Events Calendar

CS Colloquium: Marco Pavone (Stanford University) - Towards safe, data-driven autonomy

Speaker: Marco Pavone, Stanford University

Talk Title: Towards safe, data-driven autonomy

Series: Computer Science Colloquium

Abstract: *New time: 2:30 - 3:50 PM PT*

AI-powered autonomous vehicles that can learn, reason, and interact with people are no longer science fiction. Self-driving cars, unmanned aerial vehicles, and autonomous spacecraft, among others, are continually increasing in capability and seeing incremental deployment in more and more domains. However, fundamental research questions still need to be addressed in order to achieve full and widespread vehicle autonomy. In this talk, I will discuss our work on addressing key open problems in the field of vehicle autonomy, particularly in pursuit of safe, data-driven autonomy stacks. Specifically, I will discuss (1) robust human prediction models for both simulation and real-time decision making, (2) AI safety frameworks for autonomous systems, and (3) novel, highly integrated autonomy architectures that are amenable to end-to-end training while retaining a modular, interpretable structure. The discussion will be grounded in autonomous driving and aerospace robotics applications.

**Dr. Marco Pavone will give his talk in person at SGM 124 and we will also host the talk over Zoom.**

Register in advance for this webinar at:

https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tR3q2DuTRwulhaNsexKXAw

After registering, attendees will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

This lecture satisfies requirements for CSCI 591: Research Colloquium.


Biography: Dr. Marco Pavone is an Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, where he is the Director of the Autonomous Systems Laboratory and Co-Director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford. He is currently on a partial leave of absence at NVIDIA serving as Director of Autonomous Vehicle Research. Before joining Stanford, he was a Research Technologist within the Robotics Section at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He received a Ph.D. degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010. His main research interests are in the development of methodologies for the analysis, design, and control of autonomous systems, with an emphasis on self-driving cars, autonomous aerospace vehicles, and future mobility systems. He is a recipient of a number of awards, including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Barack Obama, an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, a National Science Foundation Early Career (CAREER) Award, a NASA Early Career Faculty Award, and an Early-Career Spotlight Award from the Robotics Science and Systems Foundation. He was identified by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) as one of America's 20 most highly promising investigators under the age of 40.


Host: Stefanos Nikolaidis

Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tR3q2DuTRwulhaNsexKXAw

Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 124

WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tR3q2DuTRwulhaNsexKXAw

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Computer Science Department