Robots in Real Life

This talk will be focused on the unique challenges in deploying a mobile manipulation robot into an environment where the robot is working closely with people on a daily basis. Diligent Robotics' first product, Moxi, is a mobile manipulation service robot that is at work in hospitals today assisting nurses and other front line staff with materials management tasks. This talk will dive into the computational complexity of developing a mobile manipulator with social intelligence. Dr. Thomaz will focus on how human-robot interaction theories and algorithms translate into the real-world and the impact on functionality and perception of robots that perform delivery tasks in a busy human environment. The talk will include many examples and data from the field, with commentary and discussion around both the expected and unexpected hard problems in building robots operating 24/7 as reliable teammates.