Gregory Dudek

Dudek's early career focused on sensing for robots and the theory of the complexity of robot localization, such as path planning and execution and appearance based visualization of so-called "trash can robots".{{Citation |title=Gregory Dudek on Robots In Depth | date=24 September 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEZXfTDGfIY |language=en |access-date=2022-12-22 |via=YouTube}} With his colleagues he produced the first formal proof of the complexity of global robot localization in a metric environment (i.e. how hard it is, in the worst possible case, for a robot to determine its position if it totally lost){{Cite journal |last1=Rao |first1=Malvika |last2=Dudek |first2=Gregory |last3=Whitesides |first3=Sue |year=2007 |title=Randomized Algorithms for Minimum Distance Localization |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0278364907081234 |journal=The International Journal of Robotics Research |language=en |volume=26 |issue=9 |pages=917–933 |doi=10.1177/0278364907081234 |s2cid=1317980 |issn=0278-3649|url-access=subscription }} and examined the use of WiFi signature mapping for mapping and location estimation long before it was widely known. Other early work addressed issues related to the use of topological maps and the complexity of topological mapping (an abstract idealized form of robotics problem), robot position estimation using photographic data, and the automated detection of interesting images.{{Cite journal |last1=Dudek |first1=G. |last2=Jenkin |first2=M. |last3=Milios |first3=E. |last4=Wilkes |first4=D. |date=December 1991 |title=Robotic exploration as graph construction |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/105395 |journal=IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation |volume=7 |issue=6 |pages=859–865 |doi=10.1109/70.105395 |issn=2374-958X|url-access=subscription }} He also did early work metrically accurate robot positioning, notably using sonar sensors or computer vision, and is the first to use the term "localization" to refer to problem of quantitatively accurate robot position estimation from sensor data.

{{Cite conference |last1=Mackenzie |first1=P. |last2=Dudek |first2=G. |date=December 1994 |title=Precise positioning using model-based maps |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/351359 |journal=Proceedings of the 1994 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation |pages=1615–1621 |doi=10.1109/ROBOT.1994.351359 |isbn=0-8186-5330-2 |url-access=subscription }}

Dudek later transitioned into field robotics, and in particular marine field robotics. This work was inspired, in part, by a desire to help conservationists monitor coral reef health, a seemingly simple yet logistically challenging task. Towards this end, Dudek and colleagues developed an autonomous, amphibious robot named Aqua that can monitor coral reef health. Challenges of building an autonomous underwater include building a robot out of materials that are appropriate for the aquatic environment and water-proofing the interior, perception in an environment with limited visibility, localization and navigation of an unknown and dynamic environment, and navigation in a 3D environment.{{Cite web |title=Gregory L. Dudek, Prix Acfas J.-Armand-Bombardier - Prix Acfas 2010 {{!}} Acfas |url=https://www.acfas.ca/prix-concours/prix-acfas/2010/prix-j-armand-bombardier/gregory-dudek |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=www.acfas.ca |language=fr}} Aqua can perform tasks such as following a diver, walking on land or swimming in water, and make models of the underwater world (e.g., map coral reefs).{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUj6U79GDCc&t=214s|title=A Life in Research - Robotics expert Greg Dudek|date=15 July 2015 |via=YouTube}} The work resulted in a spin-out start-up company, Independent Robotics, which develops reliable commercial platforms to use as a base for underwater research.{{Cite web |title=General 2 |url=https://www.independentrobotics.com/what-we-do |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=Independent Robotics |language=en-US}}

In 2013, Dudek launched the NSERC Canadian Field Robotics Network (NCFRN), later renamed the NSERC Canadian Robotics Network (NCRN). This networks brings together investigators in academia and industry to do collaborative research and build mutual support, and spans 8 universities, 9 industrial partners, 3 government agencies and 5 international partners.{{Cite web |title=NSERC Canadian Robotics Network / Réseau canadien de robotique du CRSNG |url=https://ncrn-rcrc.mcgill.ca/ |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=NSERC Canadian Robotics Network |language=en}}

In 2018, Dudek joined Samsung as VP, Research and Lab Head at the Samsung AI Center, Montreal. The lab has two main streams: a) developing advanced cellular communications and the optimization of 5G/6G networks, and b) developing sensors for robotic systems in the home.{{Cite web |title=Samsung AI Center Montréal opens a modern lab to develop wireless and robotics technologies |url=https://news.samsung.com/ca/samsung-ai-center-montreal-opens-a-modern-lab-to-develop-wireless-and-robotics-technologies |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=news.samsung.com |language=en-CA}}

Key themes in the Mobile Robotics Lab at McGill in 2023 include sensor-based robotics, namely the use and understanding of sensor data through computer vision and machine learning, as well as decision-making under uncertainty, using techniques including deep reinforcement learning and probabilistic modelling.{{Cite web |title=Mobile Robotics Lab @ McGill |url=https://www.cim.mcgill.ca/~mrl/ |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=www.cim.mcgill.ca}}

Dudek has participated in the organization and administration of numerous research events, conferences, and journals, including being the General Chair of the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in 2019.{{Cite web |title=Committee |url=https://ewh.ieee.org/soc/ras/conf/fullysponsored/icra/ICRA2019/www.icra2019.org/about/committee.html |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=IEEE |date=20 May 2019 |language=en}}

Dudek was born in Montreal, Canada. His mother, Stephanie Dudek, was a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Montreal.{{Cite web |title=Professeur émérite ou honoraire |url=https://psy.umontreal.ca/repertoire-departement/emerites/professeur-emerite-ou-honoraire/in/in15223/sg/Michel%20Claes/ |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=Département de psychologie - Université de Montréal |language=fr}} His father, Louis Dudek, was a poet, critic, literary activist, publisher, and professor at McGill University.{{Cite web |title=Louis Dudek {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louis-dudek |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca}}{{Cite web |title=Louis Dudek {{!}} Canadian poet and publisher {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Dudek |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Canadian Poetry Online {{!}} University of Toronto Libraries {{!}} Louis Dudek |url=https://canpoetry.library.utoronto.ca/dudek/index.htm |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=canpoetry.library.utoronto.ca}} Dudek's early education took place at St. George's School of Montreal and Vanier College. He subsequently obtained his B.Sc. in Physics and Computer Science at Queen's University and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Toronto. He built his first computer, a Gardner Hexapawn, out of woods, beads, and paper.{{Cite web |title=A man-made learning computer without electricity (RoboSci Blog) |url=http://www.dudek.org/blog/316#Man-madeLearningComputerWithoutElectricity |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=www.dudek.org}} His first public appearance was at age 4 in a performance of a play by Berthold Brecht at McGill University. {{Cite web |url=https://archivalcollections.library.mcgill.ca/index.php/scrapbook-featuring-drama-at-mcgill-1957-1965|title=Drama at McGill {{!}}|access-date=2022-12-28 |website=archivalcollections.library.mcgill.ca}}

{{Cite web |url=https://omeka.uottawa.ca/brecht-canada/items/show/31|title=Brecht in/au Canada list of actors {{!}}|access-date=2024-03-24 |website=omeka.uottawa.ca}}

Dudek's research interests allow him to travel to many interesting places, such as Japan, Korea, Belgium, England, Chile, and Mexico.{{Cite web |title=RoboSci Blog |url=http://www.dudek.org/blog/index_html |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=www.dudek.org}} He and his colleagues often make trips to ocean-adjacent destinations to run experiments on Aqua, an amphibious robot.{{Cite web |title=Making Waves |url=https://mcgillnews-archives.mcgill.ca/news-archives/2005/summer/aqua/ |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=mcgillnews-archives.mcgill.ca}}

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Category:Canadian computer scientists

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