mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Flow Matching Imitation Learning for Multi-Support Manipulation

arXiv 2407.12381 ↗First posted 17 Jul 2024cs.ROcited by 29

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

Abstract (arXiv)

Humanoid robots could benefit from using their upper bodies for support contacts, enhancing their workspace, stability, and ability to perform contact-rich and pushing tasks. In this paper, we propose a unified approach that combines an optimization-based multi-contact whole-body controller with Flow Matching, a recently introduced method capable of generating multi-modal trajectory distributions for imitation learning. In simulation, we show that Flow Matching is more appropriate for robotics than Diffusion and traditional behavior cloning. On a real full-size humanoid robot (Talos), we demonstrate that our approach can learn a whole-body non-prehensile box-pushing task and that the robot can close dishwasher drawers by adding contacts with its free hand when needed for balance. We also introduce a shared autonomy mode for assisted teleoperation, providing automatic contact placement for tasks not covered in the demonstrations. Full experimental videos are available at: https://hucebot.github.io/flow_multisupport_website/

Key facts. Cited by 29 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 19 of its 36 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 17 Jul 2024.

Builds on

19 of 36 references.

Closest ancestors · 1

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2023Learning Fine-Grained Bimanual Manipulation with Low-Cost Hardware23 Apr

Other references · 18

  1. 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 20,851
  2. 2020Denoising Diffusion Implicit Modelscited by 9,655
  3. 2022Flow Straight and Fast: Learning to Generate and Transfer Data with Rectified Flowcited by 3,550
  4. 2023Diffusion Policy: Visuomotor Policy Learning via Action Diffusioncited by 2,730
  5. 2018On the Continuity of Rotation Representations in Neural Networkscited by 1,186
  6. 2022Planning with Diffusion for Flexible Behavior Synthesiscited by 1,023
  7. 2022Building Normalizing Flows with Stochastic Interpolantscited by 964
  8. 2023Stochastic Interpolants: A Unifying Framework for Flows and Diffusionscited by 897
  9. 2023Diffusion Models for Reinforcement Learning: A Surveycited by 84
  10. 2024Riemannian Flow Matching Policy for Robot Motion Learningcited by 61
  11. 2024AdaFlow: Imitation Learning with Variance-Adaptive Flow-Based Policiescited by 50
  12. 2021Non-prehensile Planar Manipulation via Trajectory Optimization with Complementarity Constraintscited by 13
6 more
  1. 2023Nonprehensile Planar Manipulation through Reinforcement Learning with Multimodal Categorical Explorationcited by 6
  2. 2022Collaborative Bimanual Manipulation Using Optimal Motion Adaptation and Interaction Controlcited by 4
  3. 2022Multi-Contact Motion Retargeting using Whole-body Optimization of Full Kinematics and Sequential Force Equilibriumcited by 4
  4. 2023Multi-Contact Whole-Body Force Control for Position-Controlled Robotscited by 4
  5. 2021Humanoid Control Under Interchangeable Fixed and Sliding Unilateral Contactscited by 1
  6. 2023Feasibility Retargeting for Multi-contact Teleoperation and Physical Interactioncited by 1

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2024: 7; 2025: 14; 2026: 8.

29 papers.

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  1. 2024FlowPolicy: Enabling Fast and Robust 3D Flow-based Policy via Consistency Flow Matching for Robot Manipulationcited by 99
  2. 2024Learning Robotic Manipulation Policies from Point Clouds with Conditional Flow Matchingcited by 63
  3. 2024Affordance-based Robot Manipulation with Flow Matchingcited by 54
  4. 2025Can We Detect Failures Without Failure Data? Uncertainty-Aware Runtime Failure Detection for Imitation Learning Policiescited by 49
  5. 2025Diffusion Models for Robotic Manipulation: A Surveycited by 39
  6. 2025VITA: Vision-to-Action Flow Matching Policycited by 23
  7. 2024Fast and Robust Visuomotor Riemannian Flow Matching Policycited by 18
  8. 2025GenPO: Generative Diffusion Models Meet On-Policy Reinforcement Learningcited by 16
  9. 2025FreqPolicy: Efficient Flow-based Visuomotor Policy via Frequency Consistencycited by 13
  10. 2024Score and Distribution Matching Policy: Advanced Accelerated Visuomotor Policies via Matched Distillationcited by 12
  11. 2025X-IL: Exploring the Design Space of Imitation Learning Policiescited by 9
  12. 2025VFP: Variational Flow-Matching Policy for Multi-Modal Robot Manipulationcited by 9
17 more
  1. 2025Look, Focus, Act: Efficient and Robust Robot Learning via Human Gaze and Foveated Vision Transformerscited by 8
  2. 2024Local Flow Matching Generative Modelscited by 5
  3. 2026One-Step Flow Policy: Self-Distillation for Fast Visuomotor Policiescited by 5
  4. 2026From Abstraction to Instantiation: Learning Behavioral Representation for Vision-Language-Action Modelcited by 5
  5. 2025UniConFlow: A Unified Constrained Flow-Matching Framework for Certified Motion Planningcited by 4
  6. 2025Extremum Flow Matching for Offline Goal Conditioned Reinforcement Learningcited by 3
  7. 2025Robotic Manipulation via Imitation Learning: Taxonomy, Evolution, Benchmark, and Challengescited by 3
  8. 2025Dense-Jump Flow Matching with Non-Uniform Time Scheduling for Robotic Policies: Mitigating Multi-Step Inference Degradationcited by 1
  9. 2026PRISM: Performer RS-IMLE for Single-pass Multisensory Imitation Learningcited by 1
  10. 2026GenPO++: Generative Policy Optimization with Jacobian-free Likelihood Ratioscited by 1
  11. 2024Words2Contact: Identifying Support Contacts from Verbal Instructions Using Foundation Modelscited by 0
  12. 2025Decision Flow Policy Optimizationcited by 0
  13. 2025Towards Safe Imitation Learning via Potential Field-Guided Flow Matchingcited by 0
  14. 2026Native Extrapolation Awareness in Flow-Based Conditional Generationcited by 0
  15. 2026Visual Prompt Guided Unified Pushing Policycited by 0
  16. 2026Trajectory-Consistent Flow Matching for Robust Visuomotor Policy Learningcited by 0
  17. 2026DROM: A Language-Guided Diffusion Framework for Multi-Skill Robotic Manipulationcited by 0

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2025Coordinated Humanoid Manipulation with Choice Policies
  2. 2025ManiFlow: A General Robot Manipulation Policy via Consistency Flow Training
  3. 2026InterMimicGen: Scaling Humanoid Loco-Manipulation through Self-Evolving Motion Imitation
  4. 2025Humanoid Locomotion and Manipulation: Current Progress and Challenges in Control, Planning, and Learning
  5. 2025TWIST: Teleoperated Whole-Body Imitation System
  6. 2025TACT: Humanoid Whole-body Contact Manipulation through Deep Imitation Learning with Tactile Modality
  7. 2026HumanoidMimicGen: Data Generation for Loco-Manipulation via Whole-Body Planning
  8. 2025Interactive Imitation Learning for Dexterous Robotic Manipulation: Challenges and Perspectives -- A Survey