Exploration-assisted Bottleneck Transition Toward Robust and Data-efficient Deformable Object Manipulation

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Onishi, Yujiro, Takizawa, Ryo, Ohmura, Yoshiyuki, Kuniyoshi, Yasuo
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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author Onishi, Yujiro
Takizawa, Ryo
Ohmura, Yoshiyuki
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo
author_facet Onishi, Yujiro
Takizawa, Ryo
Ohmura, Yoshiyuki
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo
contents Imitation learning has demonstrated impressive results in robotic manipulation but fails under out-of-distribution (OOD) states. This limitation is particularly critical in Deformable Object Manipulation (DOM), where the near-infinite possible configurations render comprehensive data collection infeasible. Although several methods address OOD states, they typically require exhaustive data or highly precise perception. Such requirements are often impractical for DOM owing to its inherent complexities, including self-occlusion. To address the OOD problem in DOM, we propose a novel framework, Exploration-assisted Bottleneck Transition for Deformable Object Manipulation (ExBot), which addresses the OOD challenge through two key advantages. First, we introduce bottleneck states, standardized configurations that serve as starting points for task execution. This enables the reconceptualization of OOD challenges as the problem of transitioning diverse initial states to these bottleneck states, significantly reducing demonstration requirements. Second, to account for imperfect perception, we partition the OOD state space based on recognizability and employ dual action primitives. This approach enables ExBot to manipulate even unrecognizable states without requiring accurate perception. By concentrating demonstrations around bottleneck states and leveraging exploration to alter perceptual conditions, ExBot achieves both data efficiency and robustness to severe OOD scenarios. Real-world experiments on rope and cloth manipulation demonstrate successful task completion from diverse OOD states, including severe self-occlusions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_13756
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Exploration-assisted Bottleneck Transition Toward Robust and Data-efficient Deformable Object Manipulation
Onishi, Yujiro
Takizawa, Ryo
Ohmura, Yoshiyuki
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo
Robotics
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Imitation learning has demonstrated impressive results in robotic manipulation but fails under out-of-distribution (OOD) states. This limitation is particularly critical in Deformable Object Manipulation (DOM), where the near-infinite possible configurations render comprehensive data collection infeasible. Although several methods address OOD states, they typically require exhaustive data or highly precise perception. Such requirements are often impractical for DOM owing to its inherent complexities, including self-occlusion. To address the OOD problem in DOM, we propose a novel framework, Exploration-assisted Bottleneck Transition for Deformable Object Manipulation (ExBot), which addresses the OOD challenge through two key advantages. First, we introduce bottleneck states, standardized configurations that serve as starting points for task execution. This enables the reconceptualization of OOD challenges as the problem of transitioning diverse initial states to these bottleneck states, significantly reducing demonstration requirements. Second, to account for imperfect perception, we partition the OOD state space based on recognizability and employ dual action primitives. This approach enables ExBot to manipulate even unrecognizable states without requiring accurate perception. By concentrating demonstrations around bottleneck states and leveraging exploration to alter perceptual conditions, ExBot achieves both data efficiency and robustness to severe OOD scenarios. Real-world experiments on rope and cloth manipulation demonstrate successful task completion from diverse OOD states, including severe self-occlusions.
title Exploration-assisted Bottleneck Transition Toward Robust and Data-efficient Deformable Object Manipulation
topic Robotics
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.13756