{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7204969994","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2608.30773","title":"Learning to infer and manipulate through distributed whole-arm interaction in a soft robot","display_name":"Learning to infer and manipulate through distributed whole-arm interaction in a soft robot","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-08-31","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7204969994","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2608.30773"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2608.30773","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.30773","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.30773","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},"volume":null,"type":"preprint","is_traditional":true,"indexed_in":["arxiv","datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.30773","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5148908544","display_name":"Chuhan Zhang","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I98358874","display_name":"Delft University of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/02e2c7k09","country_code":"NL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I98358874"]}],"countries":["NL"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhang, Chuhan","raw_affiliation_strings":["Cognitive Robotics Department , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Delft University of Technology , Delft 2628 CD , The Netherlands"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Cognitive Robotics Department , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Delft University of Technology , Delft 2628 CD , The Netherlands","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I98358874"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5019924964","display_name":"Ebrahim Shahabi","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4227-5374","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4227-5374"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I98358874","display_name":"Delft University of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/02e2c7k09","country_code":"NL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I98358874"]}],"countries":["NL"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shahabi, Ebrahim","raw_affiliation_strings":["Cognitive Robotics Department , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Delft University of Technology , Delft 2628 CD , The Netherlands"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Cognitive Robotics Department , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Delft University of Technology , Delft 2628 CD , The Netherlands","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I98358874"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5116389079","display_name":"Kseniia Khomenko","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I98358874","display_name":"Delft University of Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/02e2c7k09","country_code":"NL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I98358874"]}],"countries":["NL"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Khomenko, Kseniia","raw_affiliation_strings":["Cognitive Robotics Department , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Delft University of Technology , Delft 2628 CD , The Netherlands"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Cognitive Robotics Department , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering , Delft University of Technology , Delft 2628 CD , The Netherlands","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I98358874"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100721259","display_name":"Wei Pan","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1121-9879","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1121-9879"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I84884186","display_name":"Newcastle University","ror":"https://ror.org/01kj2bm70","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I84884186"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Pan, Wei","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Engineering , Newcastle University , UK"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Engineering , Newcastle University , UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I84884186"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5050239145","display_name":"Cosimo Della Santina","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1067-1134","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1067-1134"]},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Della Santina, Cosimo","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10868","display_name":"Soft Robotics and Applications","score":0.9340999722480774,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2204","display_name":"Biomedical Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10868","display_name":"Soft Robotics and Applications","score":0.9340999722480774,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2204","display_name":"Biomedical Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10462","display_name":"Reinforcement Learning in Robotics","score":0.042500000447034836,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10653","display_name":"Robot Manipulation and Learning","score":0.020999999716877937,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2207","display_name":"Control and Systems Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/soft-robots","display_name":"soft robots","score":0.8500000238418579},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/physical-interaction","display_name":"physical interaction","score":0.6690000295639038},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/physical-intelligence","display_name":"physical intelligence","score":0.7910000085830688},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reinforcement-learning","display_name":"reinforcement learning","score":0.6010000109672546},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/partially-observable-markov-decision-processes","display_name":"partially observable Markov decision processes","score":0.7149999737739563},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/proprioception","display_name":"proprioception","score":0.6359999775886536},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/object-localization","display_name":"object localization","score":0.5669999718666077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/end-to-end-learning","display_name":"end-to-end learning","score":0.574999988079071}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C58581272","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12741163","display_name":"Workspace","level":3,"score":0.7664999961853027},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6816999912261963},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781238097","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175026","display_name":"Object (grammar)","level":2,"score":0.660099983215332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.6093000173568726},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90509273","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11012","display_name":"Robot","level":2,"score":0.5835000276565552},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.541100025177002},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26517878","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q228039","display_name":"Key (lock)","level":2,"score":0.5268999934196472},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776214188","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q408386","display_name":"Inference","level":2,"score":0.5238000154495239},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C139807058","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q352374","display_name":"Adaptation (eye)","level":2,"score":0.48019999265670776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C126042441","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1324888","display_name":"Frame (networking)","level":2,"score":0.4677000045776367},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2775924081","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55608371","display_name":"Control (management)","level":2,"score":0.38040000200271606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C123657996","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12271","display_name":"Architecture","level":2,"score":0.3682999908924103},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C34413123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170978","display_name":"Robotics","level":3,"score":0.3474000096321106},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C31972630","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q844240","display_name":"Computer vision","level":1,"score":0.3206000030040741},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C61797465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1188986","display_name":"Term (time)","level":2,"score":0.31769999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C161759796","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3982902","display_name":"Teleoperation","level":3,"score":0.30959999561309814},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C98045186","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205663","display_name":"Process (computing)","level":2,"score":0.3093000054359436},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C116834253","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2039217","display_name":"Identification (biology)","level":2,"score":0.3019999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C36464697","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q451553","display_name":"Visualization","level":2,"score":0.289900004863739},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2775960376","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1435859","display_name":"Grippers","level":2,"score":0.28780001401901245},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C123403432","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q654068","display_name":"Visibility","level":2,"score":0.2840000092983246},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C104114177","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79782","display_name":"Motion (physics)","level":2,"score":0.28139999508857727},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C133731056","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4917288","display_name":"Control engineering","level":1,"score":0.275299996137619},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780791683","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q846785","display_name":"Action (physics)","level":2,"score":0.2669000029563904},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C52102323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1671968","display_name":"Pose","level":2,"score":0.25859999656677246},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C74992021","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q184876","display_name":"Frame of reference","level":2,"score":0.25440001487731934},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776999362","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2349274","display_name":"Planner","level":2,"score":0.2538999915122986},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C60692881","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q584529","display_name":"Humanoid robot","level":3,"score":0.25270000100135803}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2608.30773","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.30773","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.30773","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2608.30773","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2608.30773","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2608.30773","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:arXiv.org:2608.30773","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.30773","pdf_url":"https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.30773","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"text"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7204969994.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7204969994.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":3,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W4403364812","https://openalex.org/W6912678344","https://openalex.org/W7083819349"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W6912409299","https://openalex.org/W7103985857","https://openalex.org/W4402724309","https://openalex.org/W7169760223","https://openalex.org/W4365146726","https://openalex.org/W4386330505","https://openalex.org/W4321375655","https://openalex.org/W2913919845","https://openalex.org/W3003410126","https://openalex.org/W2330438315"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"In":[0],"animals":[1],"such":[2],"as":[3,58,67],"elephants":[4],"and":[5,13,29,91,163,171,180,220,231,237],"octopuses,":[6],"acquiring":[7],"non-visual":[8],"information":[9,90,105],"about":[10],"an":[11,98],"object":[12,73,229],"physically":[14],"engaging":[15],"with":[16,191,200],"it":[17,56],"are":[18,143],"inseparable":[19],"processes":[20],"mediated":[21],"by":[22,130,224],"rich,":[23],"large-area":[24],"interactions":[25,86],"between":[26],"compliant":[27,85,206],"appendages":[28],"the":[30,116],"environment.":[31],"Soft":[32],"robots":[33],"provide":[34],"a":[35,59,68,78,123,132,145,151,167,173,192],"natural":[36],"platform":[37],"for":[38,72,153],"translating":[39],"this":[40,128,141,185],"principle":[41,186],"into":[42],"engineered":[43],"systems.":[44],"Yet":[45],"current":[46],"robotic":[47,195],"intelligence":[48,80],"makes":[49],"limited":[50],"use":[51],"of":[52,70,118,212,234],"physical":[53,79,119],"interaction,":[54],"treating":[55],"primarily":[57],"disturbance":[60],"to":[61],"be":[62,113],"rejected":[63],"or,":[64],"at":[65],"best,":[66],"means":[69],"compensating":[71],"misalignment.":[74],"Here,":[75],"we":[76,198],"introduce":[77],"framework":[81],"in":[82,97],"which":[83],"distributed":[84],"jointly":[87],"reveal":[88],"task-relevant":[89,104],"organize":[92],"manipulation":[93],"behavior.":[94],"This":[95],"results":[96],"intrinsically":[99],"partially":[100],"observable":[101],"problem:":[102],"key":[103,138],"is":[106],"never":[107],"measured":[108],"directly,":[109],"but":[110],"must":[111],"instead":[112],"inferred":[114],"from":[115],"history":[117],"interactions.":[120],"We":[121,183],"propose":[122],"reinforcement-learning":[124],"architecture":[125],"that":[126,149,160,197],"addresses":[127],"challenge":[129],"learning":[131],"memory-based":[133],"control":[134],"policy":[135,148,181,217],"end-to-end.":[136],"The":[137,215],"innovations":[139],"making":[140],"possible":[142],"(i)":[144],"pretrained":[146],"exploration":[147,162],"provides":[150],"reference":[152],"broad":[154],"workspace":[155,227],"exploration,":[156,228],"(ii)":[157],"joint":[158],"optimization":[159],"integrates":[161],"grasping":[164,190],"objectives":[165],"within":[166,204],"single":[168],"recurrent":[169],"policy,":[170],"(iii)":[172],"two-stage":[174],"sim-to-real":[175],"adaptation":[176],"including":[177],"observation":[178],"mapping":[179],"fine-tuning.":[182],"demonstrate":[184],"through":[187],"blind":[188],"whole-arm":[189,239],"hybrid":[193],"rigid-soft":[194],"arm":[196],"equip":[199],"IMUs":[201],"embedded":[202],"directly":[203],"its":[205,209],"structure,":[207],"providing":[208],"only":[210],"source":[211],"proprioceptive":[213],"sensing.":[214],"learned":[216],"successfully":[218],"identifies":[219],"grasps":[221],"various":[222],"objects":[223],"autonomously":[225],"coordinating":[226],"encounter":[230],"localization,":[232],"inference":[233],"grasp-relevant":[235],"properties,":[236],"stable":[238],"wrapping.":[240]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-11-07T11:25:07.637180","created_date":"2026-09-02T00:00:00"}
