RI Seminar
Formal Synthesis for Robots
Abstract: In this talk I will describe how formal methods such as synthesis – automatically creating a system from a formal specification – can be leveraged to design robots, explain and provide guarantees for their behavior, and even identify skills they might be missing. I will discuss the benefits and challenges of synthesis techniques and [...]
Extreme Motions in Biological and Engineered Systems
Abstract: Dr. Temel’s work mainly focuses on understanding the dynamics and energetics of extreme motions in small-scale natural and synthetic systems. Small-scale biological systems achieve extraordinary accelerations, speeds, and forces that can be repeated with minimal costs throughout the life of the organism. Zeynep uses analytical and computational models as well as physical prototypes to learn about these systems, test [...]
CANCELLED
Yes, That’s a Robot in Your Grocery Store. Now what?
Abstract: Retail stores are becoming ground zero for indoor robotics. Fleet of different robots have to coexist with each others and humans every day, navigating safely, coordinating missions, and interacting appropriately with people, all at large scale. For us roboticists, stores are giant labs where we're learning what doesn't work and iterating. If we get [...]
CANCELLED
Abstract: Before learning robots can be deployed in the real world, it is critical that probabilistic guarantees can be made about the safety and performance of such systems. In recent years, safe reinforcement learning algorithms have enjoyed success in application areas with high-quality models and plentiful data, but robotics remains a challenging domain for scaling [...]
Optimizing for coordination with people
https://youtu.be/AQ-w5o2oGI8 Abstract: From autonomous cars to quadrotors to mobile manipulators, robots need to co-exist and even collaborate with humans. In this talk, we will explore how our formalism for decision making needs to change to account for this interaction, and dig our heels into the subtleties of modeling human behavior -- sometimes strategic, often irrational, [...]
Scaling Probabilistically Safe Learning to Robotics
Abstract: Before learning robots can be deployed in the real world, it is critical that probabilistic guarantees can be made about the safety and performance of such systems. In recent years, safe reinforcement learning algorithms have enjoyed success in application areas with high-quality models and plentiful data, but robotics remains a challenging domain for [...]
From kinematic to energetic design and control of wearable robots for agile human locomotion
Abstract: Even with the help of modern prosthetic and orthotic (P&O) devices, lower-limb amputees and stroke survivors often struggle to walk in the home and community. Emerging powered P&O devices could actively assist patients to enable greater mobility, but these devices are currently designed to produce a small set of pre-defined motions. Finite state machines [...]
The World’s Tiniest Space Program
Abstract: The aerospace industry has experienced a dramatic shift over the last decade: Flying a spacecraft has gone from something only national governments and large defense contractors could afford to something a small startup can accomplish on a shoestring budget. A virtuous cycle has developed where lower costs have led to more launches and the [...]
A future with affordable Self-driving vehicles
(Video to appear once approved) Abstract: We are on the verge of a new era in which robotics and artificial intelligence will play an important role in our daily lives. Self-driving vehicles have the potential to redefine transportation as we understand it today. Our roads will become safer and less congested, while parking spots will be repurposed as leisure [...]