# Episode 91: Robot navigation on land and in water - John Leonard

- Show: [Robot Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk)
- Published: 2024-09-27
- Length: 30m
- Episode: 91
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-09-27-episode-91-robot-navigation-on-land-and-in-water-john-leonard
- Listen: https://ukrobotics.libsyn.com/episode-ninety-one-john-leonard

## Summary

John Leonard, a Professor at MIT and Technical Advisor at Toyota Research Institute, explains the challenges of autonomous navigation for underwater vehicles and self-driving cars. He details how pose graph optimization and SLAM allow robots to build maps and localize themselves, while discussing the specific difficulties of underwater sonar and perceptual aliasing. Leonard also describes his concept of 'robot dreaming' for lifelong learning and Toyota's human-centric AI approach, which includes autonomous drifting to improve safety systems for human drivers.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-09-27-episode-91-robot-navigation-on-land-and-in-water-john-leonard#t=7) Introduction: Robot Talk Patreon and Guest Overview
- [2:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-09-27-episode-91-robot-navigation-on-land-and-in-water-john-leonard#t=179) The Core Problem: Localization, Mapping, and Uncertainty
- [6:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-09-27-episode-91-robot-navigation-on-land-and-in-water-john-leonard#t=411) Pose Graph Optimization, SLAM, and Loop Closing
- [11:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-09-27-episode-91-robot-navigation-on-land-and-in-water-john-leonard#t=667) Underwater Navigation: Sonar, Visibility, and Acoustic Challenges
- [16:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-09-27-episode-91-robot-navigation-on-land-and-in-water-john-leonard#t=1013) Robot Dreaming and Lifelong Learning for Home Companions
- [22:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-09-27-episode-91-robot-navigation-on-land-and-in-water-john-leonard#t=1361) Toyota Research Institute: Human Interactive Driving and Autonomous Drifting

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (company)
- Toyota Research Institute (company)
- Waymo (company)
- Tesla (company)
- Carnegie Mellon (company)
- Stanford (company)
- DARPA Urban Challenge (other)
- Sonar (tool)
- ChatGPT (other)
- Segment Anything (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [189. Stanford & Toyota Drift Cars With AI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-08-27-189-stanford-toyota-drift-cars-with-ai) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Looking Down to Go Forward: Ground Penetrating Radar for Autonomous Vehicles](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2024-06-18-looking-down-to-go-forward-ground-penetrating-radar-for-autonomous-vehicles) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Ep. 22 | Cruise's Sr. VP of Engineering, Mo ElShenawy, on Developing Autonomous Vehicles](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-04-15-ep-22-cruises-sr-vp-of-engineering-mo-elshenawy-on-developing-autonomous-vehicle) (Moore's Lobby)
- [86. The Autonomous Race & Drift Cars Of The Not So Distant Future](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-09-06-86-the-autonomous-race-drift-cars-of-the-not-so-distant-future) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Autonomous Navigation in GPS-Denied Environments with Ben Williams, COO at Exyn Technologies](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-10-26-autonomous-navigation-in-gps-denied-environments-with-ben-williams-coo-at-exyn-t) (Over the Air)

## Citing this page

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