Robotics Engineering Colloquium Series
Wei Wang, CSAI
Toward Advanced Autonomy in Complex Aquatic Environments
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Unity Hall | Room 500
Abstract: Marine robots have undergone significant growth, driven by recent advances in artificial intelligence, sensing technologies, and decision-making systems. As demands for ocean exploration, exploitation, and conservation continue to rise, there is an increasing necessity for advanced autonomy in marine robots at both individual and group levels, as well as for frequent and safe deployment of marine robots at an affordable cost. However, the current marine robots available still fall short in meeting the demands of real-world applications, facing challenges such as robust and safe control in complex environments, self-localization and mapping of their environment, and efficient sensing and coordination within a group. My long-term goal is enabling robots to perform tasks autonomously in challenging marine environments by developing innovative robots and advanced algorithms. In this talk, I will highlight my research in three key areas: 1) controlling and navigating 2D surface vehicles in urban waterways, 2) designing and coordinating 2D multi-robot systems on the water surface and 3) developing biologically inspired robots and sensors to address challenges faced by 3D underwater robots and robotic swarms. I will also briefly discuss open research problems on these topics.
Bio: Wei Wang is a Research Scientist in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Peking University in 2016. Wei Wang’s research is mainly focused on the design, control, and navigation of autonomous vehicles in complex physical environments, specifically those associated with water bodies. He has developed innovative sensors, robots, as well as algorithms to address scientific and practical problems in aquatic environments. Dr. Wang has over 50 high-impact publications including in prestigious robotics journals/conferences (TRO, TMECH, B&B, ICRA, IROS, CDC, etc.). Many of these works have been highlighted in plenty of news outlets from all over the world, including Reuters, NBC, CNBC, and MIT News.