For more than a decade, Penn students have been building and competing with unmanned aerial vehicles. They unveil their latest creations, an autonomous drone-like tilt-rotor aircraft and a model plane, before they head to an international competition in Los Angeles this spring.
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: 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
Antonio Loquercio, an assistant professor in electrical and systems engineering, explores the potential that robots can have in answering fundamental questions on decision-making.
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.
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.
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.
“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.”
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Racing to the future
Rahul Mangharam’s scaled-down, self-driving race cars are revamping engineering education at Penn.
Bruce Lee, a doctoral student in Penn Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, offers insights into the fundamental limits of machine learning.
