chore: release 1.4.4

[github-actions]

🤖 I have created a release beep boop

1.4.4 (2026-09-20)

Features

• urdf: Panda(use_robot_descriptions=True) option; doc the tradeoff (#687) (124882b)

Bug Fixes

• dhrobot: ikine_6s undoes the tool transform on the wrong side (#680) (9fbffc6), closes #640
• docs: mock bdsim imports so blocks pages render in docs CI (436e1f3)
• examples: call joint_velocity_damper with keyword args (#690) (95ac98e)
• examples: call joint_velocity_damper with keyword args in fetch_vision.py (#695) (7aa2d31)
• joint_velocity_damper: fix bug in q usage (#666) (8246559)
• kinematics: self.tool now applies by default; ik_LM/ik_NR/ik_GN/ikine_XX gain a tool= kwarg (#697) (61d078f)
• link_collision_damper (#685) (c040522)
• preserve joint types and limits in numerical IK (e122ccb)
• rne: attribute a sandwiched static link's mass to its preceding joint, not the following one (#693) (bebede0)
• rne: don't crash when a joint's kinematic parent is a base-mounted static link (#696) (dba179e)
• rne: propagate backward-pass force through the correct transform direction (#691) (a80c9c1)
• rne: trailing static links after the last joint had their mass dropped (#684) (0d76187)
• rtbtool: drop stray quote in banner's import line (#678) (b36c398)
• urdf: resolve UR5's gripper link by name, not a raw index (#683) (12ba598), closes #578

Documentation

• models: credit robot_descriptions in the 8 model classes that use it (#681) (5dc8618)
• models: note UR10's near-singular inertia matrix is manufacturer data (#682) (97b0a3f)
• readme: move research applications section to the wiki (#689) (8facc5e)

Miscellaneous

• release as 1.4.4 (758a81b)

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[codecov]

Codecov Report

✅ All modified and coverable lines are covered by tests.
✅ Project coverage is 0.00%. Comparing base (436e1f3) to head (4285262).

Additional details and impacted files

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  Coverage   0.00%   0.00%           
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  Files        143     143           
  Lines      14093   14093           
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  Misses     14093   14093           

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[github-actions]

🤖 Created releases:

• v1.4.4

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