Student Talks
Learning Generalizable Robot Skills for Dynamic and Interactive Tasks
Abstract: Enabling robots to perform complex dynamic tasks such as picking up an object in one sweeping motion or pushing off a wall to quickly turn a corner is a challenging problem. The dynamic interactions implicit in these tasks are critical for successful task execution. Furthermore, given the interactive nature of such tasks, safety, in [...]
Customizing Large-scale Text-to-Image Models
Abstract: Advancements in large-scale generative models represent a watershed moment. These models can generate a wide variety of objects and scenes with different styles and compositions. However, these models are trained on a fixed snapshot of available data and often contain copyrighted or private images. This assumption makes them lacking in two aspects – (a) [...]
Building Robot Hands and Teaching Dexterity
Abstract: Our shared dream is to have robot humanoids with hands complete similar tasks that humans do. While there are a few robot hands available today, the popular opinion is that they are difficult to use, expensive, and hard to obtain which precludes their ubiquitous usage. We argue that this is not an inherent problem [...]
How to Design Robotic Hands That Wield Tools
Abstract: Tool manipulation is an essential human skill. It extends our manipulation capability beyond the capability of the biological hand, and is a defining feature of many important jobs centered on physical interaction with the real world. Yet, wielding a tool is drastically different from generally grasping an object. The prime examples are pens and [...]
Learning Local Heuristics in Heuristic Search
Abstract: Motion planning is a fundamental problem in robotics; how can we move robots efficiently and safely? Motion planning can be solved using several paradigms with their own strengths and weaknesses. This talk dives into Heuristic Graph Search and its application to motion planning by converting it to a problem of finding a start-goal path [...]
Low-Cost Multimodal Sensing and Dexterity for Deformable Object Manipulation
Abstract: To integrate robots seamlessly into daily life, they must be able to handle a variety of tasks in diverse environments, like assisting in hospitals or cooking in kitchens. Many of the items in these environments are deformable such as bedding in hospitals or vegetables in kitchens, and a certain level of dexterity is necessary [...]
Joint 2D and 3D Semi-Supervised Object Detection
Abstract: While numerous 3D detection works leverage the complementary relationship between RGB images and point clouds, developments in the broader framework of semi-supervised object recognition remain uninfluenced by multi-modal fusion. Current methods develop independent pipelines for 2D and 3D semi-supervised learning despite the availability of paired image and point cloud frames. Observing that the distinct [...]
New Methods for Satellite Control
Abstract: Since 2003, the number of satellites launched into orbit has grown from 100 per year to over 2000 per year. Over that same timeframe, incredible advances have been made in control systems for terrestrial robotics and autonomy. Despite the increased quantity of satellites in orbit and the advances made in terrestrial control systems, satellite [...]
[MSR Thesis Talk] Development and Testing of a Software Stack for an Autonomous Racing Vehicle
Abstract: Autonomous racing aims to replicate the human racecar driver with software and sensors. As in traditional motorsports, Autonomous Racing Vehicles (ARVs) are pushed to their dynamic limits in multi-agent scenarios at high (>= 100mph) speeds. This Operational Design Domain (ODD) presents unique challenges across the autonomy stack. The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) is an [...]
[MSR Thesis Talk] Kitchen Robot Case Studies: Learning Manipulation Tasks from Human Video Demonstrations
Abstract: The vision of integrating a robot into the kitchen, capable of acting as a chef, remains a sought-after goal in robotics. Current robotic systems, mostly programmed for specific tasks, fall short in versatility and adaptability to a diverse culinary environment. While significant progress has been made in robotic learning, with advancements in behavior cloning, [...]