Optimization and control of actuator networks in variable geometry truss systems using genetic algorithms

Jianzhe Gu, Ziwen Ye, Tucker Rae-Grant, Shuhong Wang, Ding Zhao, Josiah Hester, Victoria A. Webster-Wood and Lining Yao ()
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Jianzhe Gu: University of California
Ziwen Ye: Carnegie Mellon University
Tucker Rae-Grant: Carnegie Mellon University
Shuhong Wang: University of California
Ding Zhao: Carnegie Mellon University
Josiah Hester: Georgia Institute of Technology
Victoria A. Webster-Wood: Carnegie Mellon University
Lining Yao: University of California

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract A robot’s morphology is pivotal to its functionality, as biological organisms demonstrate through shape adjustments – octopi squeeze through small apertures, and caterpillars use peristaltic transformations to navigate complex environments. While existing robotic systems struggle to achieve precise volumetric transformations, Variable Geometry Trusses offer rich morphing capabilities by coordinating hundreds of actuating beams. However, control complexity scales exponentially with beam count, limiting implementations to trusses with only a handful of beams or to designs where only a subset of beams are actuable. Previous work introduced the metatruss, a truss robot that simplifies control by grouping actuators into interconnected pneumatic control networks, but relies on manual network design and control sequences. Here, we introduce a multi-objective optimization framework based on a tailored genetic algorithm to automate actuator grouping, contraction ratios, and actuation timing. We develop a highly damped dynamic simulator that balances computational efficiency with physical accuracy and validate our approach with experimental prototypes. Across multiple tasks, we demonstrate that the metatruss achieves complex shape adaptations with minimal control units. Our results reveal an optimal number of control networks, beyond which additional networks yield diminishing performance gains.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63373-7

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