R OBOTS
[The]
Robot [Whisperer] BY AMY MINCHIN
espite far-reaching advances in technology, robots remain a futuristic or fantastical concept for most of us. Images of R2-D2, C-3PO or Wall-E may come to mind, but robots are not purely the work of science fiction. John Carff (B.S. ’07, M.S. ’09) knows firsthand that robots are a real and viable solution to contemporary problems. A research associate with the Pensacolabased Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), Carff and a team of IHMC colleagues placed second in a worldwide robotics competition held this summer in Pomona, California. Known as the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals, the contest awarded a total of $3.5 million to teams representing the brightest minds in the field. Carff was the main operator of IHMC’s humanoid robot, which brought home $1 million of the prize money. “Much of current robotics research focuses on disaster and military applications,” Carff explained. DARPA, the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency, encourages collaboration and advancement of the science and engineering that power robotics, with the recent competition focusing on a disaster simulation of an area in which humans could not safely operate. More than 20 teams from across the globe — including U.S. teams from such prestigious institutions as MIT, Carnegie Mellon and Lockheed Martin — competed at DARPA, programming robots to complete such tasks as driving a car, walking over debris, cutting a hole in a wall, and turning a valve for a fire hose. The IHMC robot, known as Running Man, is a six-foot-tall Atlas robot built by Boston Dynamics. Part of the user interface software that controls the robot was built
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by Carff, who originally produced it as his master’s thesis project in computer science at UWF. Others at IMHC developed related aspects of the software that the robot uses to navigate through its surroundings. “I’ve been developing the user interface for the last six years,” he said. “Once IHMC got accepted to the DARPA Challenge, we began tweaking it for the competition. It was pretty exciting to work on such a big project.” Unlike other robotics interfaces that require a programmer to code each move a robot makes, Carff’s software affords the robot more autonomy by integrating situational awareness and problem-solving abilities. It allows the robot to view its surroundings in 3D and determine a course of action.
“I’ve been developing the user interface for the last six years. Once IHMC got accepted to the DARPA Challenge, we began tweaking it for the competition. It was pretty exciting to work on such a big project.” —John Carff Because of the collaborative nature of DARPA, other research teams have gained access to the software, too, making it a potential game-changer for global robotics work. Carff credits Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, associate dean, College of Science and Engineering, professor of computer science, and interim director, Center for Cybersecurity, with encouraging him during his time at UWF. As Carff’s advisor for his master’s thesis work, El-Sheikh says she is not surprised
by his success, recalling him as a bright, hardworking student who was always eager to learn. “John’s master’s project focused on a collaborative human-robot team navigation system. His project was very novel for its time, and I recall telling him that,” she said. “I encouraged him to publish his research results, and indeed he published and presented his work at the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems as a graduate student.” “I’m delighted that he’s having such great success and impact on robotics,” she added. Other UWF alumni are members of the IHMC team, as well. Doug Stephen (’13), Duncan Calvert (’14) and Travis Craig (’14) represent the rest of the Argo contingent that took part in the DARPA Robotics Challenge. They contributed to the “whole body algorithm” software that helps control the robot, and developed some crucial attachments for the machine. “We have a great relationship with IHMC,” El-Sheikh said. “Our top students often intern at IHMC or work there after graduation, and several UWF faculty, including myself, have collaborated with IHMC researchers on projects.” Last year IHMC founder and CEO Ken Ford was the guest speaker for the inaugural UWF Artificial Intelligence Research Group Seminar, and this year, organizers have invited members of the IHMC robotics team. As for Carff, with the DARPA Challenge behind him, he’s turning his focus at IHMC to work on other droids. “Once [robots] get a little better, they can be used remotely, such as for nature surveillance or anywhere it is too dangerous for humans to go,” he said. The future is in good hands – both human and robot. U NI V E R S I TY o f W E ST F LO RIDA Fall 2015
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