Programming Entertainment Robots

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

EIA - 0203912 Hodgins, Jessica Carnegie Mellon University TITLE: CISE Postdoctoral Associates in Experimental Computer Science: Programming Entertainment Robots To make humanoid robots a viable alternative for small scale entertainment applications, easier ways of programming them are needed. They must have a natural and entertaining style of motion and often require substantial motion databases to ensure a sufficient variety of behaviors. One potential solution to this problem is to use human motion data as the source of joint trajectories. Automatic techniques for human motion data use would provide the variety of motion that is required for compelling robotic performances. The postdoctoral associate will develop techniques that will allow human motion data to be used to control a wide variety of humanoid and entertainment robots and simulations. This project will involve significant experimentation both in the development of optimization techniques and in the construction and control of physical robots. The research will combine the expertise of the postdoctoral associate in dynamics, planning and motion filtering with the principal investigator's experience in simulation, control systems for human motion, and processing motion capture data.