This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

Calendar

Lec # TOPICS KEY DATES

1

Introduction to Cognitive Robotics

Learning Objectives, Remote Explorers, Model-based Programming

Students fill out sign-up sheet and review candidate lectures

Robots that Deftly Navigate

2

Kinodynamic and Randomized Path Planning

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)

Localization, SLAM, Kalman Filter, Large Scale SLAM

Problem set 1 due

Student survey responses discussed

4

Vision Based SLAM (Guest: Paul Robertson)

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

 

Deducing State and Diagnosing Failure

5

Model-based Diagnosis and Mode Estimation

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

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

Problem set 2 due

Benchmark examples reviewed

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)

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

 

10

Dynamic Plan Execution Under Uncertainty

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

 

11

Mixed Human Robotic Exploration (Guest: Jeff Hoffman)

Problem set 3 due

Robots that Plan on the Fly

12

Hidden State and Model-based Reactive Planning

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

 

13

Continuous, Incremental Path Planning and Exploration

Single Source Shortest Path, D*, LRTA*

Advanced lecture schedule assigned

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

Problem set 4 due

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)

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)

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

 

25

Project Demonstrations

 

26

Project Demonstrations (cont.)