Latest News
Social Hour hosted by RAS Student Activities Committee (SAC)
Sunday, 28 May, 18:00 - 20:00
Docklands Suite
Crowne Plaza London Docklands
Royal Victoria Dock, Western Gateway, London
https://www.cpdocklands.co.uk/
Join the RAS Student Activities Committee’s Social Hour to meet fellow student attendees, grab a snack and beverage, and make networking easier at the conference. Attending a conference as a student can be overwhelming, particularly if you are without an advisor, lab mates, or colleagues. Attending the SAC Social Hour before the conference starts will give you the opportunity to connect with others, which makes it easier to engage in thoughtful conversations on the future of robotics and automation during the remainder of the conference.
There is NO CHARGE for this event, however space is limited. Please REGISTER in advance.
IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) Town Hall
Monday, 29 May, 16:00 – 17:30
(Directly AFTER the conclusion of the first day of Workshops/Tutorials and IMMEDIATELY BEFORE the Welcome Reception)
ExCel ICC Theatre
Calling all Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) members, and those interested in learning more about the RAS! We want to connect with YOU at the upcoming RAS Town Hall. RAS leaders will be present to discuss current initiatives and future programs, and to hear your voice on what you think should be the priorities of RAS and our community.
RAS has many new initiatives in the works for our members:
- A significantly expanded member support program to provide travel and registration support to authors and contributors of our flagship conferences
- Expanded in-person and online career fairs and services to connect employers with members seeking careers in robotics and automation
- The launch of a new journal, Robotics and Automation Practice, to engage our growing community of practitioners
- Empowering our Technical Communities (TCs) with greater autonomy and financial support
- Restructuring our conference programs to better respond to the needs of our rapidly growing and evolving community
The second half of the Town Hall will be devoted to a conversation on new educational initiatives and feedback from our community on our current publications and paper review practices:
- Development of online educational content, from certified core curricula to advanced courses
- Improving our review process: reducing review loads, improving technical quality of the reviews, alternative review models
- Our journal-to-conference publication model as well as other publication models
Other topics for discussion are highly welcome; please submit them in advance HERE.
All in-person attendees of the Town Hall will be provided with newly designed RAS T-shirts!
The Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) oversees all activities related to the organisation of IEEE-RAS conferences and IEEE journals on robotics. The RAS Executive and Administrative Committee is composed of world leading scientists who devote some of their free time to keep our community striving.
WIE Luncheon: The Role of Culture in Building Diverse Robotics Teams
Tuesday, 30 May, 13:45 – 15:00
ExCel Room 17 (ICC Capital Suite)
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Join us for an interactive panel discussion and networking. Expert panellists will share insights on the importance of culture in creating more diverse teams. Plus, network with other roboticists and explore potential collaborations. Take advantage of this exciting opportunity to connect with others and drive positive change. Panellists:
The goal for this event is to be more than a luncheon with women. All are encouraged to participate and enjoy the discussion. There is NO CHARGE for this event, however space is limited. Please REGISTER in advance. For questions, please contact: ieee-ras-wie@ieee.org |
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Reviewers Happy Hour hosted by the RAS Young Reviewers Program (YRP)
Tuesday, 30 May, 18:30 - 19:30
ExCel London Room 27 (South Gallery)
- How often do you receive shallow and poorly written reviews for your papers?
- Have you ever doubted the right way to review somebody else's work?
- Do you really know everything about the review process of the conference/journal where you would like to submit your contribution?
If these questions sound familiar to you and you would like to gain deeper knowledge about related topics, join the Young Reviewers Program Reception!
The objective of the Young Reviewers Program is to assist and guide RAS members toward the best practices in peer review of scientific papers. This event is intended to provide the community with information about RAS's review process and suggest the best guidelines for reviewing a scientific paper.
Both Senior Reviewers who believe that we never stop learning and Young Reviewers willing to dive into the world of peer review are welcome to drop by, grab a drink, and join us!
There is NO CHARGE for this event, however space is limited. Please REGISTER in advance. More information about the event may be found here: https://www.iit.it/it/web/hrii/yrp-icra-2023.
RAS Lunch with Leaders (LwL) — for Students and Young Professionals
Wednesday, 31 May, 13:45 - 15:00
ExCel Room 17 (ICC Capital Suite)
As a student or young professional attendee, you will meet and interact with distinguished RAS leaders from academia and industry. The event will feature informal roundtable discussions over lunch, which allows participants to receive career advice, gain insight into the
future, or simply engage in general conversation to get to know pioneers in the field.
Don’t miss out on this chance to elevate your networking experience and make meaningful
connections with figures in the world of robotics and automation.
There is NO CHARGE for this luncheon, however space is limited. Please REGISTER in advance.
RA Society Awards Ceremony and ICRA 2023 Awards Ceremony
Thursday, 1st June, 13:45 – 15:00
ICC Auditorium
The Awards Ceremony is open to ALL conference attendees. Please come and celebrate with your friends and colleagues.
RAS Technical Committee (TC) Cluster Forums
Automation Cluster Forum
“How can automation contribute to a livable and sustainable society in the future?”
Tuesday, 30 May - 8:30 - 10:40
ExCel Rooms 25/26 (South Gallery)
Chairs
- Birgit Vogel-Heuseur, Technical University of Munich
- Angela Faragasso, University of Tokyo
Speakers
- Paolo Dario, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
- Minwei Zhang, Huawei
- Georg von Wichert, Siemens
- Ken Goldberg, University of California Berkeley
- Maria Pia Fanti, Polytechnic of Bari
- Iain Darby, National Nuclear Laboratory
- Fabiana Fournier, IBM Research
- Nico Peper, SCHUNK
Robotics Foundation Cluster Forum
"Foundational Research in Robotics: Future Challenges and Opportunities"
Tuesday, 30 May - 15:00 - 17:00
ExCel Rooms 25/26 (South Gallery)
Organizers
- Marcelo Ang, National University of Singapore
- Jen Jen Chung, The University of Queensland
- Giuseppe Loianno, New York University
Speakers
- Oussama Khatib, Stanford University
- Wolfram Burgard, University of Technology Nuremberg
Human-centered Life-like Robotics Cluster Forum
“Human-Centered Robotics Forum: Advancing Intelligent, Connected, and Collaborative Robotic Systems for a Post-Pandemic World”
Wednesday, 31 May - 15:00 - 17:00
ExCel Rooms 25/26 (South Gallery)
Organizers
- Cecilia Laschi, National University of Singapore
- Ann Majewicz Fey, The University of Texas at Austin
- Farokh Atashzar, New York University
Speakers
- Ken Goldberg, University of California Berkeley
- Marcia O'Malley, Rice University
Health and Medical Robotics Cluster Forum
“Health and Medical Robotics: Current trends and future challenges”
Thursday, 1 June - 9:00 - 11:00
ExCel Rooms 25/26 (South Gallery)
Organizers
- Samer Mohammed, Université Paris-Est Créteil
- Yasuhisa Hirata, Tohoku University
- Farokh Atashzar, New York University
Speakers
- Kenji Suzuki, University of Tsukuba
- Domenico Prattichizzo, University of Siena
- Katja Mombaur, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
We are pleased to announce a new special issue for IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO) on Tactile Robotics.
Check out the website for more details the special issue aims and scope.
Key Dates and Deadlines
- Submissions open: 1 June 2023
- Submissions close: 31 October 2023
- Expected publication date: 2024
We are pleased to announce that a new batch of IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) papers is now available on IEEE Xplore. Check it out!
By the RAS Technical Committee on Haptics
It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Professor Vincent Hayward on Wednesday, 10 May, at the age of 68. Vincent was an exceptional individual who dedicated his life to the fields of haptics and robotics, leaving an indelible mark on the scientific community.
After receiving his doctorate at the University of Paris XI, he joined the School of Engineering of Purdue University in 1981 and then CNRS (1983-85). In 1989, Vincent joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McGill University, starting as an Assistant Professor and eventually rising to the positions of Associate Professor and, ultimately, full Professor in 2006. His unwavering passion for his field led him to join the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in 2008. In 2017-2018, he took a leave of absence to become a Professor of Tactile Perception and Technology at the School of Advanced Studies of the University of London, supported by a prestigious Leverhulme Trust Fellowship. Prior to that, he also had received an advanced ERC grant, which showcases his excellence in research. Since 2016, he has spent part of his time contributing to the development of a start-up company in Paris, Actronika SAS, dedicated to the development of haptic technology. He was elected a Fellow of the IEEE in 2008 and a member of the French Academy of Sciences in 2019.
Throughout his career, Vincent focused on exploring the realms of touch and haptics, robotics, and control. His contributions to these fields were significant and will continue to inspire future generations. He was one of the first scientists to write general purpose software for robotics. His RCCL library was instrumental to the development of the first large-scale demonstrators. In addition to his academic pursuits, Vincent dedicated himself to nurturing the next wave of talent. His commitment to pedagogy and mentorship was resolute, and he invested considerable time and effort in creating engaging haptics courses during his tenures at McGill University and Sorbonne University.
Vincent was not only a brilliant scientist but also a beacon of enthusiasm and curiosity. He epitomized the sheer joy of scientific exploration, embracing intuition and introspection to generate groundbreaking ideas. His relentless pursuit of knowledge allowed him to unravel the unexpected and to expand our understanding of the intricate haptics system. Vincent took great pride in his undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees, watching them flourish as they became esteemed professors with their own thriving research programs and respected industry researchers with leading companies.
Those fortunate enough to have known Vincent will remember him for his wisdom, determination, kindness, and boundless generosity. He touched the lives of countless friends, colleagues, and trainees, leaving an enduring legacy that will continue to resonate within the scientific community.
Although his physical presence is no longer with us, the impact of Vincent's work and his spirit will live on, inspiring us to push boundaries, embrace curiosity, and create a better world through science. May his memory be a guiding light for all those who embark on the path of knowledge and discovery. We send our deepest condolences and wish to pay heartfelt tribute to the enduring support of Anh-Thu Dinh, Vincent’s longtime partner, who remained steadfastly by his side until the very end. At this link, you can leave a personal message to remember and honor Vincent.
We are pleased to announce that a new batch of IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) papers is now available on IEEE Xplore. Check it out!
We are pleased to announce that Volume 20, Issue 2 of IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (T-ASE) is now available on IEEE Xplore. Click here for the table of contents and check out the issue now on Xplore!
Thanks to an increase in support from the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society leadership, there will be a second round of travel awards to attend ICRA 2023 in London! Apply by 21 April 2023 23:59 PT for consideration. Click here for more information.
We are pleased to announce a new special issue for IEEE Transactions on Haptics (ToH): Towards a transdisciplinary approach to the development and control of haptic devices for human-in-the-loop applications.
Check out the website for more details on submission instructions or the special issue aims and scope.
Key Dates and Deadlines
- Submission deadline: 20 July 2023
- First decision sent to authors: approximately 3 months after submission
- Final decision sent to authors: approximately 6 months after submission
- Final publication material due from authors: approximately 7 months after submission
We are pleased to announce a new special issue for IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine (RA-M) on Marine Robots.
Check out the website for more details the special issue aims and scope.
Key Dates and Deadlines
- Submission deadline: 15 July 2023
- First decision to authors: 15 September 2023
- Resubmission: 30 October 2023
- Final decision: 1 December 2023
- Final manuscripts upload: 15 December 2023
- Guest editorial due: 20 December 2023
- Publication: March 2024
The IEEE RAS Women in Engineering Committee (WiE) has launched a new travel support program to encourage inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in our community. The IDEA grants aim to make the major IEEE RAS conferences more accessible for underrepresented groups.
The RAS WiE is now accepting IDEA grant applications for the IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE) 2023, to be held in Auckland, New Zealand from 26–30 August 2023. Each awardee will receive a maximum of $3,300 to cover the travel costs of the trip. Please note that awards will be distributed as travel reimbursements. The award will focus on supporting:
- Secondary/undergraduate/graduate students interested in robotics or automation topics
- Underrepresented groups
- People with disabilities
- People who have stepped down from the field for some time and want to return (e.g., due to illness or parental leave)
The Call for Applications is now open with the following schedule.
- Application submission deadline: 5 May 2023 (11:59 PT)
- Decisions: 26 May 2023
To apply for IDEA travel support, please follow the steps in the application form. The IDEA committee will select three applicants to attend CASE 2023.
We are pleased to announce that Volume 39, Issue 2 of IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO) is now available on IEEE Xplore. Click here for the table of contents and check out the issue now on Xplore!
This year, the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2023, which will take place in London from 29 May–2 June 2023, will host 12 exciting robotics competitions across a wide range of areas of expertise. Many competition registrations close in April; check out the website for more info.
Congratulations and welcome to the following newly organized RAS Chapters:
Region 8
Hungary
- Obuda University Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
Tunisia
- Higher Institute of Informatics and Mathematics of Monastir (ISIMM), Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
Region 9
Costa Rica
- Costa Rica Institute of Technology, Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
Region 10
India
- Basaveshwar Engineering College, Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
- BVRIT Hyderabad, Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
- JSS Academy of Technical Education-Bangalore Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
- Kumaraguru College of Tech, Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
- Manav Rachna College of Engineering, Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
- Manipal University Jaipur, Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
- The Oxford College Of Engineering, Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
- Rajeev Gandhi Memorial College of Eng and Tech Robotics and Automation Society Student Branch Chapter
We are pleased to announce that the March 2023 issue of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine on homecare robots (Volume 30, Issue 1) is now available on IEEE Xplore. Click here for the table of contents, and check out the issue now on Xplore!
The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) invites you to participate in the Working Group for IEEE P7017™: Recommended Practice for Design-Centered Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) and Governance.
Why Get Involved?
This recommended practice describes the methodology and application of “compliance by design” in the area of human-robot interaction (HRI) with regard to socially assistive robots. Six topics are included:
- Metrics on behaviors for stakeholders in HRI
- Metrics of different design practices and their impacts to HRI governance
- Risk assessment of using compliance by design for socially assistive robots
- Use cases in compliance by design for socially assistive robots
- Recommended methods for compliance by design for socially assistive robots
- A conceptual framework of compliance by design for HRI governance, to enable robot developers to efficiently apply ethical behaviors into the design process for socially assistive robots and to help stakeholders reduce legal conflicts between existing laws and emerging technologies regarding the use of socially assistive robots in human spaces.
The purpose of this recommended practice is to provide stakeholders engaged in the use and design of socially assistive robots with means of design-centered approaches to realize safe and trustworthy human-robot interactions that comply with legal rules in (semi) public environments. The core of this project is to explore the potential of AI (Artificial Intelligence) ethics standards in the governance of human-robot interactions through compliance by design for socially assistive robots.
Learn more here.
Please indicate your interest in this working group to receive ballot invitations and other notifications about the project, including the date/time of the working group kick-off meeting in May. For additional information, contact the IEEE P7017™ Working Group Chair, Yueh-Hsuan Weng, at weng.yuehhsuan@gmail.com or the IEEE SA Program Manager, Christy Bahn, at c.bahn@ieee.org.
We are pleased to announce that a new batch of IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) papers is now available on IEEE Xplore. Check it out!
We are pleased to announce that Volume 16, Issue 1 of IEEE Transactions on Haptics (ToH) is now available on IEEE Xplore. Click here for the table of contents and check out the issue now on Xplore!
RAS is pleased to announce the hiring of Terence Martinez as its new Executive Director. Martinez has worked in the technology sector for more than 25 years and has spent the past 12 years at IEEE. Prior to joining RAS, Martinez was a Program Director for IEEE Future Directions, where he led initiatives on Quantum, Blockchain, Rebooting Computing, and Smart Cities. In this role, Martinez helped launch the IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE), and he worked with academia, government, and industry partners (including Duke University, Perdue University, Google, and Facebook) on various projects. Prior to that, Martinez worked as a Product Manager for IEEE Online Platforms, where he helped develop online products including IEEE.tv, myIEEE, as well as IEEE Collabratec™, an industry-first professional networking and collaborative authoring platform. Prior to joining IEEE, Martinez worked as an E-Business Product Manager at Siemens and a Senior Systems Analyst at Merck.
An IEEE Senior Member himself, with degrees in Information Systems, Chemical Engineering, and Economics, Martinez has also volunteered in IEEE’s TryEngineering program for the past five years, where he has mentored primary school students interested in STEM.
Martinez is thrilled to be joining the robotics and automation community at such an exciting time for the field. We are delighted to welcome him aboard as the new Executive Director for RAS.
The paper submission deadline for the IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO) Special Issue (SI) on Impact-Aware Robotics has been extended to 1 May 2023.
Check out the website for more details on submission instructions or the SI aims and scope.
Key Dates and Deadlines
- Submission deadline: 1 May 2023
- Projected publication date: 2024
Please reach out to the Guest Editors with any questions.
- Alessandro Saccon (saccon@tue.nl), Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), the Netherlands
- Michael Posa (posa@seas.upenn.edu), University of Pennsylvania, USA
- Yan Gu (yangu@purdue.edu), Purdue University, USA
- Abderrahmane Kheddar (kheddar@lirmm.fr), CNRS-AIST, JRL, Japan/France
Kavraki invented algorithms that improve the efficiency and capabilities of robots, enable scientists to simulate the interactions of proteins, and reveal how to make search efficient for problems arising in the physical world.
The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) is most pleased to announce that RAS Member Lydia Kavraki has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious 2023 IEEE Frances E. Allen Medal. Professor Kavraki was selected “for foundational probabilistic algorithms and randomized search methods that have broad impact in robotic motion planning and computational biology.”
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Lydia E. Kavraki revolutionized the field of algorithmic robotics and searching in continuous domains. Her contributions have had a broad impact in both robotic motion planning and computational biology. Twenty-five years ago, Lydia introduced the world to the simple yet effective methodology of sampling-based planning (SBP), which at the time was a departure from the predominantly discouraging results in the field of robot motion planning. Her early work on the Probabilistic Roadmap Method (PRM) and subsequent completeness analysis marked the dawn of a new era in which previously unsolvable problems in robotics and other domains, such as assembly and maintenance, digital animation, and biotechnology, were suddenly efficiently solvable with only moderate programming effort. Kavraki’s influence extends beyond motion planning, as her methodology has been applied to a wide range of problems and settings, including kinodynamic systems. She has also made significant contributions to the field of bioinformatics, where her techniques have been successfully adapted to the challenging spaces of structural molecular biology and drug design. In addition to her research, Kavraki has been a dedicated mentor and educator, guiding numerous students and postdocs throughout her career. She also co-created the Open Motion Planning Library (OMPL) with Mark Moll, which disseminates SBP algorithms via a meticulously crafted open-source software library. The OMPL has made it easier for a vast audience to access the tools and solutions developed by Lydia and her team without the need for developing their own software or understanding the algorithmic intricacies. Kavraki is now working with NASA to advance the capabilities of robots designed for space missions, including the Space Gateway, humanity’s first space station in lunar orbit and the portal for NASA’s ambitious deep-space exploration plans. With applications from the molecular level to the stars, Kavraki’s work is a shining example of great talent and total devotion. An IEEE Fellow, Kavraki is the Noah Harding Professor of Computer Science at Rice University in Houston, Texas, USA. |
About the IEEE Frances E. Allen Medal
Sponsored by IBM and named in honor of computing pioneer Frances E. Allen, the IEEE Frances E. Allen Medal was established by the IEEE Board of Directors in 2020; it honors “innovative work in computing leading to lasting impact on other aspects of engineering, science, technology, or society.” More information on the Medal and its history can be found here; a list of past winners is available here.
