PhD Thesis Defense
Carnegie Mellon University
Compact Generative Models of Point Cloud Data for 3D Perception
Abstract: One of the most fundamental tasks for any robotics application is the ability to adequately assimilate and respond to incoming sensor data. In the case of 3D range sensing, modern-day sensors generate massive quantities of point cloud data that strain available computational resources. Dealing with large quantities of unevenly sampled 3D point data is [...]
Carnegie Mellon University
Mathematical Models of Adaptation in Human-Robot Collaboration
Abstract: While much work in human-robot interaction has focused on leader- follower teamwork models, the recent advancement of robotic systems that have access to vast amounts of information suggests the need for robots that take into account the quality of the human decision making and actively guide people towards better ways of doing their task. [...]
Carnegie Mellon University
Training Strategies for Time Series: Learning for Prediction, Filtering, and Reinforcement Learning
Abstract: Data driven approaches to modeling time-series are important in a variety of applications from market prediction in economics to the simulation of robotic systems. However, traditional supervised machine learning techniques designed for i.i.d. data often perform poorly on these sequential problems. This thesis proposes that time series and sequential prediction, whether for forecasting, filtering, [...]
Carnegie Mellon University
Planning for a Small Team of Heterogeneous Robots: from Collaborative Exploration to Collaborative Localization
Abstract: Robots have become increasingly adept at performing a wide variety of tasks in the world. However, many of these tasks can benefit tremendously from having more than a single robot simultaneously working on the problem. Multiple robots can aid in a search and rescue mission each scouting a subsection of the entire area in [...]
Carnegie Mellon University
Adaptive Motion Planning
Abstract: Mobile robots are increasingly being deployed in the real world in response to a heightened demand for applications such as transportation, delivery and inspection. The motion planning systems for these robots are expected to have consistent performance across the wide range of scenarios that they encounter. While state-of-the-art planners, with provable worst-case guarantees, can [...]
Carnegie Mellon University
Kernel and Moment based Prediction and Planning: Applications to Robotics and Natural Language Processing
Abstract This thesis focuses on moment and kernel-based methods for applications in Robotics and Natural Language Processing. Kernel and moment-based learning leverage information about correlated data that allow the design of compact representations and efficient learning algorithms. We explore kernel algorithms for planning by leveraging inherently continuous properties of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. We introduce [...]
Carnegie Mellon University
Harnessing Task Mechanics for Robotic Pushing and Grasping
Abstract: A high-fidelity and tractable mechanics model of physical interaction is essential for autonomous robotic manipulation in complex and uncertain environments. This thesis studies several aspects of harnessing task mechanics for robotic pushing and grasping operations: mechanics model learning, pose and model uncertainty reduction, and planning and control synthesis in the minimal coordinate space. We [...]
Learning Multi-Modal Navigation for Unmanned Ground Vehicles
The Event has been Postponed. Abstract: A robot that operates efficiently in a team with a human in an unstructured outdoor environment must be able to translate commands from a modality that is intuitive to its operator into actions. This capability is especially important as robots become ubiquitous and interact with untrained users. For this [...]
Carnegie Mellon University
Algorithms, Implementation, and Studies on Eating with a Shared Control Robot Arm
Abstract: 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 of the robot. [...]
Carnegie Mellon University
Foraging, Prospecting, and Falsification – Improving Three Aspects of Autonomous Science
Abstract: Robots exploring the subsurface ocean of Europa, for example, may not have reliable communications with scientists on Earth. Robots exploring with unreliable communications must conduct scientific exploration autonomously. Approaches to deliberative and opportunistic science autonomy that work in the laboratory may not work in the field. This thesis presents three algorithms designed to improve [...]