Vector Map-Based, Non-Markov Localization for Long-Term Deployment of Autonomous Mobile Robots
Event Location: GHC 4405Abstract: As robots become increasingly available and capable, there has been an increased interest in having robots continue to perform autonomously over time despite changes in their environment. This thesis recognizes the wide variations in the applications and constraints of mobile robot localization in human environments, and proposes a number of localization [...]
Evaluation of Decentralized Reactive Swing-Leg Controllers on Powered Robotic Legs
Event Location: NSH 1507Abstract: We present work to transfer decentralized neuromuscular control strategies of human locomotion to powered segmented robotic legs. State-of-the-art robotic locomotion control approaches, like centralized planning and tracking in fully robotic systems and predefined motion pattern replay in prosthetic systems, do not enable the dynamism and reactiveness of able-bodied humans. Animals largely [...]
A Team Planning Language with Markup for Usage Adaptation
Event Location: NSH 1507Abstract: As robots become more reliable and user interfaces (UI) become more powerful, human-robot-agent teams are being applied to an increasing number of real world problems. Common areas of interest for these teams include scientific investigation, surveillance, disaster response, and search and rescue. These systems often employ a set of high level [...]
Decoupling Algorithms from the Organization of Computation for High-Performance Image Processing
Event Location: NSH 1507Bio: Jonathan Ragan-Kelley is a post-doctoral researcher at Stanford, where he works with Pat Hanrahan. He recently finished his PhD in computer science at MIT, where he worked with Frédo Durand and Saman Amarasinghe. His work focuses on high-efficiency computer graphics, at the intersection of graphics with systems, architecture, and compilers. He [...]
Creative Robotic Systems for Talent-Based Learning
Event Location: GHC 4405Abstract: In recent years, the U.S. educational system has fallen short in training the technology innovators of the future. To do so, we must give students the experience of designing and creating technological artifacts, rather than relegating students to the role of technology consumers, and must provide students with engineering activities that [...]
Online Hierarchical Optimization for Humanoid Control
Event Location: NSH 3305Abstract: This thesis proposal presents an online approach that is based on hierarchical optimization for controlling humanoid robots. While our primary focus is on developing a fast and robust walking system that is able to follow desired footsteps, full body manipulation capability is also achieved. The proposed hierarchical system consists of three [...]
Expressive Motion for Low Degree of Freedom Robots
Event Location: NSH 3305Abstract: As social and collaborative robots move into everyday life, the need for algorithms enabling their acceptance becomes critical. The proposed work will create a framework for Expressive Motion generation that allows a robot to use modified task motions to communicate its state naturally and efficiently, including mental state, task state, and [...]
Visual Representation and Metrics for Face Classification with Image Sets
Event Location: NSH 1507Bio: Shiguang Shan is now a visiting scholar with Dr. Alex Hauptmann at CMU. He received Ph.D. degree in computer science from the Institute of Computing Technology (ICT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China, in 2004. He then joined ICT, CAS and has been a Professor since 2010. He is now [...]
Learning a Recurrent Visual Representation for Image Caption Generation
Event Location: NSH 1507Bio: Xinlei Chen is a PhD student in the Language Technologies Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, where he is supervised by Abhinav Gupta. He holds an Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Zhejiang University, China. His research focuses on the intersection of computer vision and natural language processing and he is particularly [...]
Natural Language Direction Following for Robots in Unstructured Unknown Environments
Event Location: NSH 3305Abstract: Robots are increasingly performing collaborative tasks with people in our homes, workplaces, and outdoors, and with this increase in interaction comes a need for efficient communication between human and robot teammates. One way to achieve this communication is through natural language, which provides a flexible and intuitive way to issue commands [...]