Speaker: Asst.Prof. Joseph Davidson (Oregon State University)
Title: Towards dexterous manipulation in orchards
Playback link: https://youtu.be/T7Ou6ccSlX4
Time: May 10, 2024, at 8:30 am ACST (UTC time: Thursday, 9 May 2024 at 23:00:00). See the conversion to other time zones using this time zone announcement.
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Abstract: Recent surveys show that automating labor-intensive tasks is one of the top priorities for specialty crop producers in the United States. Despite decades of research, efforts to deploy robots that can harvest, prune, and thin at scale have not yet been commercially implemented. Much of the prior work has focused primarily on visual perception (e.g. fruit detection and localization), often ignoring the complex physical interactions that occur during manipulation of the crop. This talk will highlight ongoing efforts within the Intelligent Machines and Materials Lab to develop dexterous manipulation incorporating tactile perception for the agricultural domain. Some of the projects discussed will include tactile sensor design, end effector design, and the creation of ‘physical’ twins that bridge simulation and the real world to train robot controllers.
Bio: Joe Davidson is an Assistant Professor of Robotics & Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU) where he directs the Intelligent Machines & Materials Lab. He co-leads the Labor Intelligence research program in the NSF USDA-funded AgAID AI Institute and also serves on the leadership team for the “Orchard of the Future” international collaboration. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Washington State University in 2016 and was a postdoc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2016-2018. His current research interests include robotic manipulation, tactile sensing, and soft robotics.