Industry Highlights at IROS 2023

The 2023 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) showcased the latest commercialization in robotics and proved to be a successful forum for networking with the world’s leading robotics research labs and companies. For highlights, read below and check out this piece from Silicon Valley Robotics by Andra Keay, the RAS Vice President of Industrial Activities.

Industry Tech Talks

The Tech Huddle Stage was one of the first things attendees saw when they walked into the Expo area. This program thus saw excellent turnout at its presentations throughout the convention, which were organized by the RAS Industrial Activities Board (IAB) and IROS 2023 conference organizers. Talk highlights included the following.

Aadeel Akhtar of Psyonic showcased their groundbreaking Ability Hand, complemented by a captivating video that demonstrated the hand's control via a direct brain interface.

Figure 1. Aadeel Akhtar, Psyonic

Federico Pecora from Amazon Robotics discussed the opportunity for creating foundational ML models tailored for their expansive fleet of warehouse robots.

 Figure 2. Federico Pecora, Amazon

In addition, Frank Naccarato of Quantum Robotic Systems spoke about ROSA, a distinctive stair-climbing AMR designed for home aid applications.

The IAB hopes to collaborate with conference organizers in the future on similar Tech Huddle or Tech Talks events.

Figure 3. Katherine Scott, Intrinsic.ai / Open Robotics	Figure 5. Florian Pokorny, KTH
Figure 4. Narcis Miguel Banos, PAL Robotics	Figure 6. Sviatlana Höhn, LuxAI S.A.

 

Startup Mentorship Program

Following a similar format to the popular Tech Huddles, the RAS IAB and IROS 2023 conference organizers set aside an area of the Expo Floor for small groups to meet for startup mentorship. In this pilot program, startup entrepreneurs heard advice on fundraising, product development, manufacturing, sourcing, and scaling.

Entrepreneurs were introduced to the new “Manufacturing Checklist” course being developed by the IAB. The course is going to launch online in 2024; it provides a framework for future RAS Startup Bootcamps, Workshops, and Office Hours. The next RAS Startup Workshop is being planned for Rotterdam in early November. The IAB will look to expand startup programming at future RAS conferences.

Figure 7. Startup Mentorship Office Hours at IROS 2023