Variable Topology Trusses (VTT)

Variable Topology Trusses (VTT) are a new type of modular self-reconfigurable robot. A VTT is composed of linear actuator modules that are connected to form a truss using reconfigurable joints. 

One application of VTT is to form a temporary support structure to shore up damaged buildings, protecting rescuers during a search and rescue operation.

Large-scale Autonomous Flight with Real-time Semantic SLAM under Dense Forest Canopy

The Kumar Lab is developing autonomous flying robots that can fly under forest canopies and between rows of trees in farms to provide tree growers and farmers with the necessary information for operations in agriculture and forestry. Specifically, robots explore in unstructured, GPS-denied environments without radio signals and create semantic maps

Origami-inspired robot that swims via jet- propulsion

Underwater swimmers present unique opportunities for using bodily reconfiguration for self-propulsion. Origami-inspired designs are low-cost, fast to fabricate, robust, and can be used to
create compliant mechanisms useful in energy-efficient underwater locomotion.