This is a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Levine 307 and virtual attendance via Zoom. 

ABSTRACT

Marine robots have undergone significant growth, driven by recent advances in artificial intelligence, sensing technologies, and decision-making systems. As demands for ocean exploration, exploitation, and conservation continue to rise, there is an increasing necessity for advanced autonomy in marine robots at both individual and group levels, as well as for frequent and safe deployment of marine robots at an affordable cost. However, the current marine robots available still fall short in meeting the demands of real-world applications, facing challenges such as robust and safe control in complex environments, self-localization and mapping of their environment, and efficient sensing and coordination within a group. My long-term goal is enabling robots to perform tasks autonomously in challenging marine environments by developing innovative robots and advanced algorithms. In this talk, I will highlight my research in three key areas: 1) learning-based control and navigation of 2D surface vehicles in urban waterways, 2) design and coordination of 2D multi-robot systems on the water surface and 3) developing biologically inspired robots and sensors to address challenges faced by 3D underwater robots and robotic swarms. I will also briefly discuss open research problems on these topics.