Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Ju Sun poses in Keller Hall
Members of the Robotics: Perception and Manipulation (RPM) Lab pose with the yellow Spot Robot.
Underwater robot explores the pool at the University of Minnesota
Yasamin Jafarian, Computer Science Ph.D. student
Neural Information Processing Systems
Smart Hugs demonstration
Screenshots of snow monkeys at the zoo
Learning High Fidelity Depths of Dressed Humans by Watching Social Media Dance Videos (CVPR 2021)
ICRA logo
Cowbot (an autonomous mower) in the field

Robotics revolves around the building of intelligent physical machines. Artificial intelligence (AI) implies the use of a computer to model and/or replicate intelligent behavior. Research in AI focuses on the development and analysis of algorithms that learn and/or perform intelligent behavior with minimal human intervention. AI techniques have been and continue to be applied to a broad range of problems that arise in robotics, agriculture, medical diagnosis, gaming, mathematics, and logistics. 

Work in this division draws from and contributes to multiple domains:

  • Artificial Intelligence studies algorithms and systems in areas such as machine learning, logic, planning, neural networks, inference engines, evolutionary computation, and cognition; 
  • Robotics designs and creates robotic systems including mobile robots, manipulators, underwater systems, and aerial platforms along with the algorithms that empower them; 
  • Computer Vision develops algorithms and systems to derive meaningful information from videos, images, and other visual inputs; 
  • Human-Robot Interaction investigates and creates new techniques for effective interaction of humans with robots;
  • Natural Language Processing studies ways to build systems that process text or voice data; and 
  • Applications use robotics and artificial intelligence to impact domains such as medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, education, logistics, biology, etc. 

Affiliated Faculty

Dan Boley headshot
Professor, Distinguished University Teaching Professor, Data Science Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Computer Science & Engineering
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Stephen Guy
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies
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Vipin Kumar headshot
Regents Professor, William Norris Land Grant Chair in Large-Scale Computing, ADC Data Science Initiative Director Chair