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Invited Talks
In order to explain the state of the art in robotics research we invited leading researchers of the field to give talks about their research topics. The talks are open to all participants and visitors.
Control of locomotion in articulated robots: taking inspiration from vertebrates' spinal cord circuits
Auke Ijspeert, EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Animal locomotion control is in a large part based on central pattern generators (CPGs), which are neural networks capable of producing complex rhythmic patterns while being activated and modulated by relatively simple control signals. These networks are located in the spinal cord for vertebrate animals. In this talk, I will present how mathematical models and robots can be used as tools to get a better understanding of the functioning of these circuits. In particular I will present how we model CPGs of lower vertebrates (lamprey and salamander) using systems of coupled oscillators, and how we test the CPG models on board of amphibious robots, such as a new salamander-like robot capable of swimming and walking. I will also show how the concept of CPGs implemented as coupled oscillators can be a useful control paradigm for various types of articulated robots from snake to humanoid robots.
 | Auke Ijspeert is a SNF (Swiss National Science Foundation) professor at the EPFL (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne), and head of the Biologically Inspired Robotics Group (BIRG). He has a BSc/MSc in Physics from the EPFL, and a PhD in artificial intelligence from the University of Edinburgh. He carried out postdocs at IDSIA and EPFL (LAMI), and at the University of Southern California (USC). Before returning to the EPFL, he was a research assistant professor at USC, and an external collaborator at ATR (Advanced Telecommunications Research institute) in Japan. He is still affiliated as adjunct faculty to both institutes. His research interests are at the intersection between robotics, computational neuroscience, nonlinear dynamical systems, and applied machine learning. He is interested in using numerical simulations and robots to get a better understanding of the functioning of animals (in particular their fascinating sensorimotor coordination abilities), and in using inspiration from biology to design novel types of robots and adaptive controllers (see for instance Ijspeert et al, Science, 315(5817):1416-1420, 2007). He is regularly invited to give talks on these topics. With his colleagues, he has received the Best Paper Award at ICRA2002, the Industrial Robot Highly Commended Award at CLAWAR2005, and the Best Paper Award at the IEEE-RAS Humanoids 2007 conference. He is/was the Technical Program Chair of 5 international conferences (BioADIT2004, SAB2004, AMAM2005, BioADIT2006, LATSIS2006), and has been a program committee member of over 40 conferences. |
Human-Robotic Exploration of Mars: Spirit, Opportunity, and Phoenix Lander
Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, USA
The talk will provide an up-to-date summary of the missions of Spirit and Opportunity, and the Phoenix Mars Lander from their initial conception through their development, launch, landing, and operations on the surface of Mars. The talk will also present what we have learned, and then look ahead at the missions planned, technologies needed and further science clues sought through either robotic or human exploration. The two rovers Spirit and Opportunity have now been exploring the martian surface for more than five years. Spirit and Opportunity were expected to last 90 days. Their objective is to search for evidence of past water on Mars, and to determine if Mars ever had conditions that would have been suitable for life. Launched in August 2007, NASA‘s Phoenix Mars Lander mission is the first of new scout class of low cost missions under the NASA Mars Scout Program. The primary objectives of Phoenix mission is to (1) study the history of water in the Martian arctic and (2) search for evidence of a habitable zone and assess the biological potential of the ice-soil boundary. Phoenix Mars Lander is the first mission to "touch" and examine water on Mars. Phoenix Mars Lander was expected to last 90 days but it lasted more than 151 days.
 | Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu is a Senior Robotics Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, and is a Group Leader in Mobility and Manipulation Group, inMobility and Robotics Systems Section. He received his Ph.D. from Royal Military College Science, Cranfield University, U.K in 1996 and B.Eng. in Avionics, from, Queen Mary College, University of London, U.K. in 1991.He spent three years as postdoctoral scholar at the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems, Carnegie Mellon University before joining NASA-JPL as a Robotics Engineer in 1999. His main areas of interest are Robotics and Autonomy, Systems Integration & Test, Planetary Rover Operations, Multiple Robot Systems and Control Systems Design for AerospaceSystems. |
iWalker: Towards an intelligent pedestrian aid for senior citizens
Prof. Ulises Cortés, Technical University of Catalonia, Spain
It is clear that one of the most important and critical factors in quality of life for the elderly is their ability to move around independently and safely. Mobility impairments due to age, injury or disease cause a downward trend in their quality of life. Lack of independence and exercise can have dramatic results. One of the SHARE-it, an EU-funded research project, main objectives is concerned with developing an Intelligent Walker, that we called iWalker, to assist the elderly and increase the ease and safety of their daily mobility. The benefits to the user include assistance avoiding dangerous situations (obstacles, drops, etc) and help with navigation through cluttered but well-known environments.
Many older adults use walkers to improve their stability and safety while walking. It is hoped that this assistance will provide the user with a feeling of safety and autonomy that will encourage them to move about more, incurring the benefits of walking and helping them to carry out the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).
 | Ulises Cortés is a professor and researcher of the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) since working on several areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Software Department including knowledge acquisition for and concept formation in knowledge-based systems, as well as on machine learning and in autonomous intelligent agents . Professor Cortés advised 17 PhD. Thesis , and more than 20 Master Thesis in the field of Artificial Intelligence and has more than 50 papers in international journals and more than 100 papers in Conferences and Workshops. Since 2007, Professor Cortés is the Academic Coordinator of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the Academic Coordinator for the Inter-universitary Master programme on Artificial Intelligence since 2005. Since 1991, he is the Coordinator of the Artificial Intelligence Ph.D. program for the Technical University of Catalonia. He is a founder member of the Catalan Association for Artificial Intelligence (ACIA). Since 1998 until 2002 he has been member of the ACIA Board of Directors. Since July 2002 he has been appointed member of the European Coordinating Committee for Artificial Intelligence Board ( ECCAI ). From August 2006 to August 2008 he was vicepresident of the ECCAI Board. He was the coordinator of the "Agentcities" (DEP-2003-00024) a finalist application to the Descartes Prize 2003. |
Robot ecology for an ageing society
Prof. Silvia Coradeschi, Academy of Science and Technology, Orebro University, Sweden
In more and more scientific projects we can see scenarios where robots are placed in a home environment helping humans, in particular elderly or disabled persons. This is clearly an important application given the increase of the elderly population in the near future in the developed world and the strive common to most to live an independent life at home. Is it however realistic to imagine a single robot that is placed in a home and that helps a person in everyday life? Would such a solution be acceptable even if it would be technically feasible?
I will argue in this talk that a more promising solution is a distributed ecology of devices that includes robots as components, but that complement them with a variety of other devices of different complexity such as cameras, rfid-tags, moving tables and automatic door openers.
As a roboticist I find such a solution technically appealing, but would it be appreciated also by potential users? I will consider the acceptability of such technologies and I will present an in-depth and cross-cultural evaluation of how elderly users perceive robotic systems for domestic support.
 | Silvia Coradeschi is professor in Information Technology at Örebro University, Sweden. She is member of AASS strong research environment at Örebro University and she is the head of the academy of science and technology at the same university. The overriding theme in her research is the development of intelligent systems where humans, robots and devices are integrated symbiotically. She is very interested in how humans and artificial devices can communicate about the world in which they are embedded. Her specific research interest includes studying integrating (anchoring) symbolic/apriori knowledge with sensory data; artificial olfaction in intelligent systems; and intelligent homes for elderly autonomous living. She has been active in RoboCup from the very beginning and she is one of the founding trustee of the RoboCup Federation. |
Being There
Prof. Robin Roberson Murphy, Texas A&M University, USA
Being at disasters is the apotheosis of field robotics; hardware and software must work with real people under challenging temporal and environmental conditions. We have shifted over the past 10 years from traditional hypothesis-driven, top-down research to a bottom-up approach where research questions are extracted from field experiences. The types of questions and ideas that arise for robotics from "being there" are illustrated through four high profile incidents: 9-11 World Trade Center disaster, Hurricane Katrina, the Crandall Canyon Utah mine collapse, and the Cologne, Germany, archive collapse. Two major themes have emerged. A paradigmatic theme is that rescue robots, and possibly all robots, are part of joint cognitive systems. A second, unfortunate, theme is confirmation of Norman's scathing assessment that "roboticists automate what is easy and leave the rest to the human," leading to poor designs. The solution to Norman's assessment is systems-level thinking, which is the heart of RoboCup Rescue.
 | Robin Roberson Murphy received a B.M.E. in mechanical engineering, a M.S. and Ph.D in computer science in 1980, 1989, and 1992, respectively, from Georgia Tech, where she was a Rockwell International Doctoral Fellow. She is the Raytheon Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M and directs the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue. Her research interests are artificial intelligence, human-robot interaction, and heterogeneous teams of robots. In 2008, she was awarded the Al Aube Outstanding Contributor award by the AUVSI Foundation, for her insertion of ground, air, and sea robots for urban search and rescue (US&R) at the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster, Hurricanes Katrina and Charley, and the Crandall Canyon Utah mine collapse. She is an associate editor for IEEE Intelligent Systems, a Distinguished Speaker for the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, and has served on numerous boards, including the Defense Science Board, USAF SAB, NSF CISE Advisory Council, and DARPA ISAT. |
Reliable Life-long Navigation for Mobile Robots
Prof. Wolfram Burgard, Univsität Freiburg, Germany
Over the last years, there has been a tremendous progress in the area of mobile robot navigation. Robots are able to build large-scale maps of their environments and to use these maps for navigation. However, the final step towards fully autonomous robots in real-world scenarios and industrial pplications has not entirely been taken. In this presentation, I will describe some state-of-the-art techniques for robot navigation, potentials, and open research questions for taking the leap towards truly autonomous robots operating over long periods of time in complex and dynamic application scenarios.
 | Wolfram Burgard studied Computer Science at the University of Dortmund and received his Diploma Degree in 1987. In 1990, he became a member of the University of Bonn where he got his Ph.D.~in 1991. From 1991 to 1999 Wolfram Burgard was a PostDoc at the University of Bonn. Since 1999, Wolfram Burgard is a professor at the University of Freiburg where he heads the Laboratory for Autonomous Intelligent Systems (AIS). His major research interests include mobile robotics, state estimation and control, and artificial intelligence. In his career, Wolfram Burgard has published two books and over 200 papers and articles in outstanding journals and conference proceedings. For his scientific contributions he has received seven best paper awards from major conferences like the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), and the National Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). Wolfram Burgard is an active member of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society as well as a life-time member of the American Association of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). He is Fellow of the European Coordination Committee for Artificial Intelligence (ECCAI). In 2009, Wolfram Burgard received the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation (DFG), the most prestigious German research award. |
