Data-Driven Geometric Scene Understanding
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: In this thesis, we describe a data-driven approach to leverage repositories of 3D models for scene understanding. Our ability to relate what we see in an image to a large collection of 3D models allows us to transfer information from these models, creating a rich understanding of the scene. We develop [...]
Towards Autonomous Control of Snake Robots
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: Snake robots are ideally suited to highly confined environments because their small cross-sections and highly redundant kinematics allow them to enter and move through tight spaces with a high degree of dexterity. Despite these theoretical advantages, snake robots also pose a number of practical challenges that have limited their usefulness in [...]
ATHLETE – A Space Robot for Large Payloads
Event Location: NSH 1305Bio: Brian Wilcox is the manager of Space Robotics Technology in the Solar System Exploration Directorate and is the Principal Investigator for ATHLETE – the All-Terrain, Hex-Limbed, Extra-Terrestrial Explorer. He was the supervisor of the JPL Robotic Vehicles Group for over 20 years, during which the group was responsible for planetary rover [...]
Shape for Contact
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: Given a desired function for an effector, what is its appropriate shape? This thesis addresses the problem of designing the shape of a rigid end effector to perform a given manipulation task. It presents three main contributions: First, it describes the kinematics of an effector as the combination of both its [...]
Small Image Sensors and Big Visual Data
Event Location: NSH 1305Bio: Li Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin. His research is in the areas of computer vision and graphics. He received his B.E. in Automation at Tsinghua University, P. R. China, and his PhD in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of [...]
Navigation, Guidance, and Adaptive Control Innovations for Unmanned Aircraft
Event Location: NSH 1305Bio: Eric N. Johnson (eric.johnson@ae.gatech.edu) is the Lockheed Martin Associate Professor of Avionics Integration, Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech. He received a B.S. degree from University of Washington, M.S. degrees from MIT and The George Washington University, and a Ph.D. from Georgia Tech, all in Aerospace Engineering. He also [...]
Multi-frame Data Association with Higher-Order Cost Functions
Event Location: NSH 1507Bio: Robert T. Collins received the Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1993. He is an associate professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at The Pennsylvania State University, where he co-directs the Lab for Perception, Action and Cognition (LPAC). Prior to joining Penn [...]
Advanced Sensing and Imaging Techniques for Automated Quality Inspection of Fruits and Vegetables
Event Location: Newell-Simon Hall 1109Bio: Weilin Wang is a doctoral candidate of the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. He received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from China Agricultural University in 2002 and his M.S. degree in Biological Engineering from the University of Georgia in 2010. His current doctoral research is focused [...]