I just graduated with a PhD in Computer Science
from the University of Texas at Austin. I was a member of the
Intelligent Robotics Lab
(UT page)
where I worked with Prof. Benjamin Kuipers.
Contact me at: aniket at cs utexas edu
My dissertation research was on building 3D models and semantically
annotated 2D grid maps called local safety maps, using vision, to
enable mobile robots to navigate safely and autonomously in urban
environments. This involves detecting and modeling obstacles, inclines, drop-off edges, and
overhangs, using stereo and motion cues. My experimental platform is a
wheelchair robot called
Vulcan.
The following movie
shows the local safety map of an environment, consisting of an incline and
a drop-off edge at a downward staircase, in the process of being
constructed by the wheelchair robot.
You can find more details in publications
and my dissertation.
