File:Chris umerson.zip

Title: High-Speed Navigation of Desert Terrain

Chris Urmson

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Date: Monday, May 22, 2006

Location: TSRB 132-133

 Abstract:

 The recently completed Grand Challenge represented a significant step

 in integrated robotic navigation capability.  In this talk I will

 introduce many of the research and engineering problems investigated

 by the Carnegie Mellon team.  I will discuss the perception and

 planning systems use of a partially structured

 environment as a key to achieving high-performance navigation.

 And will also introduce some of the testing methodology developed in

 achieving the robustness necessary to complete over 4000 miles of

 testing and to get two vehicles across the Grand Challenge finish

 line.

 Bio:

 Dr. Chris Urmson was a principal architect of the Red Team software

 systems and led field testing operations.  Prior to his involvement

 with Red Team, Chris developed several robotic navigation

 architectures and software systems currently in use by Carnegie Mellon

 and NASA.  He has made significant contributions to the development of

 over a half dozen robots, with a research emphasis on perception,

 navigation and system integration.  Chris is a robotics research

 scientist with SAIC and an adjunct faculty member of the Robotics

 Institute.  He earned his PhD in 2005 from Carnegie Mellon University

 and his B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Manitoba

 in 1998.