The Intersection of Robotics & AI: Winter Friends Dinner with Professor Aaron Ames

caltechy
1 day ago
2 min read

Time & Location

Feb 26, 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

The Athenaeum, 551 S Hill Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106, USA

About The Event

Caltech Y Friends Dinner

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Aaron D. Ames is the Bren Professor of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Control and Dynamical Systems, and Aerospace at Caltech. He is also the Director and Booth-Kresa Leadership Chair of Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies (CAST).

Professor Ames’ talk addresses safe and trustworthy autonomy for robots operating alongside humans. It outlines the foundations for safe autonomy by coupling learning with formal guarantees from control theory, with Control Barrier Functions encoding safety as forward set invariance. This leads to real-time safety filters that monitor commands—even from black-box, learning-enabled controllers—and adjust them only when necessary, integrating naturally within layered autonomy stacks. The framework has been demonstrated across ground vehicles, drones, aircraft, legged robots, and humanoids, paving the way for robots to safely collaborate with people in dynamic environments.

TICKETS

Please note the tiered-rate system:

If you are a Friend of the Caltech Y (Friends of the Caltech Y have given $200+ in the last year and should have received a specific email alerting you of your Friend status) the price for this event is $100 per person
If you are a supporter, but not yet a Friend, tickets are $200 per person*

*Guests also have the option to become a Friend of the Caltech Y for $200 and purchase tickets at the discounted Friends’ rate of $100 per person. The Friends of the Caltech Y is the primary support group of the Caltech Y. Annual minimum donations of $200 and above are recognized at the Friends level and are acknowledged in the annual report. Friends are invited to two to three other private, special events throughout the year, such as this event, and receive the Y’s quarterly newsletters and annual report.

All additional donations are tax-deductible going directly to student-led community service activities, such as Make-a-Difference Day, our largest day of service happening in April. https://www.caltechy.org/student-opportunities

Reception 6:00 pm, Featuring Robot demos from the Caltech Robotics Club

Dinner 7:00 pm, in the Main Dining Room

Discussion Starts 7:45 pm

Please RSVP by February 18, 2026

Space is limited.

Menu

Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup {GF, VG}

Ale Braised Beef Osso Bucco

with sun-dried tomato risotto & charred broccolini

Potato Gnocchi {VG}

with sautéed mushrooms, petite squash & lemon-cashew crème sauce

Chocolate Lava Cake {V}

with hazelnut praline, Asian pears, & pear sorbet

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Sponsorship packages are available to allow Caltech students to attend this event. For sponsorship information, contact Maya Rosental Saporito at maya.saporito@caltech.edu.

*Friends dinners are unique evenings where the Caltech and Pasadena communities come together to engage with world-renowned scientific, humanitarian, and civic leaders. You are receiving this event because you are a Friend of the Caltech Y or a Friend is inviting you. Friends dinners are not fundraising events. Our ticket price covers our cost for the evening.

RSVP