Events Calendar

We are extending a warm welcome to Professor Yu She! Yu She is an assistant professor in the School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. Professor She will present his seminar on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 3:30 p.m. in 3505 SC. There will be a small reception in 3307 SC at 3 p.m. We hope to see you there!

Title: Touching the Future: High-resolution Tactile Sensing for Robotic Automation

Abstract: In the quest to enable robots to perform everyday tasks in unstructured environments, tactile sensing plays a crucial role. Tasks that benefit from refined tactile perception include industrial manufacturing, domestic chores, and the care of elderly individuals. However, high fidelity tactile sensing remains a challenge within the community. Our lab has made strides in the high-resolution tactile sensors and perception algorithms respond to this challenge. This seminar will showcase several prototypes designed to improve robotic manipulation through advanced tactile feedback. We will introduce the GelSight Wedge, a compact tactile sensor optimized for grasping in cluttered spaces, and VisTac, a sensor that integrates visual and tactile inputs for precise object localization, grasping, and insertion. Additionally, we will present VibTac, a sensor combining acoustic and vision-based tactile sensing for processing audio and vibration signals. These technologies have broad applications, from robotic cable manipulation and agricultural tasks like corn-leaf autonomous phenotyping to delicate operations such as robotic cloth folding. Our work aims to equip robots with the autonomy to intelligently perform a wide range of tasks, moving us closer to a future where robots seamlessly integrate into daily life.

About Professor She: Dr. Yu She is an assistant professor at Purdue University School of Industrial Engineering. Prior to that, he was a postdoctoral researcher in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT from 2018 to 2021. He earned his PhD in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Ohio State University in 2018. His research, at the intersection of mechanical design, tactile sensing, and intelligent control, explores human-safe collaborative robots, soft robotics, and robotic manipulation. He is a recipient of the 2022 Google Research Scholar Award and multiple paper recognitions, including the Best Paper Award Finalist for the 2020 ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, the Best Paper Award Finalist at the 2020 Robotics: Science and Systems (RSS) Conference, the Best Paper Award at the 2018 ASME Dynamic Systems & Control Conference (DSCC), and the Best Paper Award Finalist at the 2013 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO).