Past student projects

Here is a list of student projects (mostly MSc. and BSc.) I supervised or co-supervised at CTU Prague. Roughly reverse chronological order. 

• Human keypoint detection for close proximity human-robot interaction

  • Thesis:  Dočekal, J. (2022), 'Close proximity human keypoint detection', Master's thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf][co-supervised by Jakub Rozlivek]

  • Publication: Docekal, J.; Rozlivek, J.; Matas, J. & Hoffmann, M. (2022), Human keypoint detection for close proximity human-robot interaction, in 'IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots (Humanoids 2022)', pp. 450-457. [IEEE Xplore][pdf-arxiv][youtube-video]

• Interactive Perception-Action-Learning for Modelling Objects (related to the IPALM project)

  • Rustler, L. (2022), 'Visuo-Haptic Uncertainty-Driven Object Shape Completion', Master's thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf][received Dean's Award][co-supervised by Jens Lundell]

    • Publications:

      • Rustler, L.; Matas, J. & Hoffmann, M. (2023), Efficient Visuo-Haptic Object Shape Completion for Robot Manipulation, in 'Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), IEEE/RSJ International Conference on'.  [pdf-arxiv][youtube-video]

      • Rustler, L., Lundell, J., Behrens, J. K., Kyrki, V., & Hoffmann, M. (2022). 'Active Visuo-Haptic Object Shape Completion'. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters 7 (2), 5254-5261. [DOI IEEE Xplore][arxiv][code and data][youtube-video]

  • Hartvich, J. (2022), 'Estimating Object Properties Through Robot Manipulation - Dataset and Benchmark', Bachelor thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [received Deans's Award][link to thesis page][pdf][online database of objects]

  • Kružliak, A. (2021), 'Exploratory action selection to learn object properties through robot manipulation', Bachelor thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf][received Dean's Award][co-supervised by Jan Behrens] [article on arxiv]

  • Pliska, M. (2021), 'Deformable object classification through robot grasping', Bachelor thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf][[co-supervised by Zdenek Straka] [article on arxiv]

  • Mareš, M. (2020), 'Exploratory Action Selection to Learn Object Properties from Haptic Exploration Using a Robot Hand', Bachelor thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf][received Dean's Award][co-supervised by Karla Štěpánová] [article on arxiv]

  • Stoudek, P. (2020), 'Extracting material properties of objects from haptic exploration using multiple robotic grippers', Master's thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf][co-supervised by Karla Štěpánová]

    • Publication: Patni, S. P., Stoudek, P., Chlup, H. and Hoffmann, M. (2024), 'Online elasticity estimation and material sorting using standard robot grippers', The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 1--19. [DOI, Open Access] [video1 - elasticity estimation]  [video2 - online material sorting] [data: https://osf.io/gec6s/]

• Automatic self-calibration in a dual arm industrial manipulator 

  • • Both theses co-supervised with Karla Štěpánová.

    • Rozlivek, J. (2019), 'Automatic kinematic calibration of dual arm manipulator using self-contact and plane constraints', Bachelor's thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf] 

    • Puciow, F. (2018), 'Automatic self-calibration from self-observation and self-touch on a dual arm industrial manipulator', Master's thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf]  [received Dean's Award]

    • Publication: Stepanova, K.; Rozlivek, J.; Puciow, F.; Krsek, P.; Pajdla, T. & Hoffmann, M. (2022), 'Automatic self-contained calibration of an industrial dual-arm robot with cameras using self-contact, planar constraints, and self-observation', Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 73, 102250. [DOI][Elsevier - OPEN ACCESS pdf][youtube-video]

• Artificial skin calibration for the Nao robot with whole-body skin

  • • Potočná, B. (2020), 'Artificial Skin Calibration for a Humanoid Robot: Comparing or Combining “Self-Touch” and 3D Reconstruction from Images', Bachelor’s thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page]

    • Rustler, L. (2019), 'Artificial Skin Calibration for the Nao Humanoid Robot Using “Self-touch”', Bachelor’s thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf][co-supervised with Karla Štěpánová] 

    • Publication: Rustler, L.; Potocna, B.; Polic, M.; Stepanova, K. & Hoffmann, M. (2021), Spatial calibration of whole-body artificial skin on a humanoid robot: comparing self-contact, 3D reconstruction, and CAD-based calibration, in 'Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), IEEE-RAS International Conference on', pp. 445-452. [IEEE Xplore][preprint-pdf][youtube-video]

• Self-exploration and learning body model on humanoid robot with artificial skin

  • Shcherban, M. (2021), 'Efficient Exploration of Body Surface with Tactile Sensors on Humanoid Robots', Master's thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague.  [link to thesis page][pdf][youtube video]

  • Shcherban, M. (2019), 'Efficient self-exploration and learning of forward and inverse models on a Nao humanoid robot with artificial skin', Bachelor's thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague. [link to thesis page][pdf][co-supervised with Karel Zimmermann] 

  • Publications: 

    • Gama, F.; Shcherban, M.; Rolf, M. & Hoffmann, M. (2021), 'Goal-directed tactile exploration for body model learning through self-touch on a humanoid robot', IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems. [IEEE Xplore - Open access][youtube-video]

    • Gama, F.; Shcherban, M.; Rolf, M. & Hoffmann, M. (2020), Active exploration for body model learning through self-touch on a humanoid robot with artificial skin, in 'Joint IEEE 10th International Conference on Development and Learning and Epigenetic Robotics (ICDL-EpiRob)'.[arxiv-pdf][youtube-video]

• Personal Spatial Zones in Human-Robot Interaction Scenarios

  • Rojík, A. (2021), 'Personal Spatial Zones in Human-Robot Interaction Scenarios', Bachelor thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague.  [link to thesis page][pdf] [co-supervised by Hagen Lehmann]

  • Publication: Lehmann, H.; Rojik, A. & Hoffmann, M. (2020), Should a small robot have a small personal space? Investigating personal spatial zones and proxemic behavior in human-robot interaction, in 'CognitIve RobotiCs for intEraction (CIRCE) Workshop at IEEE International Conference On Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN)'. [pdf-arxiv][pdf@workshop-site][slides with voice] [youtube video]

• Robot recognizing itself in the mirror

  • Bachelor project of Vojtěch Outrata (2019).

  • Publication: Hoffmann, M.; Wang, S.; Outrata, V.; Alzueta, E. & Lanillos, P. (2021), 'Robot in the mirror: Toward an embodied computational model of mirror self-recognition', KI - Künstliche Intelligenz 35, 37-51. [Springer][arxiv][video]

• Learning peripersonal space representations using neural networks

  • Pitoňák, A. (2020), 'Application of Predictive Coding for Visuo-Tactile Sensory Integration', Bachelor's thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague.  [link to thesis page][pdf][co-supervised with Zdenek Straka] 

  • Štěpanovský, J. (2019), 'Learning peripersonal space representations using spiking neural networks', Bachelor's thesis, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague.  [link to thesis page][pdf][co-supervised with Zdenek Straka] 

• Representation of Proprioceptive Inputs of the iCub Humanoid Robot Using Self-Organizing Maps

  • Bednárová, N. (2015), 'Reprezentácia proprioceptívnych vstupov humanoidného robota iCub pomocou samoorganizujúcich sa máp', Master's thesis, Czech Technical University, Faculty of Electrical Engineering. [link to thesis page][pdf][co-supervised with Michal Vavrečka] 

  • Publication:  Hoffmann, M. & Bednárová, N. (2016), The encoding of proprioceptive inputs in the brain: knowns and unknowns from a robotic perspective, in M. Vavrecka; O. Bečev; M. Hoffmann & K. Štěpánová, ed., 'Kognice a umělý život XVI [Cognition and Artificial Life XVI]', pp. 55-66. [pdf]

• Modeling multisensory integration for peripersonal space representation using machine learning

  • • Straka, Z. (2016), 'Tvorba modelu multisenzorní interakce pro reprezentaci peripersonálního prostoru pomocí metod strojového učení', Master's thesis, Czech Technical University, Faculty of Electrical Engineering. [link to thesis page][pdf]

  • Publications:

    • Straka, Z. & Hoffmann, M. (2017), Learning a Peripersonal Space Representation as a Visuo-Tactile Prediction Task, in Alessandra Lintas; Stefano Rovetta; Paul F.M.J. Verschure & Alessandro E.P. Villa, ed., 'Artificial Neural Networks and Machine Learning – ICANN 2017: 26th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks, Alghero, Italy, September 11-14, 2017, Proceedings, Part I', Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 101--109.[Springer][postprint] [ENNS Best Paper Award]

    • Straka, Z. & Hoffmann, M. (2019), Learning a peripersonal space representation using Conditional Restricted Boltzmann Machine, inI. Farkaš; M. Takáč; P. Gergel & M. Tomko, ed., 'Kognice a umělý život XIX [Cognition and Artificial Life XIX]', Comenius University Bratislava, pp. 104-105. [pdf]`

• Robotic homunculus: Learning of artificial skin representation in a humanoid robot

  • Straka, Z. (2014), 'Tvorba senzorických map z taktilních vstupů robota iCub pomocí metod strojového učení', Bachelor’s thesis, Czech Technical University, Faculty of Electrical Engineering.[pdf][co-supervised with Michal Vavrečka] [received Dean's Award]

    • Publication: Hoffmann, M.; Straka, Z.; Farkas, I.; Vavrecka, M. & Metta, G. (2018), 'Robotic homunculus: Learning of artificial skin representation in a humanoid robot motivated by primary somatosensory cortex', IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems 10 (2), 163-176. [IEEE Xplore][postprint-pdf][long video][short video]