Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

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. 

Labs and selected projects 

• Applied Motion Lab Stephen Guy
• Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Vision Lab Maria Gini, Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos
• Computational Perception and Action Lab Paul Schrater
• Interactive Robotics and Vision Laboratory Junaed Sattar
• MAGNET: Intelligent Agents for Electronic Commerce Maria Gini
• Monitoring Human Activity Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos
• Robotics: Perception and Manipulation (RPM) Lab Karthik Desingh
• Robotic Sensor Networks Lab Volkan Isler
• TAC-SCM: Autonomous Agents for Supply-Chain Management Maria Gini
• Visual Information Processing Lab Catherine Qi Zhao
• Visual Computing and AI Seminar
• UMN Machine Learning Seminar Series

Related centers and programs 

• Center for Distributed Robotics
• Minnesota Robotics Institute
• Safety, Security, and Rescue Research Center