Hello, I'm Thanh D. V. Nguyen

I am interested in robotics, particularly in the field of modeling, system ID, model related applications. I obtained a Ph.D in Dec, 2024 at LAAS-CNRS, where I was advised by Florent Lamiraux and Vincent Bonnet. I occasionally write about my research and other topics on this blog.

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Projects

FIGAROH+: A open-sourse python toolbox for robotic system identification

FIGAROH+: A open-sourse python toolbox for robotic system identification

2025

This toolbox provides a set of tools for system identification of robotic systems, including data collection, model fitting, and validation. It covers a wide range of robotic systems, including manipulators, mobile robots, and humanoids. Currently, it supports the following models: dynamic model (including joint friction, actuator inertia), kinematic model (including gear backlash, joint elasticity). It also provides various examples of system identification using external measurement sensors (camera, mocap), or even without any external sensors. The toolbox is designed to be easy to use and extend, making it suitable for both researchers and practitioners in the field of robotics.

Code

Recent Blog Posts

Low-Level Motor Control in Robotics: Encoders, Drivers, and Control Strategies

February 01, 2025

Precise, stable motion is at the heart of effective robotic systems, and that precision begins at the motor level. In this post, we explore the building blocks of low-level control: from how motors are sensed and driven to the algorithms that govern their behavior. This is essential knowledge for anyone building robots that must interact precisely and robustly with the real world.

How Robots Move: Inside the World of Actuators and Motion Modeling

January 01, 2025

Actuators are the muscles of robots — the components that enable motion and interaction with the environment. Whether it’s a robotic arm assembling electronics, a humanoid walking, or a drone flying through a warehouse, actuation systems are at the heart of robotic function. In this post, we explore two fundamental actuation technologies: electric motors and hydraulic actuators, along with the transmission mechanisms that link them to joints, and the modeling techniques used to simulate and control their behavior.

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Publications

FIGAROH: a Python toolbox for dynamic identification and geometric calibration of robots and humans

FIGAROH: a Python toolbox for dynamic identification and geometric calibration of robots and humans

Thanh D. V. Nguyen, Vincent Bonnet, Maxime Sabbah, Maxime Gautier, Pierre Fernbach, Florent Lamiraux
Humanoids, 2023 - Austin, Texas

The accuracy of the geometric and dynamic models for robots and humans is crucial for simulation, control, and motion analysis. For example, joint torque, which is a function of geometric and dynamic parameters, is a critical variable that heavily impacts the performance of model-based control, or that can motivate a clinical decision after a biomechanical analysis. Fortunately, these models can be identified using extensiveworks from literature. However, for a non-expert, building an identification model and designing an experimentation plan,which should not require long hours and/or lead to poor results, is not a trivial task, especially for anthropometric structuressuch as humanoids or humans that need frequent update. In this work, we propose a unified framework for geometric calibration and dynamic identification in the form of a Python open-source toolbox. Besides identification model building and data processing, the toolbox can automatically generate exciting postures and motions to minimize the experimental burden from the robot, measurements, and environment description.The possibilities of this toolbox are exemplified with several datasets of human, humanoid, and serial robots.

Project Page PDF Code
Improving Operational Accuracy of a Mobile Manipulator by Modeling Geometric and Non-Geometric Parameters

Improving Operational Accuracy of a Mobile Manipulator by Modeling Geometric and Non-Geometric Parameters

Thanh D. V. Nguyen, Vincent Bonnet, Pierre Fernbach, Florent Lamiraux
Humanoids, 2024 - Nancy, France

This paper aims to address two intrinsic phenomena encountered in mobile manipulator robots, but often neglected, with the objective of improving the overall accuracy of end-effector pose estimation. Firstly, after performing state-of-the-art geometric calibration of the arm, we propose two identifiable mathematical models to account for non-geometric effects: a model for the mobile base suspension system and a model of non-linear inaccuracies of joint angles estimates. The latter is due to backlash and misaligned encoders mounting. Then, the proposed models were experimentally validated on the mobile manipulator TIAGo using a stereophotogrammetric system. Overall, the end-effector pose accuracy was improved by 60% when compared to the nominal manufacturer model, with root mean square errors (RMSE) of 5.7 mm and 2.7 deg for positional and orientational errors, respectively.

Project Page PDF Code

Projects

FIGAROH+: A open-sourse python toolbox for robotic system identification

FIGAROH+: A open-sourse python toolbox for robotic system identification

2025

This toolbox provides a set of tools for system identification of robotic systems, including data collection, model fitting, and validation. It covers a wide range of robotic systems, including manipulators, mobile robots, and humanoids. Currently, it supports the following models: dynamic model (including joint friction, actuator inertia), kinematic model (including gear backlash, joint elasticity). It also provides various examples of system identification using external measurement sensors (camera, mocap), or even without any external sensors. The toolbox is designed to be easy to use and extend, making it suitable for both researchers and practitioners in the field of robotics.

Code