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Devesh K. Jha, Ph.D. - Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories

Robotic Manipulation in the Wild: Planning, Learning and Estimation through Contacts
Zoom 98733315827 –

 

Title: Robotic Manipulation in the Wild: Planning, Learning and Estimation through Contacts

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY, 17, 2022 11:00AM-11:50AM

Abstract: The last decade has seen remarkable progress in the fields of deep learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and
reinforcement learning (RL). However, similar progress has largely eluded feedback control of physical robots -- robots still
operate in highly structured and engineered environments that are designed so that robots can avoid contact with their
environment. Contacts play a central role in manipulation. Planning and feedback control in the presence of contacts remain very
challenging problems, making design of closed-loop manipulation systems elusive. In this talk, I will present several robotic tasks
with different degrees of complexity. Each of these systems present unique challenges with regards to modeling, learning,
sensing and optimization. I will highlight how we address these challenges in order to achieve efficient and generalizable
performance for these robotic systems. The techniques proposed in these problems could be instrumental in creating nextgeneration
robotic systems that can (possibly) plan in simulation and operate in the real world with real-time sensing and
perception. Based on these results, I will present a vision toward creating next-generation robotic systems which can perceive
and interact with their environment with higher degrees of autonomy. These research problems will enable a principled way to
feedback robotic manipulation which will find applications in factory automation, manufacturing, home assistance and humanrobot
collaborative environments.