A Day in the Life of a Roboticist: Charlie Kemp

Technology A Day in the Life of a Roboticist: Charlie Kemp

This scientist and business owner constructs assistive robotics to assist individuals live more individually

In this edition of our A Day in the Life of a Roboticist series, we fulfill Charlie Kempcofounder and primary innovation officer of Hello Robotwho establishes mobile manipulators to assist individuals in their homes and work environments. His interest in robotics started with the grand difficulties of expert system, and his work has actually taken him from humanoid robotics at MIT to assistive robotics for older grownups and individuals with impairments. “Working at Hello Robot is a rewarding experience,” he states. “I love the community using Stretch robots as research and development platforms. They’re discovering new ways that human-friendly robots can benefit society.”

What kind of robotics work do you do?

My focus is on enabling mobile robots with arms to benefit people in homes and workplaces. Many promising applications for robots involve close physical interaction between people and robots, such as robots that physically assist older adults and people with disabilities. 

Working at Hello Robot is a rewarding experience. I love the community using Stretch robots as research and development platforms. They’re discovering new ways that human-friendly robots can benefit society. I also love Hello Robot’s collaborative efforts to create assistive robots for older adults and people with severe mobility impairments. Finding human assistance is becoming more difficult due in part to aging societies. Robots have the potential to improve quality of life and empower people to have greater independence. 

What does a day working with robots look like for you?

Some of the best days are focused on the people using the robot rather than the robot itself. KeithHenry and Jane Evansand numerous individuals who have actually dealt with robotics from Hello Robot and my scholastic laboratory have actually altered my viewpoint on robotics and life in basic. What is in fact essential in individuals’s lives? In some cases, scratching an itch or getting a dropped item is what’s essential. What are the genuine difficulties for developing a helpful and user friendly robotic? Often, autonomy isn’t the response, since the specific desires more control. The responses to these concerns aren’t discovered by being in a space on your own setting a robotic. You need to go out into the world with an open mind. It’s where you find what works, what does not, and what you didn’t prepare for. Real-world interactions usually expose brand-new chances for enhancement, and those lessons form the method you believe and the robotics you construct.

how-did-you-first-get-interested-in-robotics”>How did you first get interested in robotics?

Robotics initially attracted me as an approach to tackling the grand challenges of artificial intelligence. I became interested in AI as an undergraduate at MIT. Prof. Rod Brooks had actually simply begun the Cog task, an extremely enthusiastic and interesting research study effort to utilize humanoid robotics to examine embodied intelligence. I was connected! I ultimately signed up with Rod Brooks’s laboratory and dealt with the humanoid robotic Domo with my cofounder Dr. Aaron EdsingerAaron and I won the very best paper award at the IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robotics in 2006. The paper had to do with a system that made it possible for Domo to assist an individual put items on a rack. This resulted in my interest in assistive robotics and assisted me get a professors position at Georgia Tech. Now, Aaron and I lead Hello Robot, which we established together to develop non-humanoid robotics. I never ever would have anticipated this chain of occasions.

what-are-your-favorite-things-about-working-with-robots”>What are your favorite things about working with robots?

One of the most rewarding aspects of robotics is seeing software come to life in the physical world. There’s a unique satisfaction in writing code that leads to a robot doing something new. The field is still young, so you can see glimpses of the future. More importantly, you have the opportunity to influence the future. I used to imagine there was an inevitable path for technological progress, but I’ve come to realize that many futures are possible. It’s worth working toward the future you want. If you don’t create the future, someone will create it for you.

What advice would you give someone hoping to start a career in robotics?

There are two things I’d emphasize. First, it’s easy to watch videos of robots online and feel like robotics has been solved. But the truth is that there is a vast difference between a demo video and a robot being productive in the real world. The world is more creative than we are. It’s extraordinarily good at breaking robotic systems in ways that surprise roboticists. There is still an enormous amount to build, learn, and discover. For anyone starting a career in robotics, this is not a moment to feel behind. It is a great time to begin.

Second, you don’t have to focus on robotics technology to work in robotics. The most impactful applications of future robots will likely depend on robotics technologists working together with people with expertise in specific application areas. For example, Dr. Vy Nguyễn is the scientific research study lead at Hello Robot. She began in robotics while making her doctorate in occupational treatment. Her proficiency in occupational treatment has actually assisted her make crucial contributions to Hello Robot’s deal with assistive robotics.

what-is-one-favorite-robot-project-youve-worked-on”>What is one favorite robot project you’ve worked on?

I’ve been fortunate to work on a variety of exciting robotics projects with teams of remarkable people. It’s hard to pick one, but Robots for Humanity stands out. 

Back in 2010, Henry Evans saw

Back in 2010, Henry Evans saw a presentation of my scholastic laboratory’s research study on CNNThis caused a cooperation that continues to this day as part of Henry’s Robots for Humanity

effort. Henry has serious quadriplegia, and he and Jane Evans are inspiring leaders in assistive robotics. In partnership with Henry, Jane, and others, my previous laboratory at Georgia Tech (the Health Care Robotics Labmade development towards mobile robotics with arms (mobile manipulators) that can meaningfully benefit individuals with specials needs in their lives.

Developing a home robotic for Henry and Jane was the primary motivation for the model robotic my laboratory produced that led Aaron and me to discovered Hello Robot. And the research study my laboratory carried out as part of Robots for Humanity continues to affect Hello Robot’s deal with an assistive home robotic. Henry and Jane have actually utilized each generation of Stretch, which has actually affected the subsequent styles, specifically Stretch 4.

describe-something-about-robots-that-surprised-you”>Describe something about robots that surprised you.

Robotics is full of surprises! It’s fun and humbling. My academic lab focused on physical robotic assistance for tasks such as feeding, hygiene, and dressing. At Hello Robot, I’ve been surprised by the ways physical robotic assistance can

Robotics is full of surprises! It’s fun and humbling. My academic lab focused on physical robotic assistance for tasks such as feeding, hygiene, and dressing. At Hello Robot, I’ve been surprised by the ways physical robotic assistance can assistance individuals link mentally

Henry Evans utilized Stretch to provide a rose to Jane. Getting the rose and commending Jane included fairly basic robotic movements, however the outcome was a mentally effective gesture.