. Given the communication constraints of real-world environments, we also analyze the communication module, emphasizing how robots exchange information within local communication ranges and under limited transmission capabilities. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future research directions for multi-robot cooperative exploration in light of real-world trends. This review aims to serve as a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners in the field.

While 2D image datasets are abundant, they fail to capture essential structural details such as leaf architecture, plant volume, and spatial arrangements that 3D data provide. To address this limitation, we present AgriField3D (website), a curated dataset of 3D point clouds of field-grown maize plants from a diverse genetic panel, designed to be AI-ready for advancing agricultural research. Our dataset comprises over 1,000 high-quality point clouds collected using a Terrestrial Laser Scanner, complemented by procedural models that provide structured, parametric representations of maize plants. These procedural models, generated using Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) and optimized via a two-step process combining Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and differentiable programming, enable precise, scalable reconstructions of leaf surfaces and plant architectures. To enhance usability, we performed graph-based segmentation to isolate individual leaves and stalks, ensuring consistent labeling across all samples. We also conducted rigorous manual quality control on all datasets, correcting errors in segmentation, ensuring accurate leaf ordering, and validating metadata annotations. The dataset further includes metadata detailing plant morphology and quality, alongside multi-resolution subsampled versions (100k, 50k, 10k points) optimized for various computational needs. By integrating point cloud data of field grown plants with high-fidelity procedural models and ensuring meticulous manual validation, AgriField3D provides a comprehensive foundation for AI-driven phenotyping, plant structural analysis, and 3D applications in agricultural research.

In this study, we unveil a new AI model, termed PhyE2E, to discover physical formulas through symbolic regression. PhyE2E simplifies symbolic regression by decomposing it into sub-problems using the second-order derivatives of an oracle neural network, and employs a transformer model to translate data into symbolic formulas in an end-to-end manner. The resulting formulas are refined through Monte-Carlo Tree Search and Genetic Programming. We leverage a large language model to synthesize extensive symbolic expressions resembling real physics, and train the model to recover these formulas directly from data. A comprehensive evaluation reveals that PhyE2E outperforms existing state-of-the-art approaches, delivering superior symbolic accuracy, precision in data fitting, and consistency in physical units. We deployed PhyE2E to five applications in space physics, including the prediction of sunspot numbers, solar rotational angular velocity, emission line contribution functions, near-Earth plasma pressure, and lunar-tide plasma signals. The physical formulas generated by AI demonstrate a high degree of accuracy in fitting the experimental data from satellites and astronomical telescopes. We have successfully upgraded the formula proposed by NASA in 1993 regarding solar activity, and for the first time, provided the explanations for the long cycle of solar activity in an explicit form. We also found that the decay of near-Earth plasma pressure is proportional to r^2 to Earth, where subsequent mathematical derivations are consistent with satellite data from another independent study. Moreover, we found physical formulas that can describe the relationships between emission lines in the extreme ultraviolet spectrum of the Sun, temperatures, electron densities, and magnetic fields. The formula obtained is consistent with the properties that physicists had previously hypothesized it should possess.

Deep Reinforcement Learning (RL) has been explored and verified to be effective in solving decision-making tasks in various domains, such as robotics, transportation, recommender systems, etc. It learns from the interaction with environments and updates the policy using the collected experience. However, due to the limited real-world data and unbearable consequences of taking detrimental actions, the learning of RL policy is mainly restricted within the simulators. This practice guarantees safety in learning but introduces an inevitable sim-to-real gap in terms of deployment, thus causing degraded performance and risks in execution. There are attempts to solve the sim-to-real problems from different domains with various techniques, especially in the era with emerging techniques such as large foundations or language models that have cast light on the sim-to-real. This survey paper, to the best of our knowledge, is the first taxonomy that formally frames the sim-to-real techniques from key elements of the Markov Decision Process (State, Action, Transition, and Reward). Based on the framework, we cover comprehensive literature from the classic to the most advanced methods including the sim-to-real techniques empowered by foundation models, and we also discuss the specialties that are worth attention in different domains of sim-to-real problems. Then we summarize the formal evaluation process of sim-to-real performance with accessible code or benchmarks. The challenges and opportunities are also presented to encourage future exploration of this direction. We are actively maintaining a repository to include the most up-to-date sim-to-real research work to help domain researchers.