ECE Research Seminar – April 11, 12 – 1 pm
April 7, 2025
Please join us for our April 2025 ECE Research Seminar
April 11, 2025, Friday, 12:00 – 1:00 pm, Simrall 104
https://msstate.webex.com/msstate/j.php?MTID=m8fd91a434a733a906edde4163488ac50
Sampling Space and Deep Reinforcement Learning-based
Robot Navigation
Pradeep Chintam | pc891@msstate.edu
Abstract: Navigating robots through complex and unpredictable environments remains a fundamental challenge in robotics, with path planning playing a crucial role. Among existing methods, sampling-based approaches, such as Rapidly-exploring Random Tree (RRT) and its optimal variant, RRT*, are widely used. This seminar introduces Advised-RRT*, a novel path-biased sampling approach designed to improve efficiency while maintaining probabilistic completeness and asymptotic optimality. Advised-RRT* initially discovers a path using Bi-directional RRT and refines it through Targeted Advised Sampling Space (TASS), a structured approach that focuses sampling around the most recent solution path. Additionally, a new Informed Sampling Space (ISS)-driven Informative Path Planning (IPP) method is developed to enable robots to navigate and explore unknown and hazardous environments efficiently. This multi-objective approach allows simultaneous path planning and exploration of high-interest areas, incorporating a custom cost function based on a Multivariate Normal (MVN) probability density function (PDF). To enhance execution, the proposed research integrates Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO)-based deep reinforcement learning (DRL) with Advised-RRT*, enabling effective navigation through intermediate states.
Dr. Pradeep Chintam earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mississippi State University, in 2024. His research interests include Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) Hyderabad, India, and a Master’s degree in Telematics and Signal Processing from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, India. Dr. Chintam currently serves as the Director of Technologies, AI, and Data Science at American Express Global Business Travel, where he leads AI-driven initiatives to advance automation, enhance customer experiences, and improve operational efficiency.
* For further information contact: Dr. Jenny Du | du@ece.msstate.edu | 5-2035
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