From Coexistence to Collaboration: Towards Reliable Collaborative Robots

Abstract

The field of robotics has made incredible progress over the past several decades. Indeed, we have built impressive robots capable of performing complex and intricate tasks in a variety of domains. Most modern robots, however, passively coexist with humans while performing pre-specified tasks in predictable environments. As robots become an increasingly integral part of our everyday lives -- from factory floors to our living rooms -- it is imperative that we build robots that can reliably operate and actively collaborate in unstructured environments. This talk will present three key aspects of collaborative robotics that will help us make progress toward this goal. Specifically, we will discuss algorithmic techniques that enable robots to i) consistently and reliably perform manipulation tasks, ii) understand and predict the behavior of other agents involved, and iii) effectively collaborate with other robots and humans.