Inference-stage Adaptation-projection Strategy Adapts Diffusion Policy to Cross-manipulators Scenarios
On the map: Diffusion models → Diffusion and flow policies for robotics
Abstract (arXiv)
Diffusion policies are powerful visuomotor models for robotic manipulation, yet they often fail to generalize to manipulators or end-effectors unseen during training and struggle to accommodate new task requirements at inference time. Addressing this typically requires costly data recollection and policy retraining for each new hardware or task configuration. To overcome this, we introduce an adaptation-projection strategy that enables a diffusion policy to perform zero-shot adaptation to novel manipulators and dynamic task settings, entirely at inference time and without any retraining. Our method first trains a diffusion policy in SE(3) space using demonstrations from a base manipulator. During online deployment, it projects the policy's generated trajectories to satisfy the kinematic and task-specific constraints imposed by the new hardware and objectives. Moreover, this projection dynamically adapts to physical differences (e.g., tool-center-point offsets, jaw widths) and task requirements (e.g., obstacle heights), ensuring robust and successful execution. We validate our approach on real-world pick-and-place, pushing, and pouring tasks across multiple manipulators, including the Franka Panda and Kuka iiwa 14, equipped with a diverse array of end-effectors like flexible grippers, Robotiq 2F/3F grippers, and various 3D-printed designs. Our results demonstrate consistently high success rates in these cross-manipulator scenarios, proving the effectiveness and practicality of our adaptation-projection strategy. The code will be released after peer review.
Key facts. Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Diffusion and flow policies for robotics, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models. Builds on 38 of its 43 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 15 Sep 2025.
Builds on
38 of 43 references.
Closest ancestors · 8
Same direction, newest first
- 2025Pick-and-place Manipulation Across Grippers Without Retraining: A Learning-optimization Diffusion Policy Approach21 Feb
- 2024Diffusion Predictive Control with Constraints12 Dec
- 2024Hierarchical Diffusion Policy for Kinematics-Aware Multi-Task Robotic Manipulation6 Mar
- 2023Reasoning with Latent Diffusion in Offline Reinforcement Learning12 Sep
- 2023Motion Planning Diffusion: Learning and Planning of Robot Motions with Diffusion Models3 Aug
- 2023Goal-Conditioned Imitation Learning using Score-based Diffusion Policies5 Apr
- 2023Diffusion Policy: Visuomotor Policy Learning via Action Diffusion7 Mar
- 2023AdaptDiffuser: Diffusion Models as Adaptive Self-evolving Planners3 Feb
Other references · 30
- 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 20,851
- 2020Denoising Diffusion Implicit Modelscited by 9,655
- 2022Classifier-Free Diffusion Guidancecited by 5,717
- 2022BC-Z: Zero-Shot Task Generalization with Robotic Imitation Learningcited by 517
- 2022PhysDiff: Physics-Guided Human Motion Diffusion Modelcited by 365
- 2024Scaling Proprioceptive-Visual Learning with Heterogeneous Pre-trained Transformerscited by 145
- 2021XIRL: Cross-embodiment Inverse Reinforcement Learningcited by 101
- 2024Physics-Informed Diffusion Modelscited by 88
- 2024Constrained Synthesis with Projected Diffusion Modelscited by 83
- 2022Diffusion Models Beat GANs on Topology Optimizationcited by 79
- 2025DemoGen: Synthetic Demonstration Generation for Data-Efficient Visuomotor Policy Learningcited by 64
- 2023Aligning Optimization Trajectories with Diffusion Models for Constrained Design Generationcited by 51
18 more
- 2024Mirage: Cross-Embodiment Zero-Shot Policy Transfer with Cross-Paintingcited by 35
- 2019Object-Centric Task and Motion Planning in Dynamic Environmentscited by 34
- 2024CoBL-Diffusion: Diffusion-Based Conditional Robot Planning in Dynamic Environments Using Control Barrier and Lyapunov Functionscited by 30
- 2023Polybot: Training One Policy Across Robots While Embracing Variabilitycited by 28
- 2023Bridging Language and Action: A Survey of Language-Conditioned Robot Manipulationcited by 21
- 2023Language-Conditioned Imitation Learning with Base Skill Priors under Unstructured Datacited by 20
- 2025Latent Action Diffusion for Cross-Embodiment Manipulationcited by 20
- 2025Dexonomy: Synthesizing All Dexterous Grasp Types in a Grasp Taxonomycited by 19
- 2022Meta-Reinforcement Learning via Language Instructionscited by 18
- 2024LEGATO: Cross-Embodiment Imitation Using a Grasping Toolcited by 18
- 2024Cross-Embodiment Robot Manipulation Skill Transfer using Latent Space Alignmentcited by 17
- 2022Learning from Symmetry: Meta-Reinforcement Learning with Symmetrical Behaviors and Language Instructionscited by 8
- 2022Transferring Implicit Knowledge of Non-Visual Object Properties Across Heterogeneous Robot Morphologiescited by 7
- 2024Diffusion for Multi-Embodiment Graspingcited by 6
- 2023Contact-aware Shaping and Maintenance of Deformable Linear Objects With Fixturescited by 4
- 2024Real-time Contact State Estimation in Shape Control of Deformable Linear Objects under Small Environmental Constraintscited by 1
- 2024Online Efficient Safety-Critical Control for Mobile Robots in Unknown Dynamic Multi-Obstacle Environmentscited by 1
- 2024Real-Time Adaptive Safety-Critical Control with Gaussian Processes in High-Order Uncertain Modelscited by 1
Built on by
Citing papers per year: 2025: 1; 2026: 1.
2 papers.
Similar, not cited
Close in wording, no citation either way
- 2025Real-Time Iteration Scheme for Diffusion Policy
- 2026VADF: Vision-Adaptive Diffusion Policy Framework for Efficient Robotic Manipulation
- 2026Grounding Generative Policies in Physics: Optimization-Guided Diffusion for Robot Control
- 2026Proxy Policy Steering ↗
- 2025CDP: Towards Robust Autoregressive Visuomotor Policy Learning via Causal Diffusion
- 2026VLS: Steering Pretrained Robot Policies via Vision-Language Models
- 2025ADPro: a Test-time Adaptive Diffusion Policy via Manifold-constrained Denoising and Task-aware Initialization for Robotic Manipulation
- 2025World4RL: Diffusion World Models for Policy Refinement with Reinforcement Learning for Robotic Manipulation