Project description
New initiative to tackle semantic safety challenges to boost robot autonomy
Recent advances in machine learning have empowered robots to semantically comprehend their environments and engage more naturally with humans. However, as robots navigate real-world settings, physical interactions present challenges, particularly in ensuring safe decision-making. Conventional approaches focus on explicit safety constraints, yet translating semantic understanding into safe actions remains complex. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the SSDM project addresses this gap. By bridging perception and action, the project aims to equip robots with the capability to make intelligent and semantically safe decisions. Through innovative mathematical frameworks and algorithmic tools, SSDM promises to revolutionise robot autonomy, enhancing safety and efficiency in diverse practical applications.
Objective
Recent breakthroughs in machine learning have opened up opportunities for robots to build a semantic understanding of their operating environment and interact with humans in more natural ways. While machine learning has unlocked new potentials for robot autonomy, as robots venture into the real world, physical interactions with the surrounding environment pose additional challenges. One typical challenge in practical applications is providing safety guarantees in robot decision-making. Much of the safe robot decision-making literature today focuses on explicit safety constraints defined in the robot state and input space. However, in practical applications, robots are often required to infer semantics-grounded safe actions from perception input. While recent machine learning techniques are increasingly capable of distilling semantic information from perception, translating the semantic understanding to explicit safety constraints is non-trivial. In this proposed project, we aim to close the perception-action loop and develop mathematical foundations and algorithmic tools that enable robots to make intelligent and semantically safe decisions.
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
80333 Muenchen
Germany