Researchers develop a way to train robots with just a gentle nudge

Researchers at Rice University have developed a way to train robots with just a little push. Their method uses algorithms that allow robots to not only respond to a human's touch in the moment, but alter their trajectory based on that physical input. "Here the robot has a plan, or desired trajectory, which describes how the robot thinks it should perform the task," said graduate student Dylan Losey about the project. "We introduced a real-time algorithm that modified, or deformed, the robot's future desired trajectory." Typically, when robots are programmed to respond to physical contact from a human, they usually only only do so in the moment and go right back to their original trajectory soon thereafter. But with the Rice team's algorithms, their robots were able to take that input and use it to adjust their trajectories in real time.