mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Deep Imitation Learning for Bimanual Robotic Manipulation

arXiv 2010.05134 ↗First posted 11 Oct 2020cs.RO cs.AI cs.LGcited by 49

On the map: Offline RL and imitation learning from data → Robot manipulation imitation learning

Abstract (arXiv)

We present a deep imitation learning framework for robotic bimanual manipulation in a continuous state-action space. A core challenge is to generalize the manipulation skills to objects in different locations. We hypothesize that modeling the relational information in the environment can significantly improve generalization. To achieve this, we propose to (i) decompose the multi-modal dynamics into elemental movement primitives, (ii) parameterize each primitive using a recurrent graph neural network to capture interactions, and (iii) integrate a high-level planner that composes primitives sequentially and a low-level controller to combine primitive dynamics and inverse kinematics control. Our model is a deep, hierarchical, modular architecture. Compared to baselines, our model generalizes better and achieves higher success rates on several simulated bimanual robotic manipulation tasks. We open source the code for simulation, data, and models at: https://github.com/Rose-STL-Lab/HDR-IL.

Key facts. Cited by 49 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Robot manipulation imitation learning, one of 13 directions in Offline RL and imitation learning from data. Builds on 22 of its 41 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 11 Oct 2020.

Builds on

22 of 41 references.

Closest ancestors · 1

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2018One-Shot Hierarchical Imitation Learning of Compound Visuomotor Tasks25 Oct

Other references · 21

  1. 2017Graph Attention Networkscited by 8,854
  2. 2014Sequence to Sequence Learning with Neural Networkscited by 2,974
  3. 2014On the Properties of Neural Machine Translation: Encoder-Decoder Approachescited by 1,303
  4. 2018An Algorithmic Perspective on Imitation Learningcited by 455
  5. 2017Deep Imitation Learning for Complex Manipulation Tasks from Virtual Reality Teleoperationcited by 286
  6. 2017One-Shot Visual Imitation Learning via Meta-Learningcited by 225
  7. 2019Contrastive Learning of Structured World Modelscited by 206
  8. 2017Imitation from Observation: Learning to Imitate Behaviors from Raw Video via Context Translationcited by 167
  9. 2018Flexible Neural Representation for Physics Predictioncited by 91
  10. 2018Hierarchical Imitation and Reinforcement Learningcited by 88
  11. 2018Deep Imitative Models for Flexible Inference, Planning, and Controlcited by 75
  12. 2015Deep Reinforcement Learning in Parameterized Action Spacecited by 65
9 more
  1. 2015Reinforcement Learning with Parameterized Actionscited by 61
  2. 2018Parametrized Deep Q-Networks Learning: Reinforcement Learning with Discrete-Continuous Hybrid Action Spacecited by 54
  3. 2019Efficient Bimanual Manipulation Using Learned Task Schemascited by 44
  4. 2017DDCO: Discovery of Deep Continuous Options for Robot Learning from Demonstrationscited by 43
  5. 2019Dynamics Learning with Cascaded Variational Inference for Multi-Step Manipulationcited by 22
  6. 2013Hierarchical Solution of Markov Decision Processes using Macro-actionscited by 19
  7. 2018Object-Oriented Dynamics Predictorcited by 15
  8. 2018Hierarchical Approaches for Reinforcement Learning in Parameterized Action Spacecited by 15
  9. 2019Hierarchical Variational Imitation Learning of Control Programscited by 5

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2021: 5; 2022: 4; 2023: 9; 2024: 15; 2025: 13; 2026: 3.

49 papers.

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  1. 2023Learning Fine-Grained Bimanual Manipulation with Low-Cost Hardwarecited by 1,490
  2. 2024RDT-1B: a Diffusion Foundation Model for Bimanual Manipulationcited by 670
  3. 2023Multi-Stage Cable Routing through Hierarchical Imitation Learningcited by 59
  4. 2021FabricFlowNet: Bimanual Cloth Manipulation with a Flow-based Policycited by 54
  5. 2023Deep Imitation Learning for Humanoid Loco-manipulation through Human Teleoperationcited by 49
  6. 2023Stabilize to Act: Learning to Coordinate for Bimanual Manipulationcited by 36
  7. 2021Transformer-based deep imitation learning for dual-arm robot manipulationcited by 31
  8. 2024VoxAct-B: Voxel-Based Acting and Stabilizing Policy for Bimanual Manipulationcited by 21
  9. 2024Bi-VLA: Vision-Language-Action Model-Based System for Bimanual Robotic Dexterous Manipulationscited by 20
  10. 2024Play to the Score: Stage-Guided Dynamic Multi-Sensory Fusion for Robotic Manipulationcited by 19
  11. 2022DualAfford: Learning Collaborative Visual Affordance for Dual-gripper Manipulationcited by 18
  12. 2025Dexterous Manipulation through Imitation Learning: A Surveycited by 18
37 more
  1. 2022Interactive Imitation Learning of Bimanual Movement Primitivescited by 17
  2. 2024Bi-KVIL: Keypoints-based Visual Imitation Learning of Bimanual Manipulation Taskscited by 16
  3. 2024ScrewMimic: Bimanual Imitation from Human Videos with Screw Space Projectioncited by 16
  4. 2024AnyBimanual: Transferring Unimanual Policy for General Bimanual Manipulationcited by 15
  5. 2021Wish you were here: Hindsight Goal Selection for long-horizon dexterous manipulationcited by 13
  6. 2025Responsive Noise-Relaying Diffusion Policy: Responsive and Efficient Visuomotor Controlcited by 13
  7. 2025Think Small, Act Big: Primitive Prompt Learning for Lifelong Robot Manipulationcited by 13
  8. 2022Knowledge-augmented Deep Learning and Its Applications: A Surveycited by 10
  9. 2025TwinVLA: Data-Efficient Bimanual Manipulation with Twin Single-Arm Vision-Language-Action Modelscited by 10
  10. 2025SafeBimanual: Diffusion-based Trajectory Optimization for Safe Bimanual Manipulationcited by 9
  11. 2024A Comparison of Imitation Learning Algorithms for Bimanual Manipulationcited by 8
  12. 2023A Hierarchical Graph-based Approach for Recognition and Description Generation of Bimanual Actions in Videoscited by 7
  13. 2024APEX: Ambidextrous Dual-Arm Robotic Manipulation Using Collision-Free Generative Diffusion Modelscited by 7
  14. 2025One-Shot Dual-Arm Imitation Learningcited by 7
  15. 2023Graph learning in robotics: a surveycited by 5
  16. 2024BiKC: Keypose-Conditioned Consistency Policy for Bimanual Robotic Manipulationcited by 5
  17. 2026SkillVLA: Tackling Combinatorial Diversity in Dual-Arm Manipulation via Skill Reusecited by 5
  18. 2024ManiBox: Enhancing Embodied Spatial Generalization via Scalable Simulation Data Generationscited by 4
  19. 2024Equivariant Action Sampling for Reinforcement Learning and Planningcited by 4
  20. 2025D-CODA: Diffusion for Coordinated Dual-Arm Data Augmentationcited by 4
  21. 2021DAIR: Disentangled Attention Intrinsic Regularization for Safe and Efficient Bimanual Manipulationcited by 3
  22. 2022Leveraging Haptic Feedback to Improve Data Quality and Quantity for Deep Imitation Learning Modelscited by 3
  23. 2025BiAssemble: Learning Collaborative Affordance for Bimanual Geometric Assemblycited by 3
  24. 2023Learning from Pixels with Expert Observationscited by 2
  25. 2023Cloud-Based Hierarchical Imitation Learning for Scalable Transfer of Construction Skills from Human Workers to Assisting Robotscited by 2
  26. 2024Edge Graph Intelligence: Reciprocally Empowering Edge Networks with Graph Intelligencecited by 2
  27. 2025Towards a Generalizable Bimanual Foundation Policy via Flow-based Video Predictioncited by 2
  28. 2025Information-Theoretic Graph Fusion with Vision-Language-Action Model for Policy Reasoning and Dual Robotic Controlcited by 2
  29. 2025Masked Generative Policy for Robotic Controlcited by 2
  30. 2025Learning human-to-robot handovers through 3D scene reconstructioncited by 1
  31. 2025ROPA: Synthetic Robot Pose Generation for RGB-D Bimanual Data Augmentationcited by 1
  32. 2026CUBic: Coordinated Unified Bimanual Perception and Control Frameworkcited by 1
  33. 2021WFA-IRL: Inverse Reinforcement Learning of Autonomous Behaviors Encoded as Weighted Finite Automatacited by 0
  34. 2023Imitator Learning: Achieve Out-of-the-Box Imitation Ability in Variable Environmentscited by 0
  35. 2024Cross-Embodied Affordance Transfer through Learning Affordance Equivalencescited by 0
  36. 2024Unpacking the Individual Components of Diffusion Policycited by 0
  37. 2026Bimanual Robot Manipulation via Multi-Agent In-Context Learningcited by 0

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2024PerAct2: Benchmarking and Learning for Robotic Bimanual Manipulation Tasks
  2. 2025Learning Bimanual Manipulation via Action Chunking and Inter-Arm Coordination with Transformers
  3. 2025Learning Coordinated Bimanual Manipulation Policies using State Diffusion and Inverse Dynamics Models
  4. 2022A System for Imitation Learning of Contact-Rich Bimanual Manipulation Policies
  5. 2024Planning-Guided Diffusion Policy Learning for Generalizable Contact-Rich Bimanual Manipulation
  6. 2026RoTri-Diff: A Spatial Robot-Object Triadic Interaction-Guided Diffusion Model for Bimanual Manipulation
  7. 2024ALPHA-α and Bi-ACT Are All You Need: Importance of Position and Force Information/Control for Imitation Learning of Unimanual and Bimanual Robotic Manipulation with Low-Cost System
  8. 2025SViP: Sequencing Bimanual Visuomotor Policies with Object-Centric Motion Primitives