Tightly-coupled manipulation pipelines: Combining traditional pipelines and end-to-end learning

Traditionally, robot manipulation tasks are solved by engineering solutions in a modular fashion --- typically consisting of object detection, pose estimation, grasp planning, motion planning, and finally run a control algorithm to execute the planned motion. This traditional approach to robot manipulation separates the hard problem of manipulation into several self-contained stages, which can be developed independently, and gives interpretable outputs at each stage of the pipeline. However, this approach comes with a plethora of issues, most notably, their generalisability to a broad range of tasks; it is common that as tasks get more difficult, the systems become increasingly complex. To combat the flaws of these systems, recent trends have seen robots visually learning to predict actions and grasp locations directly from sensor input in an end-to-end manner using deep neural networks, without the need to explicitly model the in-between modules. This thesis investigates a sample of methods, which fall somewhere on a spectrum from pipelined to fully end-to-end, which we believe to be more advantageous for developing a general manipulation system; one that could eventually be used in highly dynamic and unpredictable household environments. The investigation starts at the far end of the spectrum, where we explore learning an end-to-end controller in simulation and then transferring to the real world by employing domain randomisation, and finish on the other end, with a new pipeline, where the individual modules bear little resemblance to the "traditional" ones. The thesis concludes with a proposition of a new paradigm: Tightly-coupled Manipulation Pipelines (TMP). Rather than learning all modules implicitly in one large, end-to-end network or conversely, having individual, pre-defined modules that are developed independently, TMPs suggest taking the best of both world by tightly coupling actions to observations, whilst still maintaining structure via an undefined number of learned modules, which do not have to bear any resemblance to the modules seen in "traditional" systems.Open Acces

Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS 1994), volume 1

The AIAA/NASA Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space (CIRFFSS '94) was originally proposed because of the strong belief that America's problems of global economic competitiveness and job creation and preservation can partly be solved by the use of intelligent robotics, which are also required for human space exploration missions. Individual sessions addressed nuclear industry, agile manufacturing, security/building monitoring, on-orbit applications, vision and sensing technologies, situated control and low-level control, robotic systems architecture, environmental restoration and waste management, robotic remanufacturing, and healthcare applications

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ROMANIA

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main opportunities and limitations of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The survey was defined with the aim to involve the highest possible number of relevant CSR topics and give the issue a more wholesome perspective. It provides a basis for further comprehension and deeper analyses of specific CSR areas. The conditions determining the success of CSR in Romania have been defined in the paper on the basis of the previously cumulative knowledge as well as the results of various researches. This paper provides knowledge which may be useful in the programs promoting CSR.Corporate social responsibility, Supportive policies, Romania

Space Station Systems: a Bibliography with Indexes (Supplement 8)

This bibliography lists 950 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between July 1, 1989 and December 31, 1989. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to researchers, designers and managers engaged in Space Station technology development and mission design. Coverage includes documents that define major systems and subsystems related to structures and dynamic control, electronics and power supplies, propulsion, and payload integration. In addition, orbital construction methods, servicing and support requirements, procedures and operations, and missions for the current and future Space Station are included

SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION PATTERN DUE TO COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN KAMPONG HOUSE

ABSTRACT Kampung houses are houses in kampung area of the city. Kampung House oftenly transformed into others use as urban dynamics. One of the transfomation is related to the commercial activities addition by the house owner. It make house with full private space become into mixused house with more public spaces or completely changed into full public commercial building. This study investigate the spatial transformation pattern of the kampung houses due to their commercial activities addition. Site observations, interviews and questionnaires were performed to study the spatial transformation. This study found that in kampung houses, the spatial transformation pattern was depend on type of commercial activities and owner perceptions, and there are several steps of the spatial transformation related the commercial activity addition. Keywords: spatial transformation pattern; commercial activity; owner perception, kampung house; adaptabilit

Astronautics and aeronautics, 1985: A chronology

This book is part of a series of annual chronologies of significant events in the fields of astronautics and aeronautics. Events covered are international as well as national, in political as well as scientific and technical areas. This series is an important reference work used by historians, NASA personnel, government agencies, and congressional staffs, as well as the media

Proceedings of the 6th Annual Summer Conference: NASA/USRA University Advanced Design Program

The NASA/USRA University Advanced Design Program is a unique program that brings together NASA engineers, students, and faculty from United States engineering schools by integrating current and future NASA space/aeronautics engineering design projects into the university curriculum. The Program was conceived in the fall of 1984 as a pilot project to foster engineering design education in the universities and to supplement NASA's in-house efforts in advanced planning for space and aeronautics design. Nine universities and five NASA centers participated in the first year of the pilot project. The study topics cover a broad range of potential space and aeronautics projects that could be undertaken during a 20 to 30 year period beginning with the deployment of the Space Station Freedom scheduled for the mid-1990s. Both manned and unmanned endeavors are embraced, and the systems approach to the design problem is emphasized

Data and the city – accessibility and openness. a cybersalon paper on open data

This paper showcases examples of bottom–up open data and smart city applications and identifies lessons for future such efforts. Examples include Changify, a neighbourhood-based platform for residents, businesses, and companies; Open Sensors, which provides APIs to help businesses, startups, and individuals develop applications for the Internet of Things; and Cybersalon’s Hackney Treasures. a location-based mobile app that uses Wikipedia entries geolocated in Hackney borough to map notable local residents. Other experiments with sensors and open data by Cybersalon members include Ilze Black and Nanda Khaorapapong's The Breather, a "breathing" balloon that uses high-end, sophisticated sensors to make air quality visible; and James Moulding's AirPublic, which measures pollution levels. Based on Cybersalon's experience to date, getting data to the people is difficult, circuitous, and slow, requiring an intricate process of leadership, public relations, and perseverance. Although there are myriad tools and initiatives, there is no one solution for the actual transfer of that data