Student Talks
Factoring Scenes into 3D Structure and Style
Event Location: GHC 4405Abstract: Given a single image of a scene, humans have few issues answering questions about its 3D structure like “is this facing upwards?” even though mathematically speaking this should be impossible. We have similarly have few issues accounting for this 3D structure in answering viewpoint independent questions like ``is this the same [...]
In-Field Parameter Selection for Perception Context Adaptation
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: Perception and state estimation are critical robot competencies that remain difficult to harden and generalize. This is due in part to the incredible complexity of modern perception systems which are commonly comprised of dozens of components with hundreds of parameters overall. Selecting a configuration of parameters relies on a human's understanding [...]
Direct Pose Estimation and Refinement
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: We study a fundamental question in pose estimation from vision-only video data: should the pose of a camera be determined from fixed and known correspondences? Or should correspondences be simultaneously estimated alongside the pose? Determining pose from fixed correspondences is known as feature-based, where well-established tools from projective geometry are utilized [...]
Safe, Efficient, and Robust Predictive Control of Constrained Nonlinear Systems
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: As autonomous systems are deployed in increasingly complex and uncertain environments, safe, accurate, and robust feedback control techniques are required to ensure reliable operation. Accurate trajectory tracking is essential to complete a variety of tasks, but this may be difficult if the system’s dynamics change online, e.g., due to environmental effects [...]
The Optical Coherence Tomography Microsurgical Augmented Reality System (OCT-MARS): a novel device for microsurgeries
Event Location: NSH 3305Abstract: We describe the development and testing of the Optical Coherence Tomography Microsurgical Augmented Reality System (OCT-MARS). This system allows surgeons to view real-time medical image data as an in-situ overlay within the surgical field. There are a number of clinical applications for which real time, in situ visualization of otherwise transparent [...]
Expressive Motion for Low Degree-of-Freedom Robots
Event Location: GHC 4405Abstract: As social and collaborative robots move into everyday life, the need for algorithms enabling their acceptance becomes critical. People parse non-verbal communications intuitively, even from machines that do not look like people, thus, expressive motion is a natural and efficient way to communicate with people. This work presents a computational Expressive [...]
Algorithms, Implementation, and Studies on Eating with a Shared Control Robot Arm
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: People with upper extremity disabilities are gaining increased independence through the use of assisted devices such as wheelchair-mounted robotic arms. However, the increased capability and dexterity of these robotic arms also makes them challenging to control through accessible interfaces like joysticks, sip-and-puff, and buttons that are lower-dimensional than the control space [...]
Completing Manipulation Tasks Efficiently in Complex Environments
Event Location: NSH 3305Abstract: An effective autonomous robot performing dangerous or menial tasks will need to act under significant time and energy constraints. At task time, the amount of effort a robot spends planning its motion directly detracts from its total performance. Manipulation tasks, however, present challenges to efficient motion planning. Tightly coupled steps (e.g. [...]
Decision-Theoretic User Modeling for Human-Robot Mutual Adaptation
Event Location: GHC 4405Abstract: In many application domains, robots co-exist in the same physical space with humans and aim to become trustworthy partners. We particularly envision personal robots arranging furniture with a human partner, manufacturing robots performing spar assembly with human co-workers, or rehabilitation robots assisting spinal cord injury patients. In such collaborative settings, humans [...]
Data-Driven Statistical Models of Robotic Manipulation
Event Location: NSH 3305Abstract: Improving robotic manipulation is critical for robots to be actively useful in real-world factories and homes. While some success has been shown in simulation and controlled environments, robots are slow, clumsy, and not general or robust enough when interacting with their environment. By contrast, humans effortlessly manipulate objects. One possible reason [...]