Lex Fridman Podcast #114 – Russ Tedrake: Underactuated Robotics, Control, Dynamics and Touch
Russ Tedrake is a renowned roboticist and professor at MIT, currently serving as vice president of robotics research at TRI. He discusses the fascinating world of underactuated robotics, where robots operate with fewer actuators than degrees of freedom. The conversation dives into the graceful movements of passive dynamic walkers and the complexity of bipedal walking. Tedrake shares insights on the importance of touch in human-robot interaction and how evolutionary principles shape our understanding of robotic movement. Plus, he explores the future of robotics in everyday life!
02:49:14
Passive Dynamic Walkers
- Russ Tedrake finds beauty in Steve Collins' passive dynamic walkers, 3D robots powered by gravity.
- These robots, inspired by rimless wheels and compass gait walkers, moved gracefully down ramps.
Dead Fish Experiment
- Russ Tedrake recounts an experiment with a dead fish in a water tunnel.
- Despite being lifeless, the fish "swam" upstream due to its mechanics resonating with vortexes.
Barefoot Running
- Russ Tedrake, inspired by biomechanics research, advocates for barefoot running to receive immediate gait feedback.
- This feedback helps runners adjust and land softer, promoting long-term joint health.
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Intro
00:00 • 4min
The Graceful Motion of Passive Dynamic Walkers
04:14 • 4min
The Balance of Control and Natural Physics in Robotics
07:50 • 2min
Swimming Through Evolution: The Dynamics of Motion
09:51 • 10min
The Art of Movement: Bipedalism and Barefoot Running
19:57 • 13min
The Beauty and Complexity of Robotics
33:20 • 21min
Optimizing Robotics: The Fast QP Approach to Stability
53:54 • 1min
The Dance of Robotics: Passion and Precision
55:21 • 19min
Motivation and Perception in Sports Robotics
01:14:39 • 20min
The Challenges of Robotic Control
01:34:18 • 13min
Exploring Advanced Robotics Simulation with Drake
01:47:24 • 20min
Navigating Underactuation in Robotics
02:07:42 • 13min
The Touch of Connection
02:20:58 • 13min
Exploring the Future of Online Education in Robotics
02:34:15 • 2min
The Art of Editing for Clarity and Engagement in Conversations
02:35:48 • 2min
Embracing Authenticity in Dialogue
02:38:01 • 8min
The Joy of Continuous Learning in Robotics and Inspiration
02:46:13 • 3min
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Russ Tedrake is a roboticist and professor at MIT and vice president of robotics research at TRI. He works on control of robots in interesting, complicated, underactuated, stochastic, difficult to model situations.
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Here’s the outline of the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
OUTLINE:
00:00 – Introduction
04:29 – Passive dynamic walking
09:40 – Animal movement
13:34 – Control vs Dynamics
15:49 – Bipedal walking
20:56 – Running barefoot
33:01 – Think rigorously with machine learning
44:05 – DARPA Robotics Challenge
1:07:14 – When will a robot become UFC champion
1:18:32 – Black Mirror Robot Dog
1:34:01 – Robot control
1:47:00 – Simulating robots
2:00:33 – Home robotics
2:03:40 – Soft robotics
2:07:25 – Underactuated robotics
2:20:42 – Touch
2:28:55 – Book recommendations
2:40:08 – Advice to young people
2:44:20 – Meaning of life