P.A.R.T.S.: Teaching Physical AI with the PARTS Common Platform

Join us for another exciting session of Portland's longest-running robotics meetup! This month, we're thrilled to welcome Dr. Joe Cole, an honored member of our community, who will be presenting on Teaching Physical AI with the PARTS Common Platform.

Abstract

At Rose City Robotics, we use hands-on robotics to bridge the gap between abstract AI and real-world autonomy. In our Engineer Boldly: AI Robotics Sprint, students learn physical AI by building and programming mobile robots that perceive, map, and act in the physical world using modern tools such as ROS 2, LiDAR-based SLAM, and deep-learning-based perception.

This talk describes how we use the PARTS Common Platform robot as a shared, open foundation for teaching embodied intelligence. Students train and deploy object-detection models, experiment with imitation and reinforcement learning, and confront the real challenges of noisy sensors, imperfect models, and hardware constraints. By learning AI directly on physical robots, participants develop an intuition for autonomy that cannot be gained from simulation alone.

I’ll share lessons learned, example student projects, and why accessible, community-designed platforms like the Common Platform are essential for educating the next generation of roboticists.

Who Should Attend
This presentation is designed for robotics enthusiasts of all levels. Whether you're a professional engineer, a hobbyist, a student, or simply curious about the intersection of AI and robotics, you'll find valuable insights in this talk.

About the Speaker
Dr. Joseph (Joe) Cole is a distinguished figure in the Portland robotics community and an honored member of P.A.R.T.S. With a Ph.D. in Applied Physics, Joe brings over 20 years of experience developing computer vision and machine learning algorithms.

As the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Rose City Robotics, Joe is currently focused on building robots for many tasks. His extensive background includes work at Northrop Grumman, Applied Materials, and YorLabs, specializing in image processing and applied physics.

Joe has been a valued contributor to the Portland Area Robotics Society, regularly sharing his expertise through presentations and helping to bridge the gap between professional robotics development and our local community.

About P.A.R.T.S.
The Portland Area RoboTics Society (P.A.R.T.S.) is THE longest-running robotics meetup in Portland. We are an Oregon non-profit formed to help those interested in learning about and building robots. Our monthly meetings are open to the public and welcome everyone from professionals to amateurs, students to professors, engineers to artists.
P.A.R.T.S. members explore all aspects of robotics and work toward expanding communication between robot enthusiasts. We share ideas, experience, and enthusiasm for building robots in an informal and supportive environment.

What to Bring

• Your curiosity and questions
• A robot (working or not) if you'd like to share or get help
• A notebook or laptop for capturing ideas

After the Presentation
As always, there will be time for Q&A and informal discussions after the presentation. This is your chance to connect with other robotics enthusiasts, share your projects, and get feedback from the community.