About
email: tkollar(at)mit.edu
phone: 865-250-2317
AIM: ImaginaryFractal
web: tkollar.csail.mit.edu
resume: [pdf]
photos: online

Academics


Teaching Assistant
Artificial Intelligence: 6.034
Real-time systems: 16.35

Courses
Machine Learning: 6.867
Intro to Probability: 6.431
Computer Vision: 6.869
Advanced Algorithms: 6.854
Computer Networks: 6.829

People

Dan Roy
Tilke Judd
Olivier Koch
Vikash
Matt Walter
Alec Shkolnik

Personal
My name is Thomas Kollar and I am a second year graduate student in the Computer Science AI Lab (CSAIL) (EECS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I work with Nicholas Roy on exploration in robotics. My interests are in probabilistic graphical models, markov decision processes and reinforcement learning applied to robotics.

Research
[pdf] -- Kollar, T. and Roy, N. Efficient optimization of information-theoretic exploration in SLAM, to appear in AAAI-PGAI 2008.
 [pdf] -- Doshi, F, Brunskill E., Shkolnik A., Kollar T., Rohanimanesh K., Tedrake, R. and N. Roy. Collision Detection in Legged Locomotion using Supervised Learning. IROS 2007.
 [pdf] -- Kollar T., Brunskill E., and N. Roy. Topological Mapping Using Spectral Clustering and Classification. IROS 2007.
 [pdf] -- Kollar, T. and Roy, N. "Using Reinforcement Learning to Improve Exploration Trajectories for Error Minimization", ICRA 2006
 [pdf] -- Kollar, T. et. al. , "Mabel: Extending Human Interaction and Robot Rescue Designs". Mobile Robot Competition 2003, TR WS-03-01, p.20-30.
 [pdf] -- Kollar, T. et. al., "Mabel: Extending Human Interaction and Robot Rescue Designs", Journal of Undergraduate Research, 2003.
 [pdf] -- Kollar, T. et. al, "Mabel: Building a Robot Designed for Human Interaction." Mobile Robot Competition 2002, TR WS-02-18, p.24-32.

Master's Thesis and Technical Reports
[pdf] -- Kollar, T. "Fast Nearest Neighbors", Technical Report, 2006.

Mabel
A team of roboteers and I got together at the University of Rochester and, with the help of Professor Chris Brown, we created Mabel. She served hors-d'oeuvres and information at AAAI 2002 in Edmonton and IJCAI 2003 in Acapulco. Winning, she generated press around our campus, in Rochester, and Edmonton.

Hobbies I am a rock climber, snowboarder, wakeboarder , biker, hiker, surfer, runner, and salsa dancer. I have also been learning the piano.

Middle East Education Through Technology (MEET) MEET is a program that brings Palestinean and Israeli youth together for a summer around a curriculum of computer science. It builds networks, teaches a skill and dispels stereotypes. In the summer of 2007, I was an instructor and remain involved with the MEET organization.

Campus Movie Fest A few friends got together to field an entry in the Campus Movie Festival in both 2005 and 2006. Students from around Boston were given a camera, a computer and a week to edit their films. In 2005 for Fatalite, we won third place at the MIT competition and third in the Boston competition. In 2006 for Remixed, we won "Best Overall" at MIT and were in the top 16 in Boston. In 2007, we won "Best Comedy" at MIT for w4m and were in the top 16 in Boston.

Robot Rivals (Do It Yourself TV Network) Another team of roboteers and I appeared on the television show Robot Rivals. While we didn't win the competition, we achieved the semifinals with a couple of hard fought victories and a final snafu, losing to Union College (winners of the whole shebang).

Study Abroad I studied Italian history, language, culture, and art in Arezzo, Italy for a semester. We travelled to Florence, Rome, Venice, Siena, and many other Italian cities on study trips. For a month of my time there, I lived with an Italian host family.

Movie Clips
[video/quicktime] -- Mabel onstage at AAAI 2002
[video/mp4] -- Fatalite small
[video/mp4] -- Fatalite large
[video/mp4] -- Remixed large