In this talk, it will be shown how the convolution product and fourier transform of functions on the group of rigid-body motions can be used in robotics and image processing. In robotics, these tools are used to determine the positions and orientations that a robot arm can reach. In image analysis, these same mathematical techniques have applications in template matching and target recognition. Numerical approximations of the convolution product are discussed, as well as inverse problems which are naturally addressed using techniques from non-Abelian harmonic analysis.

Biography

Dr. Greg Chirikjian is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering (with a joint appointment in computer science) at the Johns Hopkins University. He started the robotics program at JHU in 1992. In 1993 he was chosen to be an NSF Young Investigator, and in 1994 he was named an NSF Presidential Faculty Fellow. His interests are in robot kinematics and motion planning, image analysis, inverse problems, and applications of group theory in engineering.