Improving Memory for Optimization and Learning in Dynamic Environments
Event Location: NSH 1507Abstract: Many problems considered in optimization and artificial intelligence research are static: information about the problem is known a priori, and little to no uncertainty about this information is presumed to exist. Most real problems, however, are dynamic: information about the problem is released over time, uncertain events may occur, or the [...]
Graph Planning for Environmental Coverage
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: Tasks such as street mapping and security surveillance seek a route that traverses a given space to perform a function. These task functions may involve mapping the space for accurate modeling, sensing the space for unusual activity, or searching the space for objects. When these tasks are performed autonomously by robots, [...]
Attention-guided Augmentation of Animations, Stills, and Videos
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: Artists who work with visual media consider what a viewer will look at, how their attention will flow across the scene. They understand that attention is a limited resource and train themselves to use this resource well. In this thesis, our key insight is that algorithms to digitally manipulate artist-created visual [...]
Brain-Computer Interface Control of an Anthropomorphic Robotic Arm
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: This thesis describes a brain-computer interface (BCI) system that was developed to allow direct cortical control of 7 active degrees of freedom in a robotic arm. Two monkeys with chronic microelectrode implants in their motor cortices were able to use the arm to complete an oriented grasping task under brain control. [...]
Parallel Algorithms for Real-time Motion Planning
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: For decades, humans have dreamed of making cars that could drive themselves, so that travel would be less taxing, and the roads safer for everyone. Toward this goal, we have made strides in motion planning algorithms for autonomous cars, using a powerful new computing tool, the parallel graphics processing unit (GPU). [...]
Lightweight Robotic Excavation
Subtitle: The advantageous scaling of continuous excavator configurations, high payload ratio, and high driving speed
Event Location: NSH 1507Abstract: Excavating regolith, or loose soil, on the Moon and Mars enables outposts, fuel depots, and sustained space exploration. In space missions mass is always at a premium because it is the main driver behind launch costs. Low mass, especially when combined with reduced gravity, results in machines with limited weight available [...]
Probabilistic Reasoning and Learning on Permutations: Exploiting Structural Decompositions of the Symmetric Group
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: Probabilistic reasoning and learning with permutation data arises as a fundamental problem in myriad applications such as modeling preference rankings over objects (such as webpages), tracking multiple moving objects, reconstructing the temporal ordering of events from multiple imperfect accounts, and more. Since the number of permutations scales factorially with the number [...]
Recognizing and Interpreting Objects With the Visual Memex
Event Location: NSH 1305Abstract: Recognizing and reasoning about the objects found in an image is one of the key problems in computer vision. This thesis is based on the idea that in order to understand a novel object, it is often not enough to recognize the object category it belongs to (i.e., answering “What is [...]
A Framework for Manipulation in Cluttered Environments
Event Location: GHC 8102Abstract: We want our robots to work in human environments. However, human environments are cluttered and clutter creates problems for robotic manipulation. We propose to develop a framework for manipulation in highly cluttered environments. We propose to rearrange the environment using prehensile and non-prehensile actions. We present our preliminary work, a framework [...]
A Graph-Matching Kernel for Object Categorization
Event Location: NSH 1507Bio: Olivier Duchenne received the M.S. degree in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics in École Normale Supérieure (ENS), in Paris in 2008. He then joined as a phD candidate the research team, WILLOW in the same university under the supervision of professor Jean Ponce. He received the best student paper, honorable mention, [...]