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Published: 18 October 2019

Calling ALL Students! The RAS Student Activities Committee seeks YOUR input

Wednesday, 6 November from 16:00-17:30

Room LG-R25, the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Macao, China

Interested in participating in student events at IROS, ICRA and/or CASE? Have a passion for volunteering or making new friends and connections? Or would you like to provide feedback on existing student activities? The RAS Student Activities Committee (SAC) will be hosting a meeting on Wednesday, November 9 from 16:00 to 17:30. During this time, you will learn about the SAC and its activities (such as Lunch with Leaders or the Photo Scavenger Hunt), different ways you can volunteer, and how to get in touch with other students from all around the world. What kind of activities and support would YOU like to see at future events, or provided by RAS? We WANT to hear from YOU! Feedback is more than welcome---if you have suggestions for new activities or ideas to improve existing ones, we would love to hear what you have to say. Hope to see you there!

Please register in advance to ensure adequate space is provided:

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/70c8279956424d54b33874971fe6f06c

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Published: 18 October 2019

Wednesday, 6 November from 12:00-13:30

Room L1-RAS on Level One, the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Macao, China

This luncheon is open to student and young professional attendees offering the chance to meet and interact with Leaders from RAS and industry. Informal discussion over lunch will take place round table style. Join us for career advice, insights into where the field is headed, or general conversation to get to know Leaders in the field of robotics and automation.

Confirmed RAS Leaders include:  Zhidong Wang, Torsten Kroeger, Yasushi Nakauchi, Eugenio Guglielmelli,

Venkat Krovi, Dominik Bösl, Nancy Amato, Tony Maciejewski, Bram Vanderborght, Lianqing Liu, Dong Sun, Jaydev Desai, Lydia Tapia, Seth Hutchinson, Marcia O'Malley, Kevin Lynch and others….

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Published: 18 October 2019

Are you a student planning to attend IROS 2019 in Macao, China?  Join the IEEE RAS Student Activities Committee for a fun scavenger hunt!  Teams of 2-3 students will be emailed a super top secret list of objectives.  Throughout the conference, teams will then take pictures demonstrating they achieved each objective - ranging from shaking hands with RAS leadership, visiting local sights near the conference venue, to doing funny poses.  Awards will be presented to teams which found the most items and teams with the most creative photos!

Who: Students attending IROS 2019

What: A fun picture scavenger hunt

When: 4-8 November 2019

Where: IROS in Macao

Why: Because everyone needs a little fun!

If you already know a few other students attending, you can form a Team and register as a group. If not, please register yourself, and we will team you up with other enthusiastic roboticists. See you in Macao!

Details

Published: 18 October 2019

Are you a student planning to attend IROS 2019 in Macao, China?  Join the IEEE RAS Student Activities Committee for a fun scavenger hunt!  Teams of 2-3 students will be emailed a super top secret list of objectives.  Throughout the conference, teams will then take pictures demonstrating they achieved each objective - ranging from shaking hands with RAS leadership, visiting local sights near the conference venue, to doing funny poses.  Awards will be presented to teams which found the most items and teams with the most creative photos!

Who: Students attending IROS 2019

What: A fun picture scavenger hunt

When: 4-8 November 2019

Where: IROS in Macao

Why: Because everyone needs a little fun!

If you already know a few other students attending, you can form a Team and register as a group. If not, please register yourself, and we will team you up with other enthusiastic roboticists. See you in Macao!

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Published: 17 October 2019

RAS is pleased to arrange several Networking Events for our Members attending IROS 2019 in Macau, China from 4-8 November 2019. Mark your calendars, and register in advance to secure a spot in these highly popular activities.

RAS Women In Engineering (WIE) Luncheon

Tuesday, 5 November from 12:00-13:30
Room L1-RAS on Level One, the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel, Macau, China

The networking luncheon provides the opportunity to foster discussion on the role of women in robotics and automation, inspire girls and promote collaborations and initiatives to advance women in leadership. As the goal for this event is to be more than a Lunch for women, but a Lunch with women. Therefore, men are more than welcome to participate and enjoy the discussion.

Program: Panel Discussion on Best Practices: Becoming a RAS Leader through Conference Organization

There is NO CHARGE for this luncheon, however space is limited. Please register in advance using this link: 
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/17e1c2c3940947919382b0cb185ce6ae

NETWORKING RECEPTION: Meet the RAS Technical Committees. Get Involved!

Tuesday, 5 November from 17:00-18:30
Room L1-RAS on Level One, the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel, Macau, China

This event is open to attendees in the early stages of their career — young professionals and researchers. Chairs and Co-Chairs of the RAS Technical Committees will be available for informal conversation centered on new technologies in robotics and automation, future growth in the field, and how to get involved and contribute to RAS Technical Committee work.

Refreshments will be served! Come enjoy a snack and beverage, and meet some new colleagues.

Space is limited. Please come early to avoid getting shut out. The event will close once room capacity has been reached. Register in advance by using this link:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/3a3a2c0493b64f81bbf3c7e11241275d

RAS LUNCH WITH LEADERS (LwL)—for Students

Wednesday, 6 November from 12:00-13:30
Room L1-RAS on Level One, the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel, Macau, China

This luncheon is open to student and young professional attendees offering the chance to meet and interact with Leaders from RAS and industry. Informal discussion over lunch will take place round table style. Join us for career advice, insights into where the field is headed, or general conversation to get to know Leaders in the field of robotics and automation.

Confirmed RAS Leaders include: Zhidong Wang, Torsten Kroeger, Yasushi Nakauchi, Eugenio Guglielmelli, Venkat Krovi, Dominik Bösl, Nancy Amato, Tony Maciejewski, Bram Vanderborght, Lianqing Liu, Dong Sun, Jaydev Desai, Lydia Tapia, Seth Hutchinson, Marcia O'Malley, Kevin Lynch and others….

There is NO CHARGE for this luncheon, however space is limited. Please register in advance using this link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/048cd55eb7314057a3aad7e6e143df6f

Photo Scavenger Hunt - IROS 2019

Are you a student planning to attend IROS 2019 in Macau, China? Join the IEEE RAS Student Activities Committee for a fun scavenger hunt! Teams of 2-3 students will be emailed a super top secret list of objectives. Throughout the conference, teams will then take pictures demonstrating they achieved each objective - ranging from shaking hands with RAS leadership, visiting local sights near the conference venue, to doing funny poses. Awards will be presented to teams which found the most items and teams with the most creative photos!

Who: Students attending IROS 2019
What: A fun picture scavenger hunt
When: 4-8 November 2019
Where: IROS in Macau
Why: Because everyone needs a little fun!

If you already know a few other students attending, you can form a Team and register as a group. If not, please register yourself, and we will team you up with other enthusiastic roboticists. See you in Macau!

Register here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/0cb766c0756a4684a0b03d719e45f32e

Calling ALL Students! The RAS Student Activities Committee seeks YOUR input

Wednesday, 6 November from 16:00-17:30
Room LG-R25, the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel, Macau, China

Interested in participating in student events at IROS, ICRA and/or CASE? Have a passion for volunteering or making new friends and connections? Or would you like to provide feedback on existing student activities? The RAS Student Activities Committee (SAC) will be hosting a meeting on Wednesday, November 9 from 16:00 to 17:30. During this time, you will learn about the SAC and its activities (such as Lunch with Leaders or the Photo Scavenger Hunt), different ways you can volunteer, and how to get in touch with other students from all around the world. What kind of activities and support would YOU like to see at future events, or provided by RAS? We WANT to hear from YOU! Feedback is more than welcome---if you have suggestions for new activities or ideas to improve existing ones, we would love to hear what you have to say. Hope to see you there! Refreshments will be served….

Please register in advance to ensure adequate space is provided:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/70c8279956424d54b33874971fe6f06c

RAS Booth at IROS

IEEE Robotics & Automation Society will again have a Member Booth at IROS. Please visit us on the Exhibit Floor, Booth #C12. Come and meet the Staff, and get your questions answered about IEEE and RAS. Pick up some of the latest journals, perhaps meet an RAS Leader and collect a Member ribbon. Hope to see you there!

Questions about any of this?? Email us! RAS@ieee.org

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Published: 17 October 2019

Produced annually by Robohub, the "30 Women in Robotics You Need to Know About – 2019 Edition" honors NINE members of IEEE and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society! 

From Mexican immigrant to MIT, from Girl Power in Latin America to robotics entrepreneurs in Africa and India, the 2019 annual “women in robotics you need to know about” list is here! Robohub has featured 150 women so far, from 2013 to 2018, and this time they're not stopping at 25.  Featured are 30 inspiring #womeninrobotics because robotics is growing and there are many new stories to be told.

The following IEEE and IEEE Robotics & Automation Society women are included in this year's list:

• Alice Agogino - CEO & CTO – Squishy Robotics
• Cindy Bethel - Mississippi State University, USA
• Lydia Kavraki - Rice University, USA
• Dana Kulic - Monash University, Canada
• Amy Loutfi - Örebro University, Sweden
• Malika Meghjani - Singapore University of Technology, Singapore
• Amanda Prorok - University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
• Signe Redfield - Naval Research Laboratory, USA
• Selma Sabanovic - Indiana University Bloomington, USA

Please visit the full article to read more about all of these amazing women! 
https://robohub.org/30-women-in-robotics-you-need-to-know-about-2019/

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Published: 11 October 2019

Heartfelt congratulations to Vijay Kumar, selected recipient of the prestigious 2020 IEEE Robotics and Automation Technical Field Award for "Contributions to cooperative robotics; networked mobile manipulation systems, particularly unmanned aerial vehicles; and leadership in robotics research, policy, and education." He will receive this award during the 2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Paris, France on 31 May-4 June 2020.

Considered one of the top roboticists of his generation, Vijay Kumar’s vision and technical accomplishments have shaped the fields of cooperative and networked robotics and autonomous micro aerial vehicles. He developed several novel capabilities for swarms of ground and aerial vehicles ranging in size from micro to macro that can move in formation, transport objects, and operate both indoors and outdoors. Central to his work is the synthesis of decentralized controllers that allow a group of robots to produce a desired global behavior by coordinating only with their immediate neighbors. Kumar has also served as an advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which was instrumental in increasing federal funding for robotics and cyber physical systems.

An IEEE Fellow and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, Kumar is the Nemirovsky Family Dean with the School of Engineering and Applied Science at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

The IEEE Robotics and Automation Technical Field Award was established in 2002 by the IEEE Board of Directors, and is presented for contributions in the field of robotics and automation. It includes but is not limited to: manufacturing automation; robotics and automation in unstructured environments; sensor design; integration and fusion; robot design; modeling; planning and control; methodologies for robotics and automation, and the quality of the nomination. This Award is sponsored by the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society.

Past Recipients can be found HERE

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Published: 11 October 2019

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Published: 03 October 2019

The past few years have seen a significant increase of research activities focusing on the use of active or inherent material compliance in robotic systems, generally known as soft robotics. The underlying reason is the importance of soft and deformable structures to develop robotic systems that are safer, cheaper and more adaptable than the level that can be achieved by the conventional rigid-material robots. Soft robotic systems are characterized by several unique aspects like their elastic and deformable bodies, large number of degrees of freedom, possible use of unconventional material and the involvement of intrinsic passive mechanical dynamics. In order to properly handle the characteristics, it is crucial to understand the modern view of intelligence, commonly referred to as embodied intelligence or morphological computation, which emphasizes the importance of the task distribution among the brain or controller of a robot, the morphology such as shape, size and materials composing the robot; as well as the environment. In this modern view of intelligence, optimizing the design of the soft robots are therefore of a great importance. While the design optimization can be either or both led by machines and/or humans, or taking inspiration from biological systems, it will eventually decide the behavior and characteristics of the robot.

The special issue of “Design Optimization of Soft Robots” in IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine aims to summarize the state of the art and disseminate the current advances on the design optimization of soft robots. The desired outcome of this special issue is a general consensus of the shared scientific goals, the relevant perspective and challenges in the research field, as well as high impact applications.

Topics of Interest
We invite both original research or review/position papers of topics related to design optimization of soft robots, both those focusing on the use of active compliance or inherent material compliance. The topics include but not limited to the followings:

Additive manufacturing for model-free design automation
Bio-inspired approaches for design optimization of soft robots
Brain-soft body co-optimization
Design of artificial skin and stretchable sensors
Design optimization for soft and safe physical human-robot interactions
Design optimization in continuum robots
Design optimization in soft arms, manipulation and grasping
Design optimization in self-healing soft robots
Design optimization through modeling and simulation of soft bodies
Morphological computation and embodied intelligence
Optimizing soft actuator design
Soft modular robots
Soft robot design optimization for energy efficiency
Wearable robots design optimization

Tentative Schedule/Important Dates

1 February 2020 - Submission deadline

10 April 2020 - End of the first review round

20 April 2020 - First decision recommendation to EiC by GEs

1 May 2020 - First decision communicated to authors by EiC

15 June 2020 - Revised paper submitted\Start of the second round of review

1 August 2020 - End of the second review round

10 August 2020 - Final decision recommendation to EiC by GEs

20 August 2020 - Final acceptance decision communicated to authors

1 September 2020 - Guest Editorial, Order of Publication and Cover Story\Pictures to EiC by GEs

10 September 2020 - final manuscripts uploaded by authors

20 September 2020 - final manuscripts forwarded to publisher

10 December 2020 - issue mailed to all members

Submission Procedures

The submission procedures can be obtained from the IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine website: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=100. Papers submitted to the Special Issue will undergo the usual reviewing process of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine. For further information on this Special Issue, please refer to the web site of the IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine.

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Published: 01 October 2019

WiE Luncheon at IROS 2019