Mechanical Engineering Seminar
Marine Robotics for Shipwreck Detection and Mapping
Katie Skinner, Ph.D
Associate Professor
University of Michigan *
* Dr. Skinner has since joined the SBU Mechanical Engineering Department.
Abstract:
Underwater robots are essential tools for ocean exploration, yet underwater environments
pose unique challenges for deploying robotic systems. In this
talk, I will highlight challenges for robot sensing, perception, and machine learning
that are often encountered in underwater applications, focusing on the applications
of shipwreck detection and mapping. I will present machine learning methods for automated
detection of shipwreck sites from sonar data collected from autonomous underwater
vehicles (AUVs). I will also discuss our recent work on underwater mapping and 3D
reconstruction towards real-time dense mapping of shipwreck sites from sonar and camera
imagery. Results will be demonstrated on data from real field trials in Thunder Bay
National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron.
Bio:
Dr. Katie Skinner is an Assistant Professor in the Robotics Department at the University
of Michigan. Prior to this appointment, she was a Postdoctoral
Fellow in Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech. She received an M.S. and Ph.D. from
the Robotics Institute at the University of Michigan, and a B.S.E. in
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. She is a recipient
of the NSF CAREER Award, ONR Young Investigator Award, the Ocean News & Technology
Early Career Ocean Professional Award, and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
2023 Best Paper Award.