Large, richly annotated datasets have accelerated progress in fields such as computer vision and natural language processing, but replicating these successes in robotics has been challenging. While prior data collection methodologies such as self-supervision have resulted in large datasets, the data can have poor signal-to-noise ratio. By contrast, previous efforts to collect task demonstrations with humans provide better quality data, but they cannot reach the same data magnitude. Furthermore, neither approach places guarantees on the diversity of the data collected, in terms of solution strategies. In this work, we leverage and extend the RoboTurk platform to scale up data collection for robotic manipulation using remote teleoperation. The primary motivation for our platform is two-fold: (1) to address the shortcomings of prior work and increase the total quantity of manipulation data collected through human supervision by an order of magnitude without sacrificing the quality of the data and (2) to collect data on challenging manipulation tasks across several operators and observe a diverse set of emergent behaviors and solutions. We collected over 111 hours of robot manipulation data across 54 users and 3 challenging manipulation tasks in 1 week, resulting in the largest robot dataset collected via remote teleoperation. We evaluate the quality of our platform, the diversity of demonstrations in our dataset, and the utility of our dataset via quantitative and qualitative analysis. For additional results, supplementary videos, and to download our dataset, visit roboturk.stanford.edu/realrobotdataset

Visual history tools provide visual representations of the workflow during data analysis tasks. While there is an established need for reviewing analytic processes, and many visual history tools provide visualizations to do so, it is not well known how helpful the tools actually are for process recall. Through a controlled experiment, we evaluated how the presence of a visual history aid and varying levels of visual detail affect process memory. Participants conducted an analysis task using a visual textdocument analysis tool. We evaluated their memories of the process both immediately after the analysis and then again one week later. Results showed that even visual history views with reduced data-resolution were effective for aiding process memory. Further, even without inclusion of any data in the visual history aids, the visual cues alone from the final workspace were enough to improve memory of the main themes of analyses.

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SUMMARYThis paper presents the development of an adaptive, non-parametric forecast model for the direct prediction of the spatial distribution of the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) corresponding to an earthquake scenario. The model is based on recent advances in neural networks computation, and is constructed through supervised learning using historical earthquake and regional geological data as training sets. A MMI forecast model for moderate earthquakes with magnitudes between 6 and 7 was developed based on data from the Loma Prieta, Coalinga and Morgan Hill earthquakes. For these data sets, the neural networks forecast model is shown to have excellent data synthesis capability; multiple sets of data can be encapsulated by a relatively simple network architecture. Limited comparison of forecasts made by the neural networks model and conventional models demonstrates that improved accuracy can be achieved. Implementation and operational advantages of the neural networks approach such as general input features, minimum preconceived knowledge of the data sets, the ability to learn and to adapt incrementally and the autonomous and automatic synthesis of the structure underlying the data sets, have been illustrated.

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