Embodied aerial physical interaction: Combining body and brain for robust interaction with unstructured environments

Emanuele Aucone^{1

2}, Stefano Mintchev^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Robotics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
² Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.

Review

Emanuele Aucone et al. Sci Robot. 2025.

. 2025 May 21;10(102):eads0200.

doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.ads0200. Epub 2025 May 21.

Emanuele Aucone^{1

2}, Stefano Mintchev^{1

2}

¹ Environmental Robotics Laboratory, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
² Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.

Abstract

Using body morphology and touch sensing to simplify control strategies can boost versatility in aerial physical interaction.

Synergistic morphology and feedback control for traversal of unknown compliant obstacles with aerial robots.
Aucone E, Geckeler C, Morra D, Pallottino L, Mintchev S. Aucone E, et al. Nat Commun. 2024 Mar 26;15(1):2646. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46967-5. Nat Commun. 2024. PMID: 38531857 Free PMC article.
Skill Development Versus Performativity Among Beginners in Aerial Practice: An Embodied and Meaningful Learning Experience.
Kosma M, Erickson N, Savoie CJ, Gibson M. Kosma M, et al. Int Q Community Health Educ. 2021 Jan;41(2):173-187. doi: 10.1177/0272684X20918053. Epub 2020 Apr 10. Int Q Community Health Educ. 2021. PMID: 32276558
The body comes first. Embodied reparation and the co-creation of infant bodily-self.
Montirosso R, McGlone F. Montirosso R, et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020 Jun;113:77-87. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.003. Epub 2020 Mar 4. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020. PMID: 32145222 Review.
Robotic locomotion through active and passive morphological adaptation in extreme outdoor environments.
Polzin M, Guan Q, Hughes J. Polzin M, et al. Sci Robot. 2025 Feb 26;10(99):eadp6419. doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.adp6419. Epub 2025 Feb 26. Sci Robot. 2025. PMID: 40009657
Exploring Embodied Intelligence in Soft Robotics: A Review.
Zhao Z, Wu Q, Wang J, Zhang B, Zhong C, Zhilenkov AA. Zhao Z, et al. Biomimetics (Basel). 2024 Apr 19;9(4):248. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics9040248. Biomimetics (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38667259 Free PMC article. Review.