Author Archives: bspice@andrew.cmu.edu

A New Twist on Peanut Butter Jars

Stephen Smith, a systems engineer and a student in the Robotics Institute’s Master of Science Robotics Systems Development program, already hopes to revolutionize the food industry by making it easier to clean out peanut butter jars and other food containers.

As CEO of Jar With A Twist, Smith is working to find vendors interested in using the next-generation container, which uses a screw thread to move the contents of the jar to the top.

The MRSD curriculum provides a broad education in the sciences and technologies of robotics, reinforces theory through hands-on laboratory projects and exposes students to practical business principles and skills. Graduates are being trained to go on to roles such as chief technology officers and other executive roles at companies.

“We give them the tools and vocabulary and make them aware of how the world really works so they can hit the ground running much, much faster,” said MRSD Director Hagen Schempf.

Popular Science Honors Four Projects as “Best of What’s New”

Four inventions that trace their origins to the School of Computer Science and, particularly, the Robotics Institute, have been honored by the annual Best of What’s New Awards by Popular Science.

This year’s winners, published in the magazine’s December issue, include the Flex System, a neck surgery tool based on snake robot research; 360fly, a panoramic video camera; 3-D Object Manipulation Software, a photo editing tool, and LiveLight, a method for automatically editing out the boring parts of personal or security videos.

Martial Hebert Named Robotics Institute Director

Martial Hebert, a leading researcher in computer vision and robotics at Carnegie Mellon University since 1984, will become director of the university’s Robotics Institute.

“Martial is a widely admired and respected leader in robotics,”said Andrew Moore, dean of the School of Computer Science. “Over the years, he and the people who have worked with him have produced some of the most impactful work on robot vision and sensing that the world has seen. We are all very excited to have him lead one of CMU’s most important centers of excellence.”

A native of Chatou, France, who earned a doctorate in computer science at the University of Paris, Hebert joined the Robotics Institute in 1984, just five years after the Robotics Institute was founded, and was named a full professor in 1999. The Robotics Institute has since grown into the world’s largest robotics education and research institution, with an annual research budget of more than $54 million.

“Having joined the institute shortly after its creation, I am honored and thrilled to now have the opportunity to work with the faculty, students and staff to shape the next phase of its journey,” Hebert said.

Robotics Institute’s Inflatable Robotic Arm Inspires Design of Disney’s Baymax

When Don Hall saw a robot arm made of balloons while visiting Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute several years ago, he knew instantly that Baymax, a pivotal character in the animated feature he was co-directing for Disney, also would be an inflatable robot.

In the new comedy-adventure, “Big Hero 6,” Baymax, a gentle robot designed to care for humans, is transformed into a warrior and joins a band of high-tech heroes.

Though fictional, the balloon-like robot reflects a growing field of research at Carnegie Mellon University known as soft robotics.

“The movie is a tremendous win for soft robotics,” said Chris Atkeson, professor of robotics, in whose lab the inflatable robotic arm was developed by former student Siddharth Sanan. He said mobile robots made from soft materials — fabrics, balloons, light plastics — offer advantages over metal robots, including lower weight, lower cost and greater safety when operating near people.