People at the AI Lab
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Artificial Intelligence Laboratory |
Research
The information on this page is updated as frequently as possible! Last Update: 02-2009
List of active projects:
Robot Fish: Wanda X This project will develop methods for experimental characterization of the hydrodynamics around a novel swimming device developed at the AILab. A spike-based dynamic vision sensor (DVS) will be used to collect data about the motion of the swimming fins and the surrounding water using reflective particles, and methods for tracking the fin and particle motion will be developed. These methods will focus on using the DVS spike events for fast and efficient fin and particle tracking in order to optimize the swimming motion. In this project we will like to show (or even prove) that the exploitation of material properties (elasticity in this case) is a simple way to produce both, behavior diversity and controlability. If we are lucky we will be able to get even further and produce the first autonomous swimming robot with passive thrust in vortex wakes.
The figures above shows the plattform at is current state. The plates are connected elstically and compliance can be controlled externally. The first movies using the DVS are ready. Thanks Tobi! Moving Fins Amplitude 190 Period 2500 ms (Animated GIF aprox. 4MB)
Mag-E: Studing actation for fin based locomotion.
Questions to answer: Can we move a fin with other actuators than motors? Can we reduce the amount of actuation? In this incipient work we are studying crazy ways of actuating a fin (a ribbon of elastic material) exploiting resonances in the system to maximize energy transfer form actuator to the fin. Currently we are doing the engineering design (calculating sizes, parts, consumption, costs, etc...) of a magneto-mechanical system.
More info coming soon... Quadruped Robot: Expanding the Puppy family.
This project aims to understand how can we control and build robots with compliant legs. Though the problem has been around for several years, there are not many robots with this feature. To achieve our goals we are developing models based on the "old friend" SLIP model. We are also improving the Puppy model to allow experiments with different morphology (in particular different legs). As seen in the picture the actual model is strongly enforcing modularity in order to allow rapid reconfiguration and repeated experiments. If you find this appealing visit our Students Projects section and join us in our effort to unveil the secrets of legged locmotion!
Hibernating projects (due to PhD priorities, unfaithful colleagues, lack of money, etc...)
Self-assembly
1. A 2D simulator with high order solvers for dynamics of multiple units (similar to Molecular Dynamics ). 2. An experimental setup to test my models and units and validate simulations. This project is finished, however If you are interested in the tools and results do not hesitate to contact me.
Folding Chain I was trying to apply the knowledge on hinged dissection to the design of a chain of simple electronic units in order to fold the chain to assembly different working circuits. I studied the combinatorial problem numerically and have some code running on C++ and Matlab to find interesting circuits. Below you can see a snapshot of the result for a chain of 12 unit in a triangular configuration.
Observe that the "shape" triangle is degenerated (there are many triangles, each one given by a configuration of the units), but when we differentiate one unit (the one with VCC and GND) the two triangles are different, the circuit active in each one (dotted white line) makes it obvious. The arrows represent diodes. If you want to know more, please contact me. |
Publications
| Marco, D. E. E. et al. An experimental and modelling exploration of the host-sanction hypothesis in legume-rhizobia mutualism. Journal of theoretical biology (2009). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2009.03.033 |
Teaching
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General Information
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I am Juan Pablo Carbajal. I was born in Argentina, in a beautiful city called Salta (Salta "the beauty"). I studied Physics for two years and a half at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata and then I finished my career at Instituto Balseiro in Bariloche (southern Argentina). It is hard to remember when I got interested in Natural Sciences, but I feel like it was when I was very very young. Around the year 1993, I was introduce to Physics by Daniel Córdoba, a teacher from my home town (currently he is working in relation with the Physics Olympiads). Since then I cannot imagine myself doing anything but science (though many times I was disappointed). While I was in Bariloche I discovered (mistake after mistake) that the kind of Physics I really like is the one we experience in everyday life through our senses. I wont denied that a quantum Hamiltonian makes me drool (:D), but "macroscopic" physics drives me crazy. Currently I am doing my PhD. at the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Zürich. The work environment is excellent and my colleagues are extra-friendly!
Mi nombre es Juan Pablo Carbajal, nací en Argentina, en la linda ciudad de Salta (Salta la linda). Estudié física en la Universidad nacional de La Plata y al finalizar el segundo año de estudio ingresé al Instituto Balseiro, Bariloche (Sur de Argentina). No recuerdo cuando me interesé por las ciencias naturales, pero siento que desde muy muy pequeño. Rondando el año 1993, fuí expuesto a la física por Daniel Córdoba, un buen profe de mi ciudad natal (actualmente vinculado con las Olimpiadas de Física) y desde entonces no puedo imaginarme haciendo otra cosa que no sea ciencia (a pesar de que muchas veces me pelee bien feo con la física).Durante mis años en Bariloche, descubrí (a fuerza de golpes y golpes) que la física que me apasiona es la que se nos presenta día a día a través de nuestros sentidos. Por supuesto que un Hamiltoneano Cuántico me hace agua la boca, pero la física "macroscópica" es la que me vuelve loco. Actualmente estoy haciendo mi doctorado en el Laboratorio de Inteligencia Artificial de la Universidad de Zürich. El ambiente de trabajo y mis colegas son excepcionales!
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