{"466951":{"#nid":"466951","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The infinite ways to move a robot","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022rtecenter\u0022\u003EWant to know what the future looks like? A good place to start is with Georgia Tech\u2019s star-studded research in robotics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGil Weinberg\u2019s robotic prosthesis for drummers made news around the world. Ayanna Howard\u2019s child-sized bot helps children with motor skills disabilities and brought the launch of startup company Zyrobotics. Andrea Thomaz\u2019s Socially Intelligent Machines Lab \u2013 home to Simon, a near-celebrity droid \u2013 has deepened understanding of human-robot interactions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut there\u2019s another dimension of robotics exploration at Tech that\u2019s less known but becoming every bit as impressive. It\u2019s the field of control, which ensures that robots act and react predictably.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore precisely, control represents the application of control theory, the mathematical underpinnings that guide robot actions and decision-making in situations or dynamic environments. A robot walking across a floor, for example, may seem like an unremarkable event. But the decision and control system that informs this simple action is quite complex \u2013 even more so if a small object is placed in the robot\u2019s way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you scan the higher education landscape, you\u2019ll find some of the usual suspects leading the way in controls research. MIT\u2019s Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS) and CalTech\u2019s vaunted Division of Control and Dynamical Systems are list-topping laboratories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ELeaders in the World of Control Robotics\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf what\u2019s happened in recent years is any indication, Georgia Tech\u2019s name has been added to that upper echelon. Tech has been building one of the strongest, not to mention largest, research groups in control in the country. And the work they\u2019re doing is beginning to capture the attention of others.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA luncheon at Chicago\u2019s Palmer House in early July provided two examples of this rising prominence. At the event, a pair of Georgia Tech faculty \u2013 \u003Cstrong\u003EMagnus Egerstedt\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EAaron Ames\u003C\/strong\u003E, both researchers in controls \u2013 were presented with two of the five top awards bestowed by the American Automatic Control Council, a consortium of eight societies in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEgerstedt\u2019s receipt of the John R. Ragazzini Education Award certified his status as a thought leader in the field. His area of specialty is swarm robotics, a fascinating way of coordinating systems of many small robots. Each robot works on a task. Through sensors and communication, it is attuned only to what\u2019s happening in its immediate environment; it receives no instruction from a single central decision maker. Hence, the challenge of a swarm: Its sheer size makes centralized command impossible, so its behavior and decision making must be pre-determined through algorithms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDesigning a robot swarm requires deep knowledge of the \u201cswarm intelligence\u201d principles found in nature, and indeed, the field was born through collaborations with biologists. Schools of fish, flocks of birds \u2013 even colonies of bacteria \u2013 all have lessons to impart to legions of robots that work individually toward a larger common goal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022rtecenter\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022rtecenter\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022rtecenter\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnd it\u2019s not just the anthills,\u201d Egerstedt says. \u201cHuman societies are also distributed systems where individuals make decisions and communicate with neighbors to solve problems.\u201d (\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bit.ly\/1KP7Q9T\u0022 rel=\u0022nofollow\u0022 data-cke-saved-href=\u0022http:\/\/bit.ly\/1KP7Q9T\u0022\u003EWatch Egerstedt\u2019s TedX talk\u003C\/a\u003E on swarm robotics)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe thinking is that \u201cwith very simple individual rules, the robots in a swarm can be mobilized to accomplish significant tasks,\u201d he adds. Perhaps they could be deployed in disaster relief situations or used to disarm an environmental hazard. It\u2019s a young field, rife with possibilities, and Egerstedt has been instrumental in shaping it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe same could be said someday about Aaron Ames, an associate professor in both the ME and ECE schools. A new recruit to Georgia Tech \u2013 he arrived in July from Texas A\u0026amp;M \u2013 Ames captured AACC\u2019s Donald P. Eckman Award, which recognizes outstanding young engineers in automatic control. He is distinguished by more than being smart and young (35 this year); his work in bipedal locomotion control is advancing the field humanoid robots with the goal of translating these capabilities to prostheses, exoskeletons and wearable robots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHaving a robot wash dishes is fine,\u201d Ames says, \u201cbut when you put robots on people, it\u2019s something completely different. For people who can\u2019t walk, you\u2019re giving them the chance to come out of the wheelchair \u2013 and walk.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EMimicking Human Biomechanics\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAmes heads the AMBER Lab, which he moved to Tech from Texas. The lab has built multiple robots with a walking style mirroring that in humans. It takes extraordinary effort and iteration not only to mimic human biomechanics, but also to make quick decisions after sensing something different in the environment \u2013 a buckle in the sidewalk, for instance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe\u2019ve had millions of years of evolution to achieve this behavior of walking, yet the simplicity and elegance with which humans walk belies something we haven\u2019t yet discovered,\u201d which is how to replicate it in a machine, Ames says. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/bit.ly\/1NsJOQW\u0022 rel=\u0022nofollow\u0022 data-cke-saved-href=\u0022http:\/\/bit.ly\/1NsJOQW\u0022\u003E(\u003Cem\u003EWatch a robot-walking demonstration\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E from the AMBER lab\u003C\/em\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeveloping control methods to achieve walking on humanoid robots and wearable robots is ambitious enough. But Ames has a side goal: He would like to refine the dynamics of a robot so that it can outrun Olympic gold medalist sprinter Usain Bolt, hailed as the fastest human ever.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI think we can do it in the next five years,\u201d Ames says. \u201cWe\u2019re designing a robot right now to do this. Our motors are fast and powerful enough to make a robot run 30 miles an hour. The technology is there, but we have to integrate the control.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe awards given to Ames and Egerstedt reflect only the latest achievements among Georgia Tech faculty working in control, and both are quick to emphasize that other developments and colleagues are substantive evidence of Georgia Tech\u2019s rising star in the field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003ETech\u0027s Robotics Stars\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, Jeff Shamma, Julian T. Hightower Chair in Systems \u0026amp; Control in ECE (currently on leave), pioneered the use of game theory when designing controllers. Panagiotis Tsiotras, the College of Engineering Dean\u2019s Professor in AE, leads a major multi-university research initiative on high-speed autonomous driving.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnd then there\u2019s the Decision and Control Laboratory, currently the locus for advancing knowledge of control theory across the Institute. Launched in 2008, DCL does a good job sharing developments in the field with students and faculty, but some recognized it could do more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo Egerstedt and Eric Feron, a Professor in Aerospace Engineering, are leading an effort to have the Lab designated as one of Georgia Tech\u2019s celebrated Interdisciplinary Research Centers. The move would formalize collaborations across all colleges at Georgia Tech and open the door to becoming a worldwide reference center for scholarship in control theory and dynamical systems \u2013 another milestone toward solidifying Georgia Tech\u2019s reputation in a field that is rapidly changing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have an amazing group of faculty in controls,\u201d Egerstedt says. \u201cWe\u2019ve gone from a good program to a top program, and now we have the opportunity to build a brand in this area for Georgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe contributions Georgia Tech makes to control and control theory will not only change the field but help shape the next generation of robotics in our lives. What lies beyond that is anyone\u2019s guess.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022rtecenter\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAn excellent definition of control and dynamical systems from a peer institution:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt its simplest, control is achieved when a sensed quantity is used to modify the behavior of a system, as one does in everyday life, such as driving a car and walking. In technology, control is often achieved through computation and actuation, as in automotive controls or controlling a spacecraft. More formally, control makes use of algorithms and feedback in engineered systems, and is a means of ensuring robustness in an uncertain environment. Dynamical systems refers to the way systems change over time, such as the movement of your car, the dynamics of walking, or the dynamics of a molecule or of the solar system. More formally, it is the study of processes described by evolutionary equations such as ordinary and partial differential equations.\u201d \u2014 California Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022rtecenter\u0022\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s research in control, a complementary area to robotics, is turning heads"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp class=\u0022rtecenter\u0022\u003EWant to know what the future looks like? A good place to start is with Georgia Tech\u2019s star-studded research in robotics.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"control robotics faculty leading nation"}],"uid":"27515","created_gmt":"2015-11-05 16:07:03","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:19:54","author":"Kay Kinard","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-11-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-11-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"466901":{"id":"466901","type":"image","title":"Aaron Ames and human-inspired control","body":null,"created":"1449257138","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:25:38","changed":"1475895213","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:33","alt":"Aaron Ames and human-inspired control","file":{"fid":"203774","name":"150824r234.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/150824r234_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/150824r234_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4460995,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/150824r234_0.jpg?itok=GAvII62h"}},"466911":{"id":"466911","type":"image","title":"Magnus Egerstedt and control robotics","body":null,"created":"1449257138","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:25:38","changed":"1475895213","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:33","alt":"Magnus Egerstedt and control robotics","file":{"fid":"203775","name":"150824r044.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/150824r044_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/150824r044_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":935981,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/150824r044_0.jpg?itok=iXjyX68i"}},"466831":{"id":"466831","type":"image","title":"Aaron Ames, ME, and Magnus Egerstedt (ECE)","body":null,"created":"1449257138","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:25:38","changed":"1475895213","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:33","alt":"Aaron Ames, ME, and Magnus Egerstedt (ECE)","file":{"fid":"203771","name":"150824r172.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/150824r172_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/150824r172_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1049247,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/150824r172_0.jpg?itok=tbo6fUAu"}},"466941":{"id":"466941","type":"image","title":"Controlling swarms of robots with a finger","body":null,"created":"1449257138","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 19:25:38","changed":"1475895213","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:53:33","alt":"Controlling swarms of robots with a finger","file":{"fid":"203776","name":"swarm-robots.gif","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swarm-robots_0.gif","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swarm-robots_0.gif","mime":"image\/gif","size":3739375,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/swarm-robots_0.gif?itok=9FswqBR5"}}},"media_ids":["466901","466911","466831","466941"],"groups":[{"id":"1237","name":"College of Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"71671","name":"dynamic control"},{"id":"147091","name":"human inspired robots"},{"id":"667","name":"robotics"},{"id":"171499","name":"swarm control"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["kay.kinard@coe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}