Todd Murphey - Control for Robot Learning
Todd MurpheyAbstract
Robot learning systems rely on motion synthesis to enable efficient and flexible learning during continuous online deployment. Motion motivated by learning needs can be found throughout natural systems, yet there is surprisingly little known about synthesizing motion to support learning for robotic systems. Moreover, robotic systems will need to collect data autonomously for learning, for instance when isolated for long periods of time or when encountering novel environmental features. Learning goals create a distinct set of control-oriented challenges, including how to choose measures as objectives, synthesize real-time control based on these objectives, impose physics-oriented constraints on learning, and produce analyses that certify performance and safety with limited knowledge. This talk will discuss learning tasks that robots encounter, abstractions that enable regulating information content of observations, and recent progress on algorithms for generating action plans that facilitate learning.
About the Speaker
Todd Murphey
Todd Murphey is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering and of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences in the Feinberg School of Medicine, both at Northwestern University. He is additionally the Director of Transformative Research in Northwestern University’s Office of Research. He received his Ph.D. in Control and Dynamical Systems from the California Institute of Technology in 2002. His laboratory is part of the Center for Robotics and Biosystems, and his research interests include robotics, control, human-machine interaction, and emergent behavior in dynamical systems. He received the National Science Foundation CAREER award, is a recipient of Northwestern University’s Professorship of Teaching Excellence, was a member of the United States Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, served as a Senior Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2014-2018) and as Vice President for the Publication Activities Board in the Robotics and Automation Society (2022-2023), and is a recipient of the IEEE RAS Distinguished Service Award.
Visitor Information
This event is open to NYU students, faculty, and staff.
📍 In-Person Location: NYU Tandon School of Engineering, 370 Jay Street, 12th Floor, Room 1201 [NYU ID required]
📍 Online Access: Zoom Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 919 6165 7086