Junmin Wang, professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, along with faculty from the Department of Computer Science, the Department of Psychology, and the Department of Neuroscience have received the Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Award from the National Science Foundation for their project Brain-inspired Algorithms for Autonomous Robots (BAAR).
This is a cross-disciplinary project in collaboration with professors Mary Hayhoe, Xuexin Wei, and Yuke Zhu. They aim to develop novel AI algorithms with principles of neurobiological learning and insights into brain intelligence for autonomous robots such as self-driving vehicles (SDV) and household collaborative robots (Cobots). It is expected that the findings will not only provide a significant leap to SDVs and Cobots toward their real-world deployments, but also have a transformative impact on other intelligent robotic systems such as those in manufacturing and healthcare domains by improving their data/computation efficiency, adaptation resiliency, and intelligence interpretability. This group will be awarded $2 million over the next four years.
The NSF Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program (EFRI) NSF Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program (EFRI) provides critical, strategic support of fundamental discovery at the frontiers of engineering research and education. These investments represent transformative opportunities, potentially leading to:
- new areas for fundamental or applied research;
- new industries or capabilities that result in a leadership position for the country;
- and/or significant progress on a recognized national need or grand challenge.
