arXiv AI

Graph-Operator World Models for Morphology-Parameter Generalization in Continuous Control

Graph-Operator World Models (GraphOp-WM) are a structured approach to learning world models that generalize across varying morphology parameters in continuous control tasks. The model represents robot bodies and their kinematic relationships as an attributed graph, decomposing each transition into a morphology‑independent local dynamics basis and a morphology‑conditioned structured operator. This operator blends node‑local modulation, kinematic‑tree coupling, and a low‑rank global correction, while architectural design choices encourage the operator to capture static morphology dependence. The framework supports reward, value, and TD‑MPC‑style planning through graph‑level readout and edge‑wise action representations, and is evaluated on controlled MuJoCo parameter splits involving interpolation, extrapolation, and held‑out compositions of link geometry, mass, damping, and actuation in Hopper, Walker2d, and HalfCheetah.

arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 17

RecMorph: Topology-Guided Spatial Recurrence for Generalized Morphology Control

RecMorph introduces a topology‑guided spatial recurrent architecture for generalized morphology control, converting a kinematic tree into a sequence that enables joint cross‑limb communication and representation transformation. The design incorporates residual preservation, RMS normalization, and input‑dependent channel modulation to stabilize repeated spatial transformations, achieving linear token complexity. Across five UNIMAL tasks and a four‑platform quadruped setting, RecMorph outperforms existing controllers in training performance, inference throughput, and generalization to unseen bodies with up to 30 limbs, while also demonstrating robust real‑world performance on Go1/Go2 trials.

By Quanrui Rao, Yong Liu, Xueming Xiao, Yingbo Luo, Kun Wu, Zhenyu Xu, Meibao Yao
arXiv AI
Sep 25

RoboLDA: A Probabilistic Generative Model for Uncovering Embodied Hierarchical Structures in Voxel-based Soft Robots

RoboLDA is a Bayesian probabilistic model that learns a four‑level hierarchy—task, robot, organ, voxel—from existing high‑performing voxel‑based soft robot designs. By training with variational inference, it uncovers consistent, intuitive hierarchical patterns and can generate new robot morphologies that outperform evolutionary algorithms by an average of 106.4% without further optimization. The inferred organ structures also improve modular control policies, demonstrating the model’s utility for zero‑shot design and motion control.

By Junru Song, Yang Yang, Jingdan Shi, Guozhen Li, Weien Zhou, Ying Wen, Feifei Wang, Wen Yao, Tingsong Jiang
arXiv AI
Jul 22

AnchorRefine: Synergy-Manipulation Based on Trajectory Anchor and Residual Refinement for Vision-Language-Action Models

arXiv:2604. 17787v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: Precision-critical manipulation requires both global trajectory organization and local execution correction, yet most vision-language-action (VLA) policies generate actions within a single unified space.

By Tingzheng Jia, Kan Guo, Lanping Qian, Yongli Hu, Daxin Tian, Guixian Qu, Chunmian Lin, Baocai Yin, Jiapu Wang
arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 4

Rapid Embodiment Adaptation for Quadrupedal Locomotion

arXiv:2608. 01506v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Humans readily adapt their movements as their bodies change through aging, injury, or load carrying, but learning-based robot policies often break when hardware properties shift.

By Dichen Li, Bo Ai, Nico Bohlinger, Jan Peters, Hao Su, Henrik I. Christensen
arXiv AI
Sep 17

Language-Guided Terrain-Adaptive Neural MPC for Autonomous Traversal of Articulated Tracked Robots

The paper introduces ASTRIL-MPC, a language‑guided neural model predictive control framework that enables articulated tracked robots to navigate complex, contact‑rich urban environments such as stairwells and cluttered interiors. By combining a learned kinematics model that predicts short‑horizon state changes, an optimization‑based planner with multi‑objective costs, and a large language model that safely updates control weights, the system achieves up to 71% better traversal quality than non‑adaptive NMPC and 67% better than a PPO baseline, while eliminating collision impacts during descent. Real‑robot trials over four indoor obstacles confirm the method’s transferability to physical contact‑rich traversal.

By Zhenfeng Gan, Yanbo Chen, Lirong Che, Yongyi Ma, Rongkai Zhu, Xueqian Wang