BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Northeastern University College of Engineering - ECPv6.16.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Northeastern University College of Engineering
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20220313T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20221106T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20230312T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20231105T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20240310T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20241103T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230817T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230817T110000
DTSTAMP:20260528T063551
CREATED:20230802T192116Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230802T192116Z
UID:37698-1692262800-1692270000@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Jagatpreet Nir PhD Proposal
DESCRIPTION:Title: Low Contrast Visual Sensing and Inertial Navigation in GPS Denied Environments \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Hanumant Singh\nProf. Martin Ludvigsen\nProf. Pau Closas\nProf. Michael Everrett \nAbstract:\nVisual inertial navigation has shown remarkable performance in publicly available datasets\, assuming certain ideal conditions such as textured scenes\, uniform illumination\, and static environments. However\, real-world scenarios often violate these assumptions\, resulting in significant visual degradation. Consequently\, the classical visual navigation pipelines fail and produce erroneous results\, rendering these systems ineffective for demanding field robotic missions. \nThis research aims to enhance the robustness of visual-inertial systems in visually degraded situations\, taking a comprehensive approach from both systems and algorithm perspectives. The work encompasses two primary objectives. Firstly\, it focuses on refining the characterization of MEMS-based inertial sensors and their error propagation in position\, while proposing improved dead-reckoning algorithms. Secondly\, it explores the performance limits of visual navigation under moderate to extreme visual degradation and investigates novel algorithms that leverage deep learning methods to bolster the visual navigation engine. To validate the efficacy of these advancements\, new datasets comprising drone and underwater robot scenarios are utilized\, demonstrating the applicability of this work in field robotic applications. \nBy addressing the limitations of existing visual-inertial navigation systems and developing robust algorithms\, this research aims to significantly enhance the reliability and performance of such systems in visually degraded environments\, thus expanding their potential for real-world applications in demanding field robotic missions.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/jagatpreet-nir-phd-proposal/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230817T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230817T110000
DTSTAMP:20260528T063551
CREATED:20230817T143057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230817T143057Z
UID:37892-1692268200-1692270000@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Rohit Rajput MS Thesis Defense
DESCRIPTION:Title:Towards Autonomous Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot (M4) Robot: Traversability Estimation and 3D Path Planning \nLocation: ISEC 632 & Zoom \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Rifat Siphai\nProf. Hanumant Singh\nProf. Alireza Ramezani (advisor) \nAbstract:\nThis thesis enhances the autonomy of the M4 (Multi-Modal Mobility Morphobot) robot\, designed for Mars and rescue missions. The research enables the robot to autonomously select its locomotion mode and path in complex terrains. Focusing on walking and flying modes\, a Gazebo simulation and custom perception-navigations pipelines are developed. Leveraging deep learning\, the robot determines optimal mode transitions based on a 2.5D map. Additionally\, an energy-efficient path planner is implemented and validated in simulations. The contributions demonstrate scalability for future mode integrations. The M4 robot showcases intelligent mode switching\, efficient navigation\, and reduced energy consumption\, bringing us closer to fully autonomous multi-modal robots for exploration and rescue missions. This work paves the way for future advancements in autonomous robotics\, with the ultimate vision of deploying the M4 robot for exploration and rescue tasks\, making a significant impact in the quest for intelligent and versatile robotic systems.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/rohit-rajput-ms-thesis-defense/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230817T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230817T140000
DTSTAMP:20260528T063551
CREATED:20230816T150620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230816T150620Z
UID:37856-1692277200-1692280800@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Zhiyong Zhang PhD Proposal
DESCRIPTION:Title: Towards Indoor Mapping and Navigation with Perceptual Aliasing using Visual Semantic SLAM \nCommittee Members:\nProf. Hanumant Singh (Advisor)\nProf. Huaizu Jiang\nProf. David Rosen \nAbstract:\nModern SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) techniques allow us to create accurate 3D maps of the environment primarily using visual sensors in GPS-denied regions. In this context\, numerous deep learning-based approaches have emerged\, enabling the extraction of rich semantic information from images\, including shapes\, objects\, and text. \nLeveraging these technologies\, our aim is to construct comprehensive 3D maps of indoor environments\, which could be utilized by robots for path planning and navigation. Additionally\, the solution can be integrated with a large language model\, enabling the robot to interact intuitively with people. \nThis research comprises four main components: Semantic Feature Extraction and Tracking with SLAM: Given that the same semantic features can appear in multiple frames\, some of which may not be conducive to feature detection and recognition (such as blurry images or distant views)\, we are developing a pipeline to ensure the optimal detection and recognition of semantic features within the most suitable frame. The pipeline also involves tracking the same feature across frames while maintaining its 3D location in the global map. \nResolving Perceptual Aliasing: Many indoor places can exhibit high visual similarity\, which confuses the robot when powered up with a prior map in its memory. Semantic features can be used to localize the robot in the map\, determining its specific floor or room. This capability can also aid SLAM in performing loop closure with high-level information. \nCross-Floor Constraints for SLAM Optimization: Most buildings contain a symmetric layout across floors\, which can be exploited to establish constraints between them. For instance\, vertically aligned rooms like 425 and 525\, as well as elevators\, offer opportunities for vertical constraint. Such constraints can enhance SLAM optimization\, resulting in improved map accuracy. \nIndoor Path Planning and Navigation: Once we have a comprehensive 3D map of the indoor environment\, path planning becomes an intuitive way to utilize this map. With semantic features integrated into the map\, the robot can associate 3D point clouds with high-level information\, such as door numbers or office names. Large language models are available to provide a more human-like way to interact with the robot. For example\, a command like “Navigate to Professor Hanumant’s office and locate the book ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy'” can be executed by the robot.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/zhiyong-zhang-phd-proposal/
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR