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Seminar on Machine Learning for Next-generation Robotics by Prof. Sethu Vijayakumar

This is our great pleasure to invite you to Prof. Sethu Vijayakumar's seminar described below.
All are welcome.

Title:

From Automation to Autonomy: Machine Learning for Next-generation Robotics

Abstract:

The use of AI and Robotics in our society is becoming ubiquitous and inevitable across various walks of life. The new generation of robots work much more closely with humans, other robots and interact significantly with the environment around it. As a result, the key paradigms are shifting from isolated decision making systems to one that involves shared control -- with significant autonomy devolved to the robot platform; and end-users in the loop making only high level decisions.
This session will introduce powerful machine learning technologies ranging from robust multi-modal sensing, shared representations, scalable real-time learning and adaptation, and compliant actuation that are enabling us to reap the benefits of increased autonomy while still feeling securely in control - with focus on latest algorithmic and hardware developments.
This also raises some fundamental questions: while the robots are ready to share control, what is the optimal trade-off between autonomy and control that we are comfortable with?
Domains where this debate is relevant include deployment of robots in extreme environments, self-driving cars, asset inspection, repair & maintenance, factories of the future and assisted living technologies including exoskeletons and prosthetics to list a few.

Speaker Bio:

Prof. Sethu Vijayakumar, Professor of Robotics, Professor of Robotics, University of Edinburgh; Programme Director at The Alan Turing Institute, UK

Sethu Vijayakumar is the Professor of Robotics at the University of Edinburgh, UK, and the Founding Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Robotics. He has pioneered the use of large-scale machine learning techniques in the real-time control of several iconic robotic platforms such as the SARCOS and the HONDA ASIMO humanoids, KUKA-LWR robot arm and iLIMB prosthetic hand. One of his projects (2016) involved a collaboration with NASA Johnson Space Centre on the Valkyrie humanoid robot being prepared for unmanned robotic pre-deployment missions to Mars. Professor Vijayakumar, who has a PhD (1998) from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, holds the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) - Microsoft Research Chair at Edinburgh and is also an Adjunct Faculty of the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles. He has published over 250 peer reviewed and highly cited articles [H-index 45, Citations > 11,000 as of 2023] on topics covering robot learning, optimal control, and real-time planning in high dimensional sensorimotor systems. He has been appointed to grant review panels for the EU (FP7, H2020), DFG-Germany and NSF-USA. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a judge on BBC Robot Wars and winner of the 2015 Tam Dalyell Prize for excellence in engaging the public with science - including his role in the UK wide launch of the BBC micro:bit initiative (2016) for STEM education. Professor Vijayakumar helps shape and drive the national Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) agenda in his role as a Programme Director (AI) at The Alan Turing Institute, the United Kingdom's national institute for data science and Artificial Intelligence.