PhD Thesis Defense
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Visual Representation and Recognition without Human Supervision

NSH 4305

Abstract: The advent of deep learning based artificial perception models has revolutionized the field of computer vision. These methods take advantage of the ever growing computational capacity of machines and the abundance of human-annotated data to build supervised learners for a wide-range of visual tasks. However, the reliance on human-annotated is also a bottleneck for [...]

PhD Speaking Qualifier
PhD Student
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Design, Modeling and Control for a Tilt-rotor VTOL UAV in the Presence of Actuator Failure

Abstract: Providing both the vertical take-off and landing capabilities and the ability to fly long distances to aircraft opens the door to a wide range of new real-world aircraft applications while improving many existing applications. Tiltrotor vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a better choice than fixed-wing and multirotor aircraft for [...]

PhD Thesis Proposal
PhD Student
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Large Scale Dense 3D Reconstruction via Sparse Representations

Abstract: Scene reconstruction systems take in (3D) videos as input, and output 3D models with associated poses for inputs. With the demand of 3D content generation, the technique has been drastically evolving in recent years. For professionals equipped with depth sensors, efficient dense reconstruction systems have become available to efficiently recover scene geometry. For ordinary [...]

PhD Thesis Defense
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Learning Multi-Modal Navigation in Unstructured Environments

Abstract: A robot that operates efficiently in a team with humans in an unstructured outdoor environment must translate commands into actions from a modality intuitive to its operator. The robot must be able to perceive the world as humans do so that the actions taken by the robot reflect the nuances of natural language and [...]

PhD Speaking Qualifier
PhD Student
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Lessons Learned from Creating Low-Cost Dexterous Soft Robot Hands

NSH 4305

Abstract: Soft robot hands have shown promising results when it comes to dexterous grasping and manipulation. Compared to their rigid counterparts, soft hands can be manufactured for a fraction of the cost and offer robustness to uncertainty due to their inherent compliance. Unfortunately, the design and fabrication of soft robot hands is still a time-consuming [...]

PhD Speaking Qualifier
PhD Student
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Modern Trajectory Forecasting Methods Lack Social Awareness

NSH 4305

Abstract: We present a thorough evaluation and analysis of state-of-the-art (SOTA) human trajectory forecasting methods with respect to metrics for safe and socially-aware prediction, e.g., collision rate, in addition to traditional displacement metrics, e.g., average displacement error. First, we introduce a system for trajectory classification which is used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of [...]

MSR Speaking Qualifier
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Vision-based Aircraft Detection and Tracking for Detect-and-Avoid

NSH 4305

Abstract: Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) capabilities are critical for autonomous operations of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). Traditionally DAA systems for large aircraft have been ground and radar-based. Due to the size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints of sUAS, current DAA systems rely mainly on vision-based sensors and ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) transponders. However, not all flying [...]

PhD Thesis Proposal
Extern
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Teaching Agent Reward Functions via Demonstrations for Human Inverse Reinforcement Learning

NSH 4305

Abstract: For intelligent agents (e.g. robots) to be seamlessly integrated into human society, humans must be able to understand their decision making. For example, the decision making of autonomous cars must be clear to the engineers certifying their safety, passengers riding them, and nearby drivers negotiating the road simultaneously. As an agent's decision making can [...]

PhD Speaking Qualifier
PhD Student
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Learning to perform dynamic and interactive tasks using structural and algorithmic priors

NSH 3002

Abstract: Everyday human tasks such as picking up an object in one smooth motion, pushing a heavy door using the momentum of our bodies or pushing off a wall to quickly turn a corner involve complex dynamic interactions between the human and the environment, as well as switching dynamics when the robot makes and breaks [...]

PhD Speaking Qualifier
PhD Student
Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University

Simple Shape Descriptors for Retinal Surface Estimation using a Laser-Aiming Beam

Abstract: Retinal surgery procedures like epiretinal membrane peeling and retinal vein cannulation require surgeons to manipulate very delicate structures in the eye with little room for error. Many robotic surgery systems have been developed to help surgeons and enforce safeguards during these demanding procedures. One essential piece of information that is required to create and [...]