Carrick Detweiler B.A. 2004, Middlebury College M.S. 2006, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Ph.D. 2010, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Assistant Professor University of Nebraska-Lincoln Computer Science and Engineering Office: 109 Schorr Center Department of Computer Science and Engineering University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588 (402) 472-2449

About Me

Want to meet with me? Email me or schedule it yourself (google account required).

I am an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I co-Direct the NIMBUS Lab, where we work with aerial robots and other robot systems. I completed my Ph.D. at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) at MIT, studying computer science and robotics in the Distributed Robotics Lab. My adviser was Daniela Rus.

My research interests include sensor networks, multi-robot systems, flying robots, localization, and underwater robotics. My research explores the boundaries between robotics and sensor networks. I've developed a system of underwater sensors and robots with limited mobility. My Ph.D. thesis examined a system in which each node independently controls its depth but cannot control its position. I developed a decentralized depth control algorithm that optimizes the positions of the sensor nodes for sensing. I also developed an underwater localization algorithm and system that creates a GPS-like system for underwater robots using the underwater sensors nodes.

I have an Erdös number of at most 4 :) I enjoy skiing, scuba diving, reading science fiction, biking, cooking, photography, walking my dog, and spending time with my daughter. I am married to Courtney Hillebrecht, who is a professor in the political science department at UNL.

Project Highlights

• NIMBUS Lab: Nebraska Intelligent MoBile Unmanned Systems Lab where we study groups of flying robots (UAVs and MAVs) and sensor network systems. We strive to make them more robust, capable, and dependable. There are numerous projects going on in the NIMBUS Lab, so check out the website for some details on projects.
• AMOUR and AquaNodes: An underwater robot and sensor network system designed to study river, lake, and shallow ocean environments. Some of the challenges are automatic deployment and retrieval, localization, data muling, optimizing sensing, communication, minimizing energy consumption, and of course, keeping the water out.
• SEAMos: Sensing for Environment and Activity Monitoring operating system. SEAMos is an embedded operating system that encourages portability and code reuse. I got tired of creating branches (and tracking bugs) for each new processor or board I made when only a small amount of code was changing. In SEAMos, it all lives together. The build system makes it easy to include or exclude code modules to test builds without having to modify the Makefile or main loop.
• Seraph: I also led development of a lighting system for a group UAVs that we used to put on a performance with the Pilobolus dance company. The performance premiered in Boston in December, 2010 and will be showed again in the Joyce Theater in NYC over the summer of 2011. In October, 2011 Pilobolus came to the Lied Center in Lincoln to perform! In addition, we held a workshop with Nimbus Lab students and UNL Dance students and created some mini-robot dance performances that we showed before the Pilobolus performance.

Past/Low Activity Projects

• Cow Herding with Virtual Fences: Hardware and software for a "cow collar" that will allow for the creation of virtual fences, which can be dynamically moved based on changing conditions. This will help minimize overgrazing and runoff in watershed areas.
• Shady: A robotic sunshade developed as an alternative to window shades in our lab. Also used as a platform for the development of ideas and algorithms for self-reconfigurable truss structures.
• I spent a lot of time developing the hardware and software for the generic sensor platform we use in many of the projects in the DRL lab, including river flood level monitoring, cow herding, underwater sensor network, and a variety of other smaller projects.
• I also developed the hardware for an ultrasonic speech detection/recognition system, figuring out how Right Whales make noise, underwater photography and vehicle asset monitoring.

Journal

• C. Detweiler, M. Doniec, I. Vasilescu, and D. Rus. Autonomous Depth Adjustment for Underwater Sensor Networks: Design and Applications. IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics, 17(1):16-24, 2012.
• I. Vasilescu, C. Detweiler, and D. Rus. Color-Accurate Underwater Imaging using Perceptual Adaptive Illumination. Autonomous Robotics, 31(2):285-296, 2011.
• M. Doniec, C. Detweiler, I. Vasilescu, M. Chitre, M. Hoffmann-Kuhnt, and D. Rus. AquaOptical: A Lightweight Device for High-rate Long-range Underwater Point-to-Point Communication. Marine Technology Society Journal, 55-65, Aug. 2010.
• I. Vasilescu, C. Detweiler, M. Doniec, D. Gurdan, S. Sosnowski, J. Stumpf, and D. Rus. AMOUR V: A Hovering Energy Efficient Underwater Robot Capable of Dynamic Payloads. International Journal of Robotics Research, 29(5):547-570, 2010.
• M. Schwager, C. Detweiler, I. Vasilescu, D. M. Anderson and D. Rus. Data-Driven Identification of Groups of Dynamics for Motion Prediction and Control. Journal of Field Robotics, 25(6-7):305-324, 2008.
• C. Detweiler, M. Vona, Y. Yoon, S. Yun and D. Rus. Self-assembling Mobile Linkages. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, 14(4):45-55, 2007.
• A. Briggs, C. Detweiler, Y. Li, P. Mullen, and D. Scharstein. Matching scale-space features in 1D panoramas. Computer Vision and Image Understanding, 103 (2006) 184-195.
• A. Briggs, C. Detweiler, D. Scharstein, and A. Vandenberg-Rodes. Expected Shortest Paths for Landmark-Based Robot Navigation. In International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 23, No. 7-8, July-August 2004, pp. 717-728.

Conference

• B. Griffin and C. Detweiler. Resonant Wireless Power Transfer to Ground Sensors from a UAV. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2012, Accepted.
• M. Doniec, C. Detweiler, and D. Rus. Estimation of Thruster Configurations for Reconfigurable Modular Underwater Robots. Proceedings of 2010 International Symposium on Experimental Robotics (ISER 2010), New Delhi & Agra, India, 2010.
• M. Doniec, C. Detweiler, I. Vasilescu, and D. Rus. Using Optical Communication for Remote Underwater Robot Operation. In Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2010), Taipei, Taiwan, 2010.
• C. Detweiler, M. Doniec, M. Jiang, M. Schwager, R. Chen, and D. Rus. Adaptive Decentralized Control of Underwater Sensor Networks for Modeling Underwater Phenomena. In Proceedings of 2010 ACM Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems (SenSys 2010), Zurich, Switzerland, 2010. (Presentation pdf)
• C. Detweiler, M. Doniec, I. Vasilescu, E. Basha, and D. Rus. Autonomous Depth Adjustment for Underwater Sensor Networks. In Proceedings of 2010 International Workshop on Underwater Networks (WUWNet 2010), Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA, 2010.
• I. Vasilescu, C. Detweiler, and D. Rus. Color-Accurate Underwater Imaging using Perceptual Adaptive Illumination. In Proceedings of Robotics Science and Systems (RSS 2010), Zaragoza, Spain, 2010. (Best paper finalist)
• M. Doniec, C. Detweiler, I. Vasilescu, D. Anderson, and D. Rus. Autonomous Gathering of Livestock Using a Multi-functional Sensor Network Platform. In Proceedings of 2010 ACM Workshop on Hot Topics in Embedded Networked Sensors (HotEMNETS 2010), Killarney, Ireland: 2010.
• E. Basha, C. Detweiler, M. Doniec, I. Vasilescu, and D. Rus, Using a Multi-functional Sensor Network Platform for Large-Scale Applications to Ground, Air, and Water Tasks. In Proceedings of 2010 ACM Workshop on Hot Topics in Embedded Networked Sensors (HotEMNETS 2010), Killarney, Ireland 2010.
• M. Doniec, I. Vasilescu, C. Detweiler, D. Rus. Complete SE(3) Underwater Robot Control With Arbitrary Thruster Configurations. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2010), Anchorage, Alaska, 2010.
• M. Doniec, I. Vasilescu, C. Detweiler, D. Rus, M. Chitre, and M. Hoffmann-Kuhnt. AquaOptical: A lightweight Device for High-Rate Long-Range Underwater Point-to-Point Communication. In Proceedings of OCEANS 2009, Biloxi, Mississippi, October, 2009.
• D. Anderson, M. Doniec, C. Detweiler, I. Vasilescu, D. Rus, B. Nolen, and R. Libeau. Gathering Cows Using Virtual Fencing Methodologies. Poster at Society for Range Management, Denver, CO, February, 2009.
• C. Detweiler, S. Sosnowski, I. Vasilescu, and D. Rus. Saving Energy with Buoyancy and Balance Control for Underwater Robots with Dynamic Payloads. In Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Experimental Robotics (ISER 2008), Athens, Greece, July, 2008.
• I. Vasilescu, C. Detweiler, and D. Rus. AquaNodes: An Underwater Sensor Network. In Proceedings of WUWNet 2007, Montreal, Canada, September 2007.
• C. Detweiler, I. Vasilescu, and D. Rus. An Underwater Sensor Network with Dual Communications, Sensing, and Mobility. In Proceedings of OCEANS 2007, Aberdeen, Scotland, June, 2007.
• P. Corke, C. Detweiler, M. Dunbabin, D. Rus, and I. Vasilescu. Experiments with Underwater Robot Localization and Tracking. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2007), Roma, Italy, April 2007.
• C. Detweiler, J. Leonard, D. Rus, and S. Teller. Passive Mobile Robot Localization within a Fixed Beacon Field. In Proceedings of the International Workshop on the Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics (WAFR), New York, New York, July, 2006.
• M. Vona, C. Detweiler, and D. Rus. Shady: Robust Truss Climbing With Mechanical Compliances. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on Experimental Robotics (ISER 2006), Rio, Brazil, July, 2006.
• C. Detweiler, M. Vona, K. Kotay, and D. Rus. Hierarchical Control for Self-assembling Mobile Trusses with Passive and Active Links. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2006), Orlando, FL, May 2006.
• A. Briggs, C. Detweiler, P. Mullen, and D. Scharstein. Scale-Space Features in 1D Omnidirectional Images. In Omnivis 2004, the fifth Workshop on Omnidirectional Vision (in conjunction with ECCV 2004), pages 115-126, Prague, Czech Republic, May 2004.
• A. Briggs, C. Detweiler, D. Scharstein, and A. Vandenberg-Rodes. Expected Shortest Paths for Landmark-Based Robot Navigation. In Proceedings of the Fifth International Workshop on the Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics (WAFR), Nice, December 2002.

Misc.

• I. Vasilescu, A. Bahr, C. Detweiler, and D. Rus, inventors; MIT, assignee. Adaptive Illumination for Color-Corrected Underwater Imaging. United States patent number 8,106,944. January 2012.
• C. Lucas, S. Elbaum, J. Darsie, C. Detweiler and C. Nugent. Virtual Cage for Cost-Effective MAV Systems and Algorithms Prototyping. CSE Technical Report, TR-UNL-CSE-2011-0015. 2011.
• Decentralized Sensor Placement and Mobile Localization on an Underwater Sensor Network with Depth Adjustment Capabilities. Ph.D. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010.
• Invited talk, EPFL Environmental Engineering Seminar Series. Networks of Robots and Sensors for Underwater Environmental Monitoring. Lausanne, Switzerland, December 2009.
• Invited talk, Middlebury College Department of Computer Science Seminar. Underwater Robotics and Sensing. Middlebury, VT, October 2008.
• C. Detweiler and I. Vasilescu. Ultrasonic Speech Capture Board: Hardware Platform and Software Interface. Independent study final paper with Jim Glass. MIT, Spring 2008.
• I. Vasilescu, C. Detweiler, and D. Rus. The DRL Underwater Sensor Network: Supporting Dual Communications, Sensing, and Mobility. Demonstration at WUWNet 2006, First ACM International Workshop on UnderWater Networks (in conjunction with ACM MobiCom 2006), Los Angeles, CA 2006.
• C. Detweiler. Passive Mobile Robot Localization within a Fixed Beacon Field. Masters Thesis, MIT, 2006.

Funding and Awards

• NSF Nebraksa EPSCoR FIRST, "Aerial Robots for Scientific Sensing," 2012-2013.
• NSF: "Adaptive Sampling with Robots for Marine Observations," 2011-2014.
• UNL Research Office, Phase I Pathway to Interdisciplinary Research Centers, "Workshop on Autonomous Aerial Instruments," 2012.
• Winner of the Ascending Technologies UAV Sponsorship Competition for the project AscTec UAVs in the Wild, 2011-2012.
• UNL Research Development Fellow, 2011.
• UNL Research Council Faculty Seed Grant, "Falling Bricks and Flying Balls: Real-time Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance on Flying Robots," 2011.

Teaching