Philipp Wu

Multimodal Robot Foundation Models

Robot learning for logistics and warehouse robotics.

I research robot control under Professor Pieter Abbeel. My research is involved with creating a low cost, human-safe, human-sized, compliant 7 degree of freedom robotic arm, called Blue. Applications include assistive home care, deep reinforcement learning, imitation learning and grasping. I built the ROS control architecture and software interface for Blue from the ground up (includes writing and testing controllers for the system). I worked on a collaboration with the AUTOLAB, headed under Ken Goldberg, on autonomous grasping for Blue. We are integrating Dex-Net, their grasp quality convolutional neural network (GQCNN), with Blue. I also developed a robot dynamics and kinematics model and a Gazebo simulator for testing control algorithms. My research also includes working with HTC Vive VR system for teleoperation of Blue. I created a real-time inverse kinematics solver for intuitive control. Currently, I am working with VR researchers on building an improved interface. I have also researched compliant mechanical designs for safety, including tendon driven robots, passive gravity compensation mechanisms, and twisted string actuators.

I am Teacher Assistant for EE106A/EE206A Introduction to Robotics, an advanced undergraduate and intro graduate course on robotics under Professor Ruzena Bajcsy. I teach labs, helping students bridge the gap between theory learned in lecture and practical robotics applications working with real hardware. In addition, I assist in lab development on homogeneous transforms, dynamics for robot manipulators, AR tags, etc. and received the highest percent ratings for teaching effectiveness.

I worked on 3D scene construction, stereo vision, and structured light algorithms for underwater mobile manipulation tasks on the Aquasimian manipulator. See “Reduced Backscatter for 3D Scene Reconstruction for Turbid Underwater Environments”.

Co-founded the student organization STAC. Helped grow and lead the club to 70+ members across 6 different projects. Worked closely with NASA Ames on the autonomous rover team to create a Gazebo simulation of a moon environment. Developing classical and neural control schemes for the rover. Oversaw the development of the various projects including: microgravity experiment payload (to be launched on Blue Origins, New Shephard Spacecraft); High Altitude Balloon (a near space experiment platform); CUBE satellite deployer and more.