Lecture Notes

The lecture notes from the class are given here. All guest lectures are courtesy of the lecturer named and used with permission.

Lec # TOPICS

1

Introduction to Cognitive Robotics (PDF 1) (PDF 2)

Learning Objectives, Remote Explorers, Model-based Programming

Robots that Deftly Navigate

2

Kinodynamic and Randomized Path Planning (PDF - 1.5 MB)

Review of Configuration Spaces, Visibility Graphs, Voronoi Diagrams, Potential Fields, and Cell Decomposition

Kino-dynamic Planning, Planning with Moving Obstacles, Probabilistic Roadmaps (PRMs), Rapidly Exploring Random Trees (RRTs)

3

Introduction to Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) (Guest: Paul Robertson) (PDF)

Localization, SLAM, Kalman Filter, Large Scale SLAM

4

Vision Based SLAM (Guest: Paul Robertson) (PDF)

Topological Maps, Hidden Markov Models (HMM), SIFT, Vision-based Localization

Deducing State and Diagnosing Failure

5

Model-based Diagnosis and Mode Estimation (PDF)

Consistency-based Diagnosis: Candidates, Conflicts, Diagnoses, and Kernel Diagnoses

Conflict Extraction and Candidate Generation, Mode Estimation and Probabilistic Diagnosis, Active Probing

6

Solving Optimal CSPs through Conflict-Learning (PDF)

Optimal Constraint Satisfaction Problems, Constraint-based A*, Conflict-directed A*, Conflict Extraction

Reasoning About Soft Constraints

7

Soft Constraint Satisfaction Problems (SCSPs) (Guest: Martin Sachenbacher)

Valued Constraint Satisfaction Problems (VCSPs), Branch-and-bound Search for Soft Constraints, Variable Elimination for Soft Constraints, Tree Decomposition, Dynamic Programming

8

Solving CSPs and SCSPS via Decomposition and Abstraction (Guest: Martin Sachenbacher)

Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (ROBDDs), Representing and Manipulating Soft Constraints using Algebraic Decision Diagrams (ADDs)

Planning Complex Missions

9

Mission-level Task Planning (Guest: Robert Tappan Morris) (PDF)

Partial Order Planning, Constraint-based Interval Planning, and Simple Temporal Networks (STNs)

10

Dynamic Plan Execution Under Uncertainty (PDF)

STNS, Dispatchable Networks and Dispatching Execution, STNUs, Strong and Dynamic Controllability

11

Mixed Human Robotic Exploration (Guest: Jeff Hoffman)

Robots that Plan on the Fly

12

Hidden State and Model-based Reactive Planning (PDF)

Universal Planning, Structure Decomposition for Model-based Reactive Planning (MRP), Binary Decision Diagrams, Symbolic MRP

13

Continuous, Incremental Path Planning and Exploration (PDF 1) (PDF 2 - 1.8 MB)

Single Source Shortest Path, D*, LRTA*

14

Planning with POMDPs (Student Presenters: Brian Bairstow, Tony Jimenez, and Larry Bush)

An Introduction to the Fundamentals of POMDPs, State of the Art in POMDP Research, A Pedagogical Explanation of the Respective Algorithm

15

Model-based, Multi-Agent Reasoning in Texas Hold'em Poker (Student Presenters: Brian Edward Mihok and Michael Terry)

Leading Techniques in Games Reasoning, Emphasis on Uncertainty Techniques

Hidden Markov Models and Bayesian Inference, Neural Networks

16

Cognitive Game Theory (Student Presenters: Justin Fox, Jeremie Pouly, and Jennifer Novosad)

Alpha-Beta and its Extensions

An Evolutionary Algorithm Applied to Chess

Inductive Adversary Modeler

17

Mode Estimation for Hybrid Discrete/Continuous Systems (Student Presenters: Lars Blackmore)

Trajectory Tracking for Constraint-based HMMs, Gaussian Filtering for Hybrid HMMs (K-Best and Rao-Blackwell Particle Filtering)

18

Particle Filters and their Applications (Student Presenters: Kaijen Hsiao, Jason Miller, and Henry Lefebvre de Plinval-Salgues)

Particle Filters in SLAM in Fault Diagnosis

19

Hello Computer? (Student Presenters: Shuonan Dong, Shen Qu, and Thomas Coffee)

SharedPlan, Plan Recognition, and COLLAGEN

20

Advanced Topics in Bayesian Networks (Student Presenters: Tom Temple, Ethan Howe, and James Lenfestey)

Dynamic Bayes Networks, Exact Inference, Approximate Inference (PF), Learning, Probabilistic Relational Models, Parameter/Structure Estimation

Sensing and Manipulating at the Cognitive Level

21

Visual Interpretation using Probabilistic Grammars (Guest: Paul Robertson) (PDF)

Statistical Parsing, Image Segmentation, Monte Carlo Methods, Language Learning

22

Safe Execution of Bipedal Walking Tasks (Guest: Andreas Hoffman)

Motivation and Requirements, Bipedal Balance Control Strategies, Common Control Approaches (and their Failings), Task-level Control using Model-based Executives, Whole-body Control

Human - Robot Interaction

23

Working with and Learning from Humans as Partners (Guest: Cynthia Breazeal)

Multi-modal Communication, Human-robot Teamwork, Socially Guided Learning

24

Nursebot: Dialogue as a Decision Making Process (Guest: Nick Roy) (PDF - 2.5 MB)

Model-based Dialog Management, Hierarchical Planning under Uncertainty, Reinforcement Learning for Human Interaction

25

Project Demonstrations

26

Project Demonstrations (cont.)