Safe and Robust Robot Learning from Demonstration through Conceptual Constraints

This thesis summary presents research focused on incorporating high-level abstract behavioral requirements, called `conceptual constraints', into the modeling processes of robot Learning from Demonstration (LfD) techniques. This idea is realized via an LfD algorithm called Concept Constrained Learning from Demonstration. This algorithm encodes motion planning constraints as temporally associated logical formulae of Boolean operators that enforce high-level constraints over portions of the robot's motion plan during learned skill execution. This results in more easily trained, more robust, and safer learned skills. Current work focuses on automating constraint discovery, introducing conceptual constraints into human-aware motion planning algorithms, and expanding upon trajectory alignment techniques for LfD. Future work will focus on how concept constrained algorithms and models are best incorporated into effective interfaces for end-users.