RAS 2009 Society Awards Presented in Kobe

Antal Bejczy, IEEE Robotics and Automation Award winner, Matt Mason, RAS Pioneer Award winner and other members of the Robotics and Automation Society were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments or their distinguished service and leadership in the Society and the robotics and automation community at large. The awards were  presented to the following individuals at the ICRA 2009 Awards Luncheon in Kobe, Japan, May 16.

• IEEE Robotics and Automation Award: Antal Bejczy, Jet Propulsion Lab, California Institute of Technology (retired): For leadership and sustained contributions to a broad set of innovative robotic and automation techniques applicable to space research and on Earth
  This IEEE Institute level Technical Field Award is the highest honor offered by the IEEE in the field of robotics and automation.

RAS Society Awards

• Pioneer: Matthew Mason, Carnegie Mellon University: For pioneering contributions to the fundamental understanding of the mechanics of robotic manipulation and to graduate education in robotics.
  For individuals who by virtue of initiating new areas of research, development or engineering, have had a significant impact on development of the robotics and/or automation fields
  
• Distinguished Service:
  •  Alessandro De Luca, University of Rome “La Sapienza”: Outstanding leadership and contributions as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Robotics, and for service as the 2007 ICRA Conference General Chair
  • Stefano Stramigioli, University of Twente: His contributions to technical activities on intelligent transportation systems and his leadership in managing the IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine
  • Xiaoping Yun, Navy Postgraduate School: For his leadership in RAS financial activities and his contributions to RAS conferences.
    For individuals who  have performed outstanding service for the benefit and advancement of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society
• Early Career:  
  • Nicholas Roy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: For fundamental contributions to planning, machine learning and the development of indoor unmanned air vehicle flight.
  • Jun Ueda, Georgia Institute of Technology: For fundamental contributions to robust control of robot dynamics including time-delayed telerobotics, flexible robots, cellular actuator devices, and rehabilitation robots
    For individuals in the early stage of their careers (less than 7 years past their completion of their  highest degree) who have made an identifiable contribution or contributions which have had a major impact on the robotics and/or automation fields.
    
    
• Saridis Leadership
  
  • Toshio Fukuda, Nagoya University: For leadership in expanding RAS technical activities to Japan and his contributions to RAS technical activities
  • Tszh-Jon Tarn, Washington University-St. Louis: For leadership in initiation of the Robotics and Automation Society, establishment of original awards, and promotion of world-wide conference activities.
    For individuals who have shown exceptional leadership, innovation and dedication that benefit the Robotics and Automation community. The award is named in honor of Professor George Saridis, the Founding President of the Robotics and Automation Council, which later became the Robotics and Automation Society

• Most Active Distinguished  Lecturer: Hugh Durrant-Whyte, University of Sidney
  
  Appointment as an RAS Distinguished Lecturer is both an honor, as DLs are selected on the basis of their professional reputations  and a commitment to service to the Society and the professional community.

Awards were also presented for outstanding performance by an RAS local chapter and technical committee.

• Most Active Technical Committee:  Micro-Nano Robotics and Automation Systems,  Aristides Requicha, Fumihito Arai, and Nicolas Chaillet co-chairs

 Chapter of the Year:  Italy Chapter, Domenico Prattichizzo, University of Siena, chair

·         RAS Special Recognition

The following were recognized for their contributions to the Society during their recently completed terms of service

• AdCom Members, Class of 2008
  • Aude Billard*
  •  Pierre Dupont
  • Hideki Hashimoto*
  • Seth Hutchinson
  • Katsushi Ikeuchi
  • Kevin Lynch
    *reelected to serve 2009-11 term

• IEEE  Transactions on Robotics Senior Editor
  •  Frank Chongwoo Park

• IEEE Transactions on Automation and Engineering Senior Editors
  •  Deirdre Meldrum
  •  Michael Yu Wang