Robotics Lunch and Learn - Startup Edition

The automation industry is currently undergoing a great disruption and we believe it is about it experience its "ChatGPT Moment" Join us for this exploration at the current state of robotics, machine learning, and human-computer interaction. This workshop, hosted by Joseph Cole, PhD of Rose City Robotics, offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with cutting-edge research and technology. We'll start with an update on the state of the art in robotics, and the disruption that is happening in the traditional automation industry. Then we'll cover a high-level overview of machine learning and how transformer neural networks are applied in robotics. Followed up with a lunch and networking session. Whether you are an entrepreneur, investor, creative designer, software engineer, tinkerer or researcher, come join us for this exploration of the opportunities in robotics. Run of Show: 10:45am-11:00: Check-in 11:00-11:15: Welcome and intros 11:15-12:00: Technical talk by Joseph Cole, PhDUpdate on the state of the art in the industry and the future of physical AI Deep dive on Transformer Neural Networks and their application in robotics 12:00-1:00:Lunch + Networking Hands-on teleoperation of Standford's ALOHA open-source robot Announcements, job openings, local events and community building Teleoperate Two Robotic Arms to Collect Datasets We are experimenting with the ALOHA robot - and it is built to the open-source hardware specs published by Stanford here. ALOHA allows a human to teleoperate two robotic arms. The human can move their hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders in natural movements and the two follower robotic arms will mimic their actions. Three onboard video cameras and a laptop record all of the joint positioning data, visual data and mapping to the robot joints. With 50-100 examples of a human doing a task, Stanford researchers were able to demonstrate transferring the skill to the robot to be performed autonomously, using Transformer Neural Networks with around 85-95% accuracy. We will have our robot at the workshop and encourage lots of tinkering and playing, stacking blocks, doing tasks, collecting datasets, and troubleshooting the inevitable hardware issues. What is Rose City Robotics?: At Rose City Robotics, we empower the next generation through elite training in robotics, AI, and clean-tech systems. Our programs blend hands-on learning, industry-recognized certifications, and real-world projects to prepare students for a future in technology. We are an employee-owned education and R&D company pushing the frontier of robotics, computer vision, and machine learning. What is the Robotics Collaborative?: A collaborative community of robotics entrepreneurs, scientists, machine learning experts, tinkerers, and fellow enthusiasts united to establish the PNW as the premier U.S. hub for robotics innovation. How to stay up to date on events and activities?: Join our newsletter and our LinkedIn page. Thank you to our generous partners: Metro Region Innovation Hub: is the hub for business innovation in the Portland metro region. The hub has provided space and enabled us to open the series up to the broader community beyond PSU. UpStart Collective: a community-driven collaboration space for founders. Portland State University Business Accelerator: supports and serves the entrepreneur ecosystem and local startups from their early stage through growth.