Dr. Matthew Walter

Biography

Matthew Walter is an Associate Professor at the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (TTIC) and the director of the Robot Intelligence Perception Laboratory (RIPL). Previously, he was a research scientist at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). He received his PhD from the Joint Program at MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution under the supervision of John Leonard. His dissertation addressed the challenges of scaling robotic mapping and localization in larger unknown environments, focusing on feature-based algorithms for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). His work proposed a sparse information filter algorithm that enhances scalability while ensuring estimate consistency, integrating natural structure models into SLAM. Walter's research interests encompass developing intelligent, perceptually aware robots that can operate effectively in unstructured environments, with a strong emphasis on machine learning-based innovations. He is devoted to enabling robots, including various vehicle types, to learn and interact with humans and their environments using traditional and novel sensing modalities such as natural language processing.

Research Interests

Experience