Patrick M. Pilarski

Patrick’s research interests include reinforcement learning, real-time machine learning, human-machine interaction, rehabilitation technology, and assistive robotics.

Learning limbs

Patrick’s research interests include reinforcement learning, real-time machine learning, human-machine interaction, rehabilitation technology, and assistive robotics. He leads the Amii Adaptive Prosthetics Program – an interdisciplinary initiative focused on creating intelligent artificial limbs to restore and extend abilities for people with amputations. As part of this research, Patrick explores new machine learning techniques for sensorimotor control and prediction, including methods for human-device interaction and communication, long-term control adaptation, and patient-specific device optimization. He and his research teams have developed technologies such as the Bento Arm – a 3D printed robotic arm for myoelectric training and research – the HANDi (humanoid anthropometric naturally dextrous intelligent) Hand, and a robotic arm mapping software called BrachI/Oplexus – all of which are available through BLINCDev, an open source community centred around intelligence artificial limbs. Patrick has also pioneered techniques for rapid cancer and pathogen screening through work on biomedical pattern recognition, robotic micro-manipulation of medical samples, and hand-held diagnostic devices.

Patrick is an Associate Professor in the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Computing Science at the University of Alberta. In addition to being an Amii Fellow, he holds a Canada Research Chair in Machine Intelligence for Rehabilitation and is a principal investigator in the Reinforcement Learning and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the Bionic Limbs for Improved Natural Control Lab and the Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology Network at the University of Alberta. Patrick is also a Senior Staff Research Scientist at DeepMind in Edmonton, Alberta. He is the author or co-author of more than 90 peer-reviewed articles, a Senior Member of the IEEE, and has supervised or co-supervised more than 25 early-career and visiting researchers. Patrick has published papers and delivered talks at top international venues such as the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAI), the IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, the Multidisciplinary Conference on Reinforcement Learning and Decision Making (RLDM), and the International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS).