The development of robots that work cooperatively with people is of critical importance for industries as diverse as manufacturing, medicine, healthcare, military, and consumer products. Key to this goal is the development of robotic technologies that are adaptable to changing task and user needs. As usability demands change - whether due to modifications in the manufacturing process, the introduction of a new patient, or the relocation to a new home - users with limited technical skills must have the ability to customize the functionality of robotic systems. This project will contribute new theoretical models, techniques and open source implementations that will enable users to effectively communicate high level task knowledge to robots without programming.
Intellectual merit: The project will leverage human-robot interaction to improve the efficiency of object recognition, feature selection and policy learning algorithms, as well as develop new techniques for data reuse and algorithm evaluation. Hypotheses will be validated through the development of an innovative dual-reality framework for Internet-scale rapid evaluation and testing. Theories will be tested in two robotic applications areas: home assistance and manufacturing. The outcome of this project will be a domain independent interactive learning framework capable of adaptive object recognition, feature selection and policy learning from brief interactions with a single, non-expert user.
Broader impact: The long term goal of this research is to one day make personal robots accessible to everyday people. This research will contribute new theoretical models, techniques and open source implementations that will accelerate the development and adoption of robots that work alongside people. The resulting theories and methodologies for adaptive interactive systems will have potential societal impact beyond robotics, in software systems such as personal computers and mobile devices. To promote research in this area, the investigator will make all developed software components available as open source. The research will also be integrated into courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as into outreach activities for middle and high school students. The web-based evaluation framework will provide a unique opportunity to educate the general public by providing access to cutting-edge robotic technology and empowering them to contribute to its development.
