With support of Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abu Dhabi will be hosting the 36th edition of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2024) to highlight the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s rapidly advancing capabilities in the robotics and intelligent transport systems.
Scheduled to be held from 14-18 October 2024 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) in the UAE’s capital city, IROS 2024 will gather researchers, academics, leading corporate majors,and industry professionals from around the globe. According to the 2022 rankings from International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), ADNEC is the largest exhibition venue in the Middle East, hosting high-level, cross-sector, global events, conferences and exhibitions, while being a leading contributor to MICE business tourism in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi ranks first on the world’s safest cities list in 2024, according to online database Numbeo, out of 329 global cities in the 2024 standings, holding the title for eight consecutive years since 2017, reflecting the emirate’s ongoing efforts to ensure a good quality of life for citizens and residents. With a multicultural community, Abu Dhabi is home to people from more than 200 nationalities, and draws a large number of tourists to some of the top art galleries in the city such as Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, as well as other destinations such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi.
The UAE hosts a large number of international and regional events as can be gauged from the fact that the country successfully organized the global COP28 UAE climate summit from 30 November-12 December 2023, in which more than 160 countries participated. Abu Dhabi city itself has hosted a number of association conventions such as the 34th International Nursing Research Congress, and is set to host the UNCTAD World Investment Forum, the 13th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC13), the 12th World Environment Education Congress in 2024, and the IUCN World Conservation Congress in 2025.
Themed ‘Robotics for Sustainable Development, the IROS 2024 will offer a platform for universities and research institutions to display their research and innovation activities and initiatives in robotics. IROS 2024 is sponsored by IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, the Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ), the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE), the New Technology Foundation, and the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES).
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, IROS2024 General Co-Chair, , said: “Khalifa University is delighted to bring the Intelligent Robots and Systems 2024 to Abu Dhabi in the UAE and highlight the innovations in line with the theme Robotics for Sustainable Development. As the region’s rapidly advancing capabilities in robotics and intelligent transport systems gain momentum, this event serves as a platform to incubate ideas, exchange knowledge, foster collaboration, and showcase our research and innovation activities. By hosting IROS 2024, Khalifa University aims to reaffirm the UAE’s status as a global innovation hub and destination for all industry stakeholders to collaborate on cutting-edge research, and explore opportunities for growth within the UAE’s innovation ecosystem.”
Dr. Arif added: “The organizing committee of IROS 2024 has received a total of 3,753 submissions representing 60 countries, with China leading with 1,029 papers, followed by the US (777), Germany (302), and Japan (253), as well as the UK and South Korea (173 each). The UAE with a total of 68 papers comes atop the Arab region.”
A total of nine global-level competitions and challenges covering various aspects of robotics and AI, an IROS Expo, as well as an exclusive Career Fair will also be part of IROS 2024. The challenges and competitions will focus on physical or athletic intelligence of robots, remote robot navigation, robot manipulation, underwater robotics, as well as perception and sensing.
A major component of the conference will be the exhibits of the latest robotics technologies and products, while poster sessions, keynotes, panel discussions, and networking events are also being planned. Attendees will represent manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, agriculture, defense, security, and mining sectors with 60% of them having over six years of experience in robotics.
The Khalifa University Center for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (KU-CARS) drives innovation with around 50 researchers and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, including a vibrant multidisciplinary environment for conducting robotics and autonomous vehicle-related research and innovation.
The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) of Abu Dhabi is a strategic sponsor for IROS 2024 while Astribot, and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) are Platinum sponsors. The Dubai Future Foundation and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence are gold sponsors, while NOKOV Motion Capture Company and Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) are silver sponsors. The Beijing Institute of Technology is the University partner.
DEEP Robotics and ITT Project Management Services will join the 11 startups that will showcase their robotics innovations.
More information at https://iros2024-abudhabi.org/a
