Title:Material-integrated Intelligence for Robot Autonomy

Abstract:Advances in miniature electronics, distributed algorithms and manufacturing technology have enabled a new generation of smart composites that tightly integrate sensing, actuation, computation and communication. Such "robotic materials" are inspired by multi-functional natural structures such as the camouflage abilities of the cuttlefish, the ability of bird wings to change their shape, or the human skin that provides tactile sensing at high dynamic range. I will describe a series of recent results that best illustrate the benefits of material integrated computation: high-bandwidth sensing for texture recognition and localization in artificial skins,distributed optimization for controlling shape change, distributed classification for recognizing gestures drawn onto a modular facade, and feedback control of soft robotic actuators. I will then describe current challenges in robotics, and demonstrate how robotic materials can provide critical sensing and control during a series of manipulation tasks.

Bio:Nikolaus Correll is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder with courtesy appointments in Aerospace, Electrical and Materials Engineering. Nikolaus studied Electrical Engineering at ETH Zurich till 2003 with visits at Lund Tekniska Hogskola, Sweden, and Caltech, and obtained a PhD in Computer Science from EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2007. He did a post-doc at MIT CSAIL from 2007-2009. Nikolaus is the recipient of a 2012 NSF CAREER award and a 2012 NASA Early Career Faculty Fellowship. He has received multiple best paper awards at international conferences including DARS (2006, 2012) and SAB (2008).