Q&A: Dean Kumar and the ‘drone’ sightings For more than a month, residents in New Jersey, parts of Pennsylvania, and New York have spotted unidentified flying objects, which local residents refer to as “drones,” hovering over neighborhoods, critical infrastructure and even restricted sites. To learn more about the mysterious flying objects, Penn Today spoke with local expert Dean Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.(Image: Courtesy of iStock/Naypong) Q&A Q&A: Dean Kumar and the ‘drone’ sightings Penn Engineering Dean Vijay Kumar discusses the mysterious flying objects, or “drones,” hovering around parts of the East Coast.
Teaching robots common sense, empathy and other forms of intelligence Image: iStock/gorodenkoff Teaching robots common sense, empathy and other forms of intelligence Antonio Loquercio, an assistant professor in electrical and systems engineering, explores the potential that robots can have in answering fundamental questions on decision-making.
Giving robots superhuman vision using radio signals (From left) Freddy Liu, Haowen Lai, and Mingmin Zhao, assistant professor in CIS, setting up a robot equipped with PanoRadar for a test run.(Image: Sylvia Zhang) Giving robots superhuman vision using radio signals Engineers have developed a new tool to transform simple radio waves into detailed, 3D views of the environment.
Superhuman vision lets robots see through walls, smoke with new LiDAR-like eyes Interesting Engineering Superhuman vision lets robots see through walls, smoke with new LiDAR-like eyes Mingmin Zhao of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues are using radio signals to allow robots to “see” beyond traditional sensor limits. Mastering physical contact with new algorithm for robots The new algorithm allows the robotic arm to balance and move a waiter’s plastic tray, mastering control of a sliding object—a previously impossible task for robots.(Image: DAIR Lab) Mastering physical contact with new algorithm for robots Penn Engineers have developed an algorithm that makes previously impossible tasks possible for autonomous robots, like controlling the motion of a sliding object. Pioneering robotic triage nocred Pioneering robotic triage By combining the power of autonomous systems and medical expertise, a team of engineers and physician scientists from Penn are tackling the challenge of mass casualty triage. Racing to the future “Understanding the human factors and ethical implications of autonomous systems is just as crucial as the technical components,” says Mangharam. “This holistic approach aims to produce well-rounded engineers capable of addressing the multifaceted challenges of autonomous vehicle technology. Our goal is to equip them with the tools and mindset to tackle the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.”nocred Racing to the future Rahul Mangharam’s scaled-down, self-driving race cars are revamping engineering education at Penn. Exploring the limits of robotic systems Image: iStock/gorodenkoff Exploring the limits of robotic systems Bruce Lee, a doctoral student in Penn Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, offers insights into the fundamental limits of machine learning. Teaching doglike robots to walk on the moon’s dusty, icy surface Penn researchers are part of a collaborative multidisciplinary effort that’s preparing doglike robots to traverse extraterrestrial landscapes, like those that are analogous to the moon’s surface. (Image: Courtesy of Sean Grasso) Teaching doglike robots to walk on the moon’s dusty, icy surface Researchers from Penn are part of a NASA-funded multidisciplinary collaborative effort that’s teaching robots to navigate the extraterrestrial craters, like the moon and Mars. Microrobots: An emerging biomedical trend Image: Courtesy of iStock / K_E_N Q&A Microrobots: An emerging biomedical trend In a Q&A with Penn Today, Hyun (Michel) Koo of the School of Dental Medicine and Edward Steager of the School of Engineering and Applied Science discuss the emerging trend of microrobots in healthcare.
Mastering physical contact with new algorithm for robots The new algorithm allows the robotic arm to balance and move a waiter’s plastic tray, mastering control of a sliding object—a previously impossible task for robots.(Image: DAIR Lab) Mastering physical contact with new algorithm for robots Penn Engineers have developed an algorithm that makes previously impossible tasks possible for autonomous robots, like controlling the motion of a sliding object.
Pioneering robotic triage nocred Pioneering robotic triage By combining the power of autonomous systems and medical expertise, a team of engineers and physician scientists from Penn are tackling the challenge of mass casualty triage.
Racing to the future “Understanding the human factors and ethical implications of autonomous systems is just as crucial as the technical components,” says Mangharam. “This holistic approach aims to produce well-rounded engineers capable of addressing the multifaceted challenges of autonomous vehicle technology. Our goal is to equip them with the tools and mindset to tackle the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.”nocred Racing to the future Rahul Mangharam’s scaled-down, self-driving race cars are revamping engineering education at Penn.
Exploring the limits of robotic systems Image: iStock/gorodenkoff Exploring the limits of robotic systems Bruce Lee, a doctoral student in Penn Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, offers insights into the fundamental limits of machine learning.
Teaching doglike robots to walk on the moon’s dusty, icy surface Penn researchers are part of a collaborative multidisciplinary effort that’s preparing doglike robots to traverse extraterrestrial landscapes, like those that are analogous to the moon’s surface. (Image: Courtesy of Sean Grasso) Teaching doglike robots to walk on the moon’s dusty, icy surface Researchers from Penn are part of a NASA-funded multidisciplinary collaborative effort that’s teaching robots to navigate the extraterrestrial craters, like the moon and Mars.
Microrobots: An emerging biomedical trend Image: Courtesy of iStock / K_E_N Q&A Microrobots: An emerging biomedical trend In a Q&A with Penn Today, Hyun (Michel) Koo of the School of Dental Medicine and Edward Steager of the School of Engineering and Applied Science discuss the emerging trend of microrobots in healthcare.