autonomous robots cool stuff at the intersection of ai and robotics dylan a. shell 19 th april 2011,...

Autonomous RobotsCool stuff at the intersection of AI and Robotics

Dylan A. Shell

19th April 2011, CSCE 181

“Autonomous”

“Robot”

“Programmable”

Autonomous robot in practice?

Trends: Actuator Systems, Materials and Fabrication

Physical assistance of humans by robotsExample: Carrying humans.

Power suits, prosthetics, wearable robotsHigh-power actuators to complement and enhance.

Micro mobile sensor nodesApplications: Security, pervasivenessChallenges: Fabrication of nano- and micro-scale robots

Domestic robotics: domestic and assistant robotsChallenge: low-cost, low-inertia.

Trends: Energy and Power

HarvestingIdea: Constraints on storage can be relaxed once you can

actively acquire energy

EfficiencyHow can we use less energy for the task?

MiniaturizationChallenge: one size does not fit all robots!

Trends: Human-Robot Interfaces

Learning from DemonstrationIdea: Robots don't need an expert programmer, but learn

from observation and mimicryExample: Industrial and logistics robots learn task from

experience.

AdaptationHow to improve task execution automatically?

Group interfacesExample: coordinated deployment of search and rescue

vehicles. How does the team of humans interact with the team of responders?

Trends: Planning and Control

Novel environmentsHow to move to different environments without

reprogramming?

Task variation and dynamicsProblem: Brittle to changes in task.

Logistics problemsExample: move goods through a network from producers

to consumers, given production, delivery and time constraints

SpeedHow do we improve response times?How do we control fast-moving vehicles?

Trends: Perception and Learning

New sensorsHow do we go from a task-description to the sensors

required?What are the fundamental physical phenomena that should

be exploited?

Sensing doesn't solve the whole perception problemQuestions: Representation, scaling, integration with

planning

What to learn?How do we improve response times?How do we control fast-moving vehicles?

Credits

Richard Vaughan's of SFU's CMPT889 Autonomous Robots Notes, Summer 2004. Oxymoron and definitions verbatim from his notes.

A roadmap for US robotics – From Internet to Robotics. (The CCC report)