Jean-Daniel Nicoud

An Interview Conducted by Peter Asaro, IEEE History Center, 12 November 2010 Interview # 665 for Indiana University and the IEEE History Center, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.

In this interview, Richard Murray discusses his career in robotics, in particular his work on manipulation and grasping, non-holonomic motion planning, and locomotion. He describes the state of robotics at CalTech and his contribution to robotics projects there, as well as the challenges of his research. Moving into work with UAV/UAS, he outlines his involvement with the Grand Challenge and his eventual involvement with bio-molecular feedback. Additionally he comments on human-robot interaction and the challenges and problems facing robotics.

In this interview, George Pappas discusses his work in robotics, in particular his work at RPI, UC Berkeley, and Penn. He describes the environment of his education and workplaces, and the various collaborations and influences he experienced, as well as the problems and projects he researched. Additionally he reflects on the evolution of robotics throughout his career, its future applications and challenges, and impact on society.

In this interview, Bolles provides a general analysis of his work in robotics and computer vision. He goes into specific detail on certain programs at SRI International, such as the ARM project, his work on RANSAC, and the future of the field.

In this interview, Dario outlines his education and introduction to robotics, and his contributions to the field, as well as his involvement in creating the early robotics community. He discusses his influence on robotics, such as founding the Advanced Robotics Technologies and Systems (ARTS) Laboratory and his involvement with the Center for the Research in Microengineering (CRIM), and his connections and collaborations with other roboticists. Finally, he discusses the future of robotics and mechatronics, and reflects on the challenges and changes the field has undergone over time. Additionally, Dario provides advice for young people interested in robotics.

In this interview, Brad Nelson discusses his career in robotics, focusing on control, manipulation, micro-positioning, and micro/nanorobotics. Describing his research at CMU, the University of Illinois, Minnesota, and ETH, he discusses the challenges of his work and the interactions between scientific disciplines. Commenting on the evolution of robotics and micro/nanorobotics, he goes on to discuss his various work environments, the state of Switzerland’s funding, and the future of the robotics.