Munich AI Lectures
Robots Making Contact With an Uncertain World
Aaron M. Johnson, Carnegie Mellon University
09.09.2025
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
TU Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 58, Room M001
On 9 September 2025, Aaron M. Johnson will give a talk as part of the Munich AI Lectures series. The lecture, titled “Robots Making Contact with an Uncertain World” shares fascinating insights into current research on robots that learn not only to cope with uncertainty but also to turn it into an advantage.
When robots move out of controlled laboratory environments and into the real world, they face pervasive uncertainty—from slippery mud and flexible branches to highly variable terrain. These challenges are particularly critical when it comes to physical contact: in one moment a robot may apply large forces, and in the next it may lose grip entirely.
In this lecture, Aaron M. Johnson, Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and Visiting Professor at TUM, will present how robots can cope with and even take advantage of uncertainty. Examples range from off-road driving in unfamiliar environments to agile locomotion through vegetation. The talk will provide insights into how uncertainty can be understood, reduced, and leveraged for the future of robotic systems.
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