Papers

Optimizing Grasping in Legged Robots: A Deep Learning Approach to Loco-Manipulation

This paper presents a deep learning framework designed to enhance the grasping capabilities of quadrupeds equipped with arms, with a focus on improving precision and adaptability. Our approach centers on a sim-to-real methodology that minimizes reliance on physical data collection. We developed a pipeline within the Genesis simulation environment to generate a synthetic dataset of grasp attempts on common objects. By simulating thousands of interactions from various perspectives, we created pixel-wise annotated grasp-quality maps to serve as the ground truth for our model. This dataset was used to train a custom CNN with a U-Net-like architecture that processes multi-modal input from an onboard RGB and depth cameras, including RGB images, depth maps, segmentation masks, and surface normal maps. The trained model outputs a grasp-quality heatmap to identify the optimal grasp point. We validated the complete framework on a four-legged robot. The system successfully executed a full loco-manipulation task: autonomously navigating to a target object, perceiving it with its sensors, predicting the optimal grasp pose using our model, and performing a precise grasp. This work proves that leveraging simulated training with advanced sensing offers a scalable and effective solution for object handling.

Legged robotsDeep LearningGraspingDilermando Almeida, Guilherme Lazzarini, Juliano Negri·Aug 24, 2025

A Nonlinear MPC Framework for Loco-Manipulation of Quadrupedal Robots with Non-Negligible Manipulator Dynamics

Model predictive control (MPC) combined with reduced-order template models has emerged as a powerful tool for trajectory optimization in dynamic legged locomotion. However, loco-manipulation tasks performed by legged robots introduce additional complexity, necessitating computationally efficient MPC algorithms capable of handling high-degree-of-freedom (DoF) models. This letter presents a computationally efficient nonlinear MPC (NMPC) framework tailored for loco-manipulation tasks of quadrupedal robots equipped with robotic manipulators whose dynamics are non-negligible relative to those of the quadruped. The proposed framework adopts a decomposition strategy that couples locomotion template models – such as the single rigid body (SRB) model – with a full-order dynamic model of the robotic manipulator for torque-level control. This decomposition enables efficient real-time solution of the NMPC problem in a receding horizon fashion at 60 Hz. The optimal state and input trajectories generated by the NMPC for locomotion are tracked by a low-level nonlinear whole-body controller (WBC) running at 500 Hz, while the optimal torque commands for the manipulator are directly applied. The layered control architecture is validated through extensive numerical simulations and hardware experiments on a 15-kg Unitree Go2 quadrupedal robot augmented with a 4.4-kg 4-DoF Kinova arm. Given that the Kinova arm dynamics are non-negligible relative to the Go2 base, the proposed NMPC framework demonstrates robust stability in performing diverse loco-manipulation tasks, effectively handling external disturbances, payload variations, and uneven terrain.

MPCMobile ManipulationQuadruped robotsRuturaj Sambhus, Kapi Ketan Mehta, Ali MirMohammad Sadeghi·Jul 29, 2025

MLM: Learning Multi-task Loco-Manipulation Whole-Body Control for Quadruped Robot with Arm

Whole-body loco-manipulation for quadruped robots with arms remains a challenging problem, particularly in achieving multi-task control. To address this, we propose MLM, a reinforcement learning framework driven by both real-world and simulation data. It enables a six-DoF robotic arm-equipped quadruped robot to perform whole-body loco-manipulation for multiple tasks autonomously or under human teleoperation. To address the problem of balancing multiple tasks during the learning of loco-manipulation, we introduce a trajectory library with an adaptive, curriculum-based sampling mechanism. This approach allows the policy to efficiently leverage real-world collected trajectories for learning multi-task loco-manipulation. To address deployment scenarios with only historical observations and to enhance the performance of policy execution across tasks with different spatial ranges, we propose a Trajectory-Velocity Prediction policy network. It predicts unobservable future trajectories and velocities. By leveraging extensive simulation data and curriculum-based rewards, our controller achieves whole-body behaviors in simulation and zero-shot transfer to real-world deployment. Ablation studies in simulation verify the necessity and effectiveness of our approach, while real-world experiments on a Go2 robot with an Airbot robotic arm demonstrate the policy's good performance in multi-task execution.

Reinforcement LearningMobile ManipulationQuadruped robotsXin Liu, Bida Ma, Chenkun Qi·Aug 14, 2025

Autonomous Grasping On Quadruped Robot With Task Level Interaction

Quadruped robots are increasingly used in various applications due to their high mobility and ability to operate in diverse terrains. However, most available quadruped robots are primarily focused on mobility without object manipulation capabilities. Equipping a quadruped robot with a robotic arm and gripper introduces a challenge in manual control, especially in remote scenarios that require complex commands. This research aims to develop an autonomous grasping system on a quadruped robot using a task-level interaction approach. The system includes hardware integration of a robotic arm and gripper onto the quadruped robot's body, a layered control system designed using ROS, and a web-based interface for human-robot interaction. The robot is capable of autonomously performing tasks such as navigation, object detection, and grasping using GraspNet. Testing was conducted through real-world scenarios to evaluate navigation, object selection and grasping, and user experience. The results show that the robot can perform tasks accurately and consistently, achieving a grasping success rate of 75 % from 12 trials. Therefore, the system demonstrates significant potential in enhancing the capabilities of quadruped robots as service robots in real-world environments.

Quadruped robotsAut-NavigationTask Interaction Muhtadin, Mochammad Hilmi Rusydiansyah, Mauridhi Hery Purnomo·Nov 30, 2025

Language-Guided Grasping under Partial Observation for Mobile Manipulation in Field Inspection and Maintenance

Offshore inspection and maintenance have increasingly been using legged robots for routine sensing, yet many useful interventions still require physical interaction with tools, containers, and task-relevant objects. Employing robots for these tasks can reduce operators' exposure in confined, elevated, or potentially explosive areas. This paper presents a language-guided grasping pipeline for a legged mobile manipulator operating under partial observation. An operator defines the target, the system grounds it in RGB with open-vocabulary detection and promptable segmentation, extracts an object-centric RGB-D point cloud, improves sparse geometry through depth compensation and point-cloud completion, and selects a 6-DoF grasp using collision, clearance, reachability, and approach constraints. The system is implemented on a quadruped robot with an arm and evaluated in two cluttered tabletop scenes motivated by small-object retrieval during inspection and maintenance. Across paired trials, the proposed pipeline achieved 9/10 successful grasps, compared with 3/10 for a view-dependent deployment baseline. In this controlled setting, object-centric completion and execution-aware selection reduced approach collisions and improved the reliability of language-guided grasping for supervised field manipulation.

Inspection RobotLanguage-Guided GraspingMobile ManipulationDilermando Almeida, Juliano Negri, Guilherme Lazzarini·Mar 9, 2026

Towards Miniature Humanoid Tele-Loco-Manipulation Using Virtual Reality and Reinforcement Learning

Full-sized humanoid robot capabilities have grown exponentially in recent years, aiming towards general-purpose deployment in human environments. A popular control method used by manufacturers utilizes Virtual Reality for upper-body teleoperation and Reinforcement Learning for lower-body balance and locomotion control. As a result, a single remote operator can see, manipulate, and navigate about a real, distant physical environment. This powerful control stack is often relegated to expensive full-sized robots, many of which are inaccessible to the research community. Miniature humanoids are more prevalent, but employ less biomimicry in their design (e.g. fewer sensors, Degrees of Freedom, etc) and lack similar developments. This paper describes a compliant full-body telepresence control stack developed from the ground up for miniature humanoids. Framework experimentation on ROBOTIS OP3 hardware showcases walking at speeds up to 0.45 m/s independent of arm motions. Tele-loco-manipulation is demonstrated via a cube relocation experiment with an expert human operator. On average, the teleoperated system moved 2 different 40 g cubes within 10 mins, walking a total distance of 5 m. Overall, the developed system shows potential for miniature humanoid tele-loco-manipulation.

VRMobile ManipulationGait optimizationNicolas Kosanovic, Jordan Dowdy, Jean Chagas Vaz·Jul 22, 2026