Daniel Lee

Richard D. (Dick) Klafter, one of the early leaders in the field of robotics and automation and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, was born on 5 August 1936 and died 11 November 2019. He received an undergraduate degree at MIT, two graduate degrees from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the City University of New York (1969).

In this interview, Corke discusses his career in the field of robotics. He recounts his research work during his college and graduate years, at CSIRO, and at Queensland University. He discusses his contributions to the field, particularly his visual control textbook, his work on mining and field robots, and on sensor networks, his research in visual servoing, and his contribution to the development of open source toolboxes. Additionally, he provides advice to young people interested in robotics, and reflects on his many collaborations, and the challenges and future of the field.

In this interview, Matt Mason discusses his career in robotics, in particular in compliant motion, force control, and fine motion planning. Outlining his involvement in projects at IBM, MIT, and Carnegie Mellon, he provides insight into the state and evolution of robotics at the time. Describing his current work on manipulation and robotic hands, he comments on the future of robotics at CMU and of the field as a whole.

In this interview, Chatila discusses his early interest in scientific research and outlines his research and accomplishments throughout his career, such as his involvement with the development of SLAM and with CNRS. Additionally, he explores the difficulties that the field presented him, as well as his unique insights into the issues of robotics. He reflects on the future challenges of the field, and provides advice to young people interested in the field of robotics.

In this interview, Nilsson discusses his opinions on, and experiences with, artificial intelligence. He goes into detail on the successes and failures of AI, and how these may translate to the future of the field.

In this interview, Caplan discusses his lengthy career in the field of robotics. He recounts his contributions to the industry, and his involvement with the NSF, IARP, and IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. He reflects on the evolution of US robotics research, and the challenges and successes roboticists face. Additionally, he provides advice to young people interested in the field, stressing the importance of passion, education, and collaboration.