Notes

This full day workshop explored modern approaches to robot manipulation in human environments. There is a resurgence of interest in robot manipulation as researchers seek to push robot manipulation out of controlled factory settings and into the dynamic and uncontrolled world we inhabit. Robots that successfully manipulate in these environments will require new methods for perception and control. This workshop investigated promising approaches that address the challenges of general manipulation within these domains.

The key issues that must be addressed include: robustness to uncertainty, generalization over tasks, skill acquisition, safety, and human-robot interaction.

This workshop served as a successor to last year's Workshop on Humanoid Manipulation held at Robotics: Science and Systems 2005 (RSS 2005). Although humanoids are well-matched to human environments, other form-factors may be advantageous. The unifying theme for the 2006 workshop was robust operation within human environments.