Mike Brady Research SymposiumSeptember 16, 2010

The Year(s) of the Robot

John HollerbachUniversity of Utah

The MIT Years: Highlights

• Year of the Robot• Books in robotics• ISRR• IJRR

Robotics in the 1970sRobotics was not generally considered a

separate, respectable scientific endeavor.• Heavy orientation towards industrial

robotics.• Limitations in envisaged and realized robot

capabilities.• No research journal dedicated to robotics.• No high-level international research

conference in robotics.

Year of the Robot (1981-82)

Accelerate the field of robotics via:• Source book on manipulation• Start a journal• Start an annual or biannual conference• Bring in outside experts for extended stays• Outline an educational program• Build a robot hand

A source book with sections:• Dynamics• Trajectory planning• Compliance and force control• Feedback control• Spatial planningEach section had a substantial introduction that served as a tutorial.Papers by 19 top authors were retyped into a common format.Published in 1982• Translated into Japanese

Utah/MIT Dextrous Hand

• Collaboration with Steve Jacobsen (Utah)• Begun in 1981, completed in 1987• 12 copies were made• Pneumatic, tendon-driven actuation

Updated source book in robotics• Published in 1989• 16 commissioned papers by leading experts• Last funding from SDF

1981: Representative Problems in Robotics

• Recognizing objects in the real world.• Grasping arbitrary objects.• Two-armed, cooperative manipulation.• Learning from experience.

2010: DARPA BAA on Mobile Manipulation

• Recognizing objects in the real world.• Grasping arbitrary objects.• Two-armed, cooperative manipulation.• Learning from experience.

Visitors and WorkshopsRenowned visitors spent from weeks to

months at the MIT AI Lab.• Harry Asada, Rod Brooks, Roy Featherstone, John

Luh, Ken Salisbury, Russ TaylorWorkshop on Dextrous Robot Hands.• Asada, Flateau, Harmon, Hillis, Hogan, Jacobsen,

Purbrick, Raibert, Roth, Ruoff, Salisbury

ISRR 1983: Bretton Woods• Funded initially by SDF• Organized similar to Gordon conferences

1983 Bretton Woods Brady and Paul1984 Kyoto Hanafusa and Inoue1985 Gouvieux Faugeras and Giralt1987 Santa Cruz Bolles and Roth1989 Tokyo Miura and Arimoto1993 Pittsburgh Kanade and Paul1995 Herrsching Giralt and Hirzinger1997 Shonan, Japan Shirai and Hirose1999 Snowbird Hollerbach and Koditschek2001 Lorne, Australia Jarvis and Zelinsky2003 Siena Dario and Chatila2005 San Francisco Thrun, Brooks and Durrant-

Whyte2007 Hiroshima Kaneko and Nakamura2009 Lucerne Siegwart and Hirzinger2011 Flagstaff Christensen and Khatib

ISRR 1983 Participants

ISRR 1985: Gouvieu

IJRR founded in 1982.- Mike Brady and Richard (Lou) Paul are inaugural editors.- Editorial Board is similar to ISRR organizing committee.- Published by MIT Press.

First journal dedicated toRobotics Research- 2001 First MM publishing- 2009 Data set papers

The Founding of IJRR

IJRR History

1982 Mike Brady and Lou Paul are the inaugural editors.1986 Tomas Lozano-Perez replaces Lou Paul.1988 Number of issues increases from 4 to 6.1989 Tomas retires, Mike continues as sole editor.1991 Jennet Batten becomes Managing Editor.1998 Sage Press buys IJRR from MIT Press, issues

increase from 6 to 12.2000 Mike retires, John Hollerbach becomes editor.2010 Number of issues increases to 14.

Jennet Batten: 20 Years as IJRR Managing Editor

Mike Bradyco-founder and editor 1982-1999

ofThe International Journal of Robotics ResearchA celebration of his achievement on brining the

Journal into existence on the occasion of hisretirement, September, 2010

1999 Editorial Board Testimonials