Event Location: NSH 1305
Bio: Devin Balkcom is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Dartmouth College. Balkcom’s primary research interest is in robotic manipulation, focusing on the manipulation of flexible materials including cloth, paper, and string. Balkcom received his Ph.D. in 2004 from the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute, advised by Matthew T. Mason.

Abstract: Theory and practice are tightly coupled in robotics. New practical robot designs force examination of underlying geometry, and new theoretical results lead to more creative and effective mechanisms and algorithms. Even if we could build a ten-fingered robot with touch sensitive skin everywhere and binocular vision, we would not know how to program it to fold laundry or tie knots.

In this talk, I will present a few fundamental geometric problems in robotics. By the end of the talk, you will be able to construct fastest paths for rigid bodies in the plane, build a fingerless and sensorless robot to tie knots, and grasp polygonal cloth with the minimum number of fingers.