Robotics Engineering Colloquium Series: Dr. Mingyu Cai | Safe and Logic AI-enabled Autonomy

Friday, February 10, 2023
3:00 pm
Location
Floor/Room #
420
Preview

Dr. Mingyu Cai

Robotics Engineering Colloquium Series

Dr. Mingyu Cai, Lehigh University

Safe and Logic AI-enabled Autonomy

Friday, February 10th,  2023
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Unity Hall | Room 420 

Abstract: Recent advances in machine learning enable the deployment of autonomous systems in our everyday life such as self-driving, smart home technologies, human-assistive robotics, etc. However, machine learning models may generate unexpected outputs that limit their success in practical applications. Real-world robotic deployments increasingly require algorithms to handle

wider classes of complex tasks, while ensuring that these systems act safely. New fundamental questions are raised about building trustworthy AI-enabled autonomy. Researchers are working towards the next generation of robotics that can connect machine logic with natural languages, verify AI-based models, and assign interpretability to autonomous behaviors. In this talk, I will introduce techniques from the field of formal methods, namely temporal logics, to complement a learning-enabled robot autonomy stack, thereby leading to safer and more interpretable robot behaviors. First, I will discuss how we can integrate formal logics to produce motion planning, machine learning, and control strategies to satisfy complex human-readable specifications. Second, I will demonstrate how formal logics can incorporate interpretable elements and tools into AI-enabled systems to provide safety-critical guarantees and verify neural network models. I will end the talk by showing existing open challenges and the deep potential of applying formal logics and machine learning for human-in-the-loop, perception, and generalization across robotic platforms, and thus the exciting directions these entail.

Bio: Mingyu Cai recently started the position of Postdoctoral Scientist at Honda Research Institute (HRI). Prior to joining HRI, he spent one and a half years with the Autonomous and Intelligent Robotics Lab at Lehigh University. He received his B.Sc. degree in Aircraft and Electrical Engineering in 2015 from the Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China. He received his M.Sc. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA in 2017 and his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA in 2021. His current research focuses on robotic autonomy enabled by the interface of formal methods, machine learning, control theory, motion planning, and interpretable human-robot interactions.

Audience(s)

DEPARTMENT(S):

Robotics Engineering