Incoming UofT computer science professor Igor Gilitschenski was recently named a Research Scientist at the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), joining their Risk Aware Driving Team as a contractor. Gilitschenksi will start at UofT in August 2021, as part of UTM’s growing robotics cluster.
The goal of Gilitschenski’s research at TRI will be to develop tools to predict potential future behaviors of other vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians surrounding an autonomous car. Due to the complexities of human behaviour, this is no easy feat — despite the many cameras and sensors that self-driving cars are equipped with these days. “Human behavior is very diverse and is determined by many different factors and social norms.”
Gilitschenski is fascinated by the laws that govern uncertainty and their applications, so this work is a natural fit. The research will build on his prior work on agent motion and intent prediction.
Gilitschenski is not new to working with TRI, and has already been in collaboration with them in this research space. “In some sense I am changing sides now as I join the very team that I’ve been collaborating with over the past years,” he says.
Welcome to UofT & the Robotics Institute, and congratulations on your position with TRI!