Control and Uncertainty Considerations for Agile Bipeds and Full Humanoid Robots

Speaker: Prof. Luis Sentis
Affiliation: University of Texas at Austin

Abstract: The next generation of humanoid robots will be required to blend around humans, achieve tasks quickly, and guarantee safety. One question that arises is what computational control and planning schemes are needed for agility and high performance. In this talks I will present design methods for human-centered robots and a computational methodology for dynamically balancing passive-ankled bipeds and full humanoids. True dynamic locomotion that is robust to human interactions is very challenging. To achieve this capability I will describe efficient whole-body controllers that combine inverse kinematics, contact-consistent feed-forward torques, and low-level motor position controllers to increase tracking bandwidth of series elastic robots. To understand real-world sensing and controller requirements, I will discuss uncertainty considerations on the locomotion dynamics and used such considerations to drive the machine design and the controller synthesis for agile behaviors. Finally, I will discuss ongoing efforts to design next generation humanoid robots using new types of actuation technologies.

Biography: Luis Sentis is an Associate Professor in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and co-founder of Apptronik Systems. He received Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and was a La Caixa Foundation Fellow. He leads the Human Centered Robotics Laboratory, an experimental facility focusing on control and embodiment of agile humanoid robots. He writes extensively and teaches courses in areas related to real-time control of human-centered robots, design of high performance humanoid robots, and safety protocols in robotics. He was awarded the NASA Elite Team Award for his contributions to NASA’s Johnson Space Center Software Robotics and Simulation Division. He has been a speaker in popular events such as SXSW and Hot Science – Cool Talks. Luis is co-chair for the ASTM International Standards Committee of Exoskeletons and Exosuits and serves as an advisor for the UT System Federal Office National Security Advisory Group.

For more information, contact Prof. Ankur Mehta (mehtank@ucla.edu)

Date/Time:
Date(s) - Oct 22, 2018
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Location:
Mong Learning Center – EE-VI – #180
404 Westwood Plaza , Los Angeles California 90095