Returning guest Marco Pavone is an expert in autonomous robotic systems, such as self-driving cars and autonomous space robots. He says that there have been major advances since his last appearance on the show seven years ago, mostly driven by leaps in artificial intelligence. He tells host Russ Altman all about the challenges and progress of autonomy on Earth and in space in this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
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Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces guest Marco Pavone, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford.
(00:02:37) Autonomous Systems in Everyday Life
Advancements in the real-world applications of autonomous systems.
(00:03:51) Evolution of Self-Driving Technologies
The shift from fully autonomous cars to advanced driver assistance systems.
(00:06:36) Public Perception of Autonomous Vehicles
How people react to and accept autonomous vehicles in everyday life.
(00:07:49) AI’s and Autonomous Driving
The impact of AI advancements on autonomous driving performance.
(00:09:52) Simulating Edge Cases for Safety
Using AI to simulate rare driving events to improve safety and training.
(00:12:04) Autonomous Vehicle Communication
Communication challenges between autonomous vehicles and infrastructure.
(00:15:24) Risk-Averse Planning in Autonomous Systems
How risk-averse planning ensures safety in autonomous vehicles.
(00:18:43) Autonomous Systems in Space
The role of autonomous robots in space exploration and lunar missions.
(00:22:47) Space Debris and Collision Avoidance
The challenges of space debris and collision avoidance with autonomous systems.
(00:24:39) Distributed Autonomous Systems for Space
Using distributed autonomous systems in space missions for better coordination.
(00:28:40) Conclusion
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