CISE Postdoc Research Associates in Experimental Computer Science: Manipulation of Rigid and Deformable Objects with Applications in Manufacturing and Computer-Assisted Surgery

William Marsh Rice University, Houston TX

Investigators

Abstract

EIA-0072743 Kavraki, Lydia Rice University CISE Postdoctoral Associates in Experimental Computer Science: Manipulation of Rigid and Deformable Objects with Applications in Manufacturing and Computer-Aided Surgery Object manipulation has been a central theme in robotics over the last decade. Efficient techniques have been proposed for positioning, orienting, sorting, etc., rigid objects under a variety of constraints and sensory input. Although several problems concerning rigid parts deserve further attention, recent advances in manufacturing also require the manipulation of deformable objects such as cables, pipes, paper, etc., needed for producing compact assemblies. Building on the theory of manipulation of rigid objects, the postdoctoral associate will investigate the manipulation of deformable objects and selected problems involving rigid object manipulation. The goal is for the associate to assist in (a) developing appropriate computational models for deformable objects, (b) studying fundamental notions such as stable grasping and fixturing of deformable objects, and (c) providing efficient procedures to compute the expected deformations of objects under manipulation constraints. One important and challenging application of the proposed work is the simulation of deformable human tissues. Such a simulation can lead to the development of virtual training environments for surgical procedures.