853 research outputs found
Multi-Task Domain Adaptation for Deep Learning of Instance Grasping from Simulation
Learning-based approaches to robotic manipulation are limited by the
scalability of data collection and accessibility of labels. In this paper, we
present a multi-task domain adaptation framework for instance grasping in
cluttered scenes by utilizing simulated robot experiments. Our neural network
takes monocular RGB images and the instance segmentation mask of a specified
target object as inputs, and predicts the probability of successfully grasping
the specified object for each candidate motor command. The proposed transfer
learning framework trains a model for instance grasping in simulation and uses
a domain-adversarial loss to transfer the trained model to real robots using
indiscriminate grasping data, which is available both in simulation and the
real world. We evaluate our model in real-world robot experiments, comparing it
with alternative model architectures as well as an indiscriminate grasping
baseline.Comment: ICRA 201
Mutual Alignment Transfer Learning
Training robots for operation in the real world is a complex, time consuming
and potentially expensive task. Despite significant success of reinforcement
learning in games and simulations, research in real robot applications has not
been able to match similar progress. While sample complexity can be reduced by
training policies in simulation, such policies can perform sub-optimally on the
real platform given imperfect calibration of model dynamics. We present an
approach -- supplemental to fine tuning on the real robot -- to further benefit
from parallel access to a simulator during training and reduce sample
requirements on the real robot. The developed approach harnesses auxiliary
rewards to guide the exploration for the real world agent based on the
proficiency of the agent in simulation and vice versa. In this context, we
demonstrate empirically that the reciprocal alignment for both agents provides
further benefit as the agent in simulation can adjust to optimize its behaviour
for states commonly visited by the real-world agent
Towards Deep Learning with Competing Generalisation Objectives
The unreasonable effectiveness of Deep Learning continues to deliver unprecedented Artificial Intelligence capabilities to billions of people. Growing datasets and technological advances keep extending the reach of expressive model architectures trained through efficient optimisations. Thus, deep learning approaches continue to provide increasingly proficient subroutines for, among others, computer vision and natural interaction through speech and text. Due to their scalable learning and inference priors, higher performance is often gained cost-effectively through largely automatic training. As a result, new and improved capabilities empower more people while the costs of access drop.
The arising opportunities and challenges have profoundly influenced research. Quality attributes of scalable software became central desiderata of deep learning paradigms, including reusability, efficiency, robustness and safety. Ongoing research into continual, meta- and robust learning aims to maximise such scalability metrics in addition to multiple generalisation criteria, despite possible conflicts. A significant challenge is to satisfy competing criteria automatically and cost-effectively.
In this thesis, we introduce a unifying perspective on learning with competing generalisation objectives and make three additional contributions. When autonomous learning through multi-criteria optimisation is impractical, it is reasonable to ask whether knowledge of appropriate trade-offs could make it simultaneously effective and efficient. Informed by explicit trade-offs of interest to particular applications, we developed and evaluated bespoke model architecture priors. We introduced a novel architecture for sim-to-real transfer of robotic control policies by learning progressively to generalise anew. Competing desiderata of continual learning were balanced through disjoint capacity and hierarchical reuse of previously learnt representations. A new state-of-the-art meta-learning approach is then proposed. We showed that meta-trained hypernetworks efficiently store and flexibly reuse knowledge for new generalisation criteria through few-shot gradient-based optimisation. Finally, we characterised empirical trade-offs between the many desiderata of adversarial robustness and demonstrated a novel defensive capability of implicit neural networks to hinder many attacks simultaneously
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