Robotics and Automation

IEEE ICRA 2012 Workshop: Pathways to Clinical Needle Steering

2012-01-31T16:20:00.003-08:00

IEEE ICRA 2012 Workshop: Pathways to Clinical Needle Steering: Recent
Advances and Future Applications
Saint Paul RiverCentre, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

IMPORTANT DATES:
February 29, 2012: Deadline for abstract submission for posters
March 31, 2012: Notification to poster presenters
April 15, 2012: Final poster abstracts due
May 18, 2012: Workshop

This full-day workshop will cover recent advances in robotic steering of
flexible medical needles. Leading researchers in steerable needle design,
modeling, motion planning, image guidance, and control will present their
latest results. These researchers will also discuss their
clinically-oriented systems-level engineering results and provide
perspectives on a variety of emerging application areas for steerable
needles. In addition to invited presentations from leading researchers in
the field, the workshop will include a poster session to provide a venue for
a broad spectrum of students, postdoctoral fellows, and other researchers to
present and discuss their work. The workshop will also include an
interactive discussion led by the panel of invited presenters, with the aim
of cross-pollination of ideas, accelerating progress toward the many
exciting clinical advancements that steerable needle technology is on the
cusp of enabling.

INVITED SPEAKERS (CONFIRMED):
· Noah Cowan, Johns Hopkins University
· Jaydev Desai University of Maryland
· Pierre Dupont, Harvard University
· Ken Goldberg, University of California at Berkeley
· Sarthak Misra, University of Twente
· Allison Okamura, Stanford University
· Rajni Patel, University of Western Ontario
· Ferdinando Rodriguez y Baena, Imperial College London
· Tim Salcudean, University of British Columbia
· Nilanjan Sarkar, Vanderbilt University
· Moshe Shoham, Technion

ORGANIZERS:
· Cameron Riviere, The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
· Robert Webster, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University

CALL FOR POSTERS:
The workshop webpage and call for posters will be announced shortly.

Autonomous Robots 32(2) TOC

2012-01-31T16:20:00.001-08:00

Volume 32 Number 2 of Autonomous Robots is now available at the
SpringerLink website
(http://www.springerlink.com/content/n22531rg40lu/) and in
print. SpringerLink allows free access to all paper abstracts. Full
access (PDF) is by individual or institutional subscription.

The accompanying blog (http://www.autonomousrobotsblog.com/) includes
additional multimedia content about articles published in Autonomous
Robots.

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Autonomous Robots 32(2) Table of Contents
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Interactive imitation learning of object movement skills
Manuel Mühlig, Michael Gienger & Jochen J. Steil

Autonomous exploration using rapid perception of low-resolution image
information
Vidya N. Murali & Stanley T. Birchfield

Two-handed gesture recognition and fusion with speech to command
a robot
B. Burger, I. Ferrané, F. Lerasle & G. Infantes

Automated synthesis of action selection policies for unmanned vehicles
operating in adverse environments
Petr Svec & Satyandra K. Gupta

Improving odometry using a controlled point laser
Tom Epton & Adam Hoover

Post-doc positions vision/mobile robotics

2012-01-31T16:19:00.003-08:00

Postdoc Positions in the Institut Pascal at Blaise Pascal University
(Clermont-Ferrand, France)

Two postdoc positions are available to conduct and lead research in
vision/mobile robotics (sensors modelling, tools for visual perception, visual
SLAM) in the framework of the European project SEAMOVES (SENSOR ENABLING
AUTONOMOUS MOTION BY OPTIMIZED VISUAL ENVIRONMENT SENSING).

The main objectives of the postdocs will be to propose new algorithms and
strategies for visual SLAM using a new kind of integrated smart camera
providing panoramic images.

Background:

Good mathematical background
Computer vision, visual SLAM
Programming (C++, Matlab).

The positions will be open for 12 months. Extension to 36 months is possible.

Salary will depend on the candidate experience.
To apply, please send CV and relevant publications.

For all further information, please contact:

Youcef MEZOUAR: Youcef.Mezouar@lasmea.univ-bpclermont.fr, Tel# +(33) (0)4 73 40
75 89.

Final CFP: ICUAS'12 - International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (co-sponsored by IEEE CSS)

2012-01-31T16:19:00.001-08:00

======================================================================

ICUAS'12 - Call for Papers
2012 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Technically Co-Sponsored by the IEEE CSS
June 12-15, 2011, Philadelphia, PA USA
http://www.uasconferences.com/

======================================================================

The 2012 International conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems,
ICUAS'12, is technically co-sponsored by the IEEE Control Systems
Society. ICUAS'12 will be held in Philadelphia, PA, on June 12-15.

The first day, June 12th, is devoted to workshops/tutorials and three
tutorials have already been confirmed. They will be followed by a three
day technical conference during which six keynote lectures are planned.
ICUAS’12 invites not only roboticists but also representatives from
industry, federal and state agencies, government, the private sector,
users, practitioners and engineers, investors and venture capitalists,
as well as businessmen and lawyers, who wish to be affiliated with,
contribute technically, administratively, financially and legally to
this highly demanding and rapidly evolving and expanding field.

Conference topics include but are not limited to:
Airspace Control, Airspace Management, Airworthiness, Air Vehicle
Operations, Autonomy, Biologically Inspired, Certification, Control
Architectures, Energy Efficient UAS, Environmental Issues, Fail-Safe
Systems, Frequency Management, Integration, Interoperability, Levels of
Safety, Manned/Unmanned Aviat., Micro- and Mini- UAS, Navigation,
Networked Swarms, Payloads, Path Planning, Regulations, Reliability of
UAS, Risk Analysis, See-and-avoid Systems, Security, Sensor Fusion,
Simulation, Smart Sensors, Standardization, Swarms, Technology
Challenges, Training, UAS Applications, UAS Communications, UAS Testbeds
______________________________________________________________________
IMPORTANT DATES

February 15, 2012: Full Papers/Tutorial Proposal Due
April 15, 2012: Acceptance/Rejection Notification
May 15, 2012: Final, Camera Ready Papers Due
May 15, 2012: Deadline for early registration

______________________________________________________________________
PAPERS

Papers must be submitted electronically through css.paperplaza.net using
the IEEE paper submission rules (see website for more information).

Authors of accepted papers will be invited to submit significantly
different/enhanced versions of the ICUAS’12 papers to the Journal of
Intelligent and Robotic Systems (JINT), which will be published in a
JINT Special Volume and in a Special Volume Book as part of the Springer
series on Intelligent Systems, Control and Automation (ISCA).

______________________________________________________________________
GENERAL CHAIRS

Randal Beard, Bringham Young University, beard@ee.byu.edu
Kimon P. Valavanis, University of Denver, kimon.valavanis@du.edu

--

Dr. Konstantinos Dalamagkidis
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Research Associate | Lehrstuhl I6 | Technische Universität München
+49 89 289-17636 | dalamagkidis@tum.de | http://dalamagkidis.info/
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MATH AND ALCOHOL DON'T MIX. Please, don't drink and derive.
-- Mathematicians Against Drunk Deriving!

Call for Papers for ICARCV 2012

2012-01-31T16:18:00.002-08:00

The 12th International Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics and Vision (ICARCV 2012), will be held in Guangzhou, China from 5 - 7 December 2012. We trust that the areas covered by the conference match your research interests and sincerely invite you to submit papers and participate in the conference.
Proposals for organizing invited sessions for ICARCV 2012 are also welcome. More details on the conference can be found at the websitehttp://www.icarcv.org/.
We would appreciate very much if you can help to forward this message to anyone whom you think may be interested in the areas covered by the conference.
We apologize if you receive multiple copies of this announcement.

Best regards,

Han WANG
Publicity Co-chair, ICARCV 2012
________________________________

CALL FOR PAPERS
12th International Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics and Vision
ICARCV 2012
5 - 7 December 2012, Guangzhou, China
Home Page: http://www.icarcv.org/
The 12th International Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics and Vision, ICARCV 2012, will be held in Guangzhou, China in 5~7 December, 2012. The conference is co-organised by the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, Chinese University of Hong Kong and IEEE Guangzhou Control Chapter.
ICARCV focuses on both theory and applications mainly covering the topics of control, automation, robotics and vision. In addition to the technical sessions, there will be invited sessions, panel sessions and keynote addresses.
The Proceedings of ICARCV were indexed by ISI Conference Proceedings Citation Index -Science, EI Compendex and included in the IEEE Xplore. Selected papers will be published in International Journals.
The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
* Control: Adaptive control; Robust control; Process control; Complex systems; Co-operative control; Identification and estimation; Nonlinear systems; Intelligent systems; Discrete event systems; Hybrid systems; Networked control systems; Sensor networks; Delay systems; Neural networks; Fuzzy systems; Control of biological systems; Precision motion control; Control applications; Control engineering education.
* Automation: Man-machine interactions; Process automation; Intelligent automation; Factory modeling and simulation; Home, laboratory and service automation; Network-based systems; Planning, scheduling and coordination; Nano-scale automation and assembly; Instrumentation systems; Biomedical instrumentation and applications.
* Robotics: Modeling and identification; Robot control; Mobile robotics; Mobile sensor networks; Perception systems; Micro robots and micro-manipulation; Visual servoing; Search, rescue and field robotics; Robot sensing and data fusion; Localization, navigation and mapping; Dexterous manipulation; Medical robots and bio-robotics; Human centered systems; Space and underwater robots; Tele-robotics; Mechanism design and applications.
* Vision: Image/video analysis; Feature extraction, grouping and segmentation; Scene analysis; Pattern recognition; Learning in vision; Human-computer interaction; Tracking and surveillance; Biometrics; Biomedical Image analysis; Activity/behaviour recognition; Applications.
Paper Submission:
Papers must be written in English and should describe original work in detail. Please download the template from the conference website and submit the full papers online http://www.icarcv.org by 1 April, 2012. Upon acceptance, authors will be required to register and present their papers.
Keynote Speeches:
3D shape and its applications
Professor Roberto Cipolla, University of Cambridge, England
Application of Advanced Control to the Control and Scheduling of Broadband Telecommunication Systems
Professor Graham C. Goodwin, University of Newcastle, Australia
iCART: Intelligent Cooperative Autonomous Robot Transporters
Professor Kazuhiro Kosuge, Tohoku University, Japan
Important Dates

Deadline for Full Paper Submission

1 April 2012

Notification of Acceptance

1 July 2012

Deadline for Camera-Ready Manuscript Submission

1 September 2012

Deadline for Authors Registration

1 September 2012

Correspondence

All submissions and correspondence can be conducted through the ICARCV 2012 homepage and email address:

Home Page: http://www.icarcv.org/

Email: secretariat@icarcv.orgsecretariat@icarcv.org>

ASLO (8-13 July) Session invitation: Automated Technologies for Freshwater Bio-Monitoring

2012-01-31T16:18:00.000-08:00

I would like to draw your attention to our special session *SS24: Automated Technologies for Freshwater Bio-Monitoring* of the 2012 ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting and to invite you to submit an abstract. Although the meeting will focus on aquatic sciences, this special session will focus on *robotic technologies for freshwater monitoring*.

This session intends to provide an interdisciplinary forum to bring together biologists, oceanographers and robotic engineers to share information and ideas about extended monitoring of fresh-water systems over multiple spatial and temporal scales (see below for the session summary).

The meeting is organized by the Association for Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), which is a leading professional organization for researchers and educators in the field of aquatic science, best known for its highly rated research journals. To date, the ASLO has more than 3,800 members from 58 countries (more on http://aslo.org/).

This particular meeting will take place at Lake Biwa, Japan, just before the Field and Service Robotics (FSR 2012) conference (also in Japan). If you're working in the field of environment monitoring (and not yet living in Japan), there is a good opportunity to attend both events with a single trip to Japan.

The*abstract submission deadline is March 1^st *, and the meeting will be held on***8-13 July 2012*. Online submission procedures and more details can be found on the conference website: http://aslo.org/meetings/japan2012/.

Please feel free to distribute this information to people you think might be interested.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you can join the conference,

Marie-Eve Garneau

Stefan Bertilsson

Cedric Pradalier

François Pomerleau

*SS24: Automated Technologies for Freshwater Bio-Monitoring

*

Marie-Eve Garneau, Institute of Plant Biology, University of Zurich, me.garneau@gmail.com me.garneau@gmail.com>; Stefan Bertilsson, Dept. of Ecology & Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, stebe@ebc.uu.se stebe@ebc.uu.se>; Cedric Pradalier, Autonomous Systems Lab, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, cedric.pradalier@mavt.ethz.ch cedric.pradalier@mavt.ethz.ch>, François Pomerleau, francois.pomerleau@mavt.ethz.ch francois.pomerleau@mavt.ethz.ch>, Systems Lab, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich

While oceanic observation networks are being increasingly developed around the world, remote sensing technologies and automated robotics systems have received less attention for freshwater research. This session addresses multi-disciplinary studies for extended monitoring of fresh-water systems over multiple spatial and temporal scales. Such technologies are urgently needed for improved understanding and management of the world's freshwater resources, which face increasing demands for drinking water while at the same time experiencing accelerated eutrophication, the rising occurrence of harmful cyanobacterial blooms, and the impacts of rapid climate change. The session aims at grouping presentations that investigate aspects of these critical topics using *(1) remote sensing technologies, from microscale biosensors and imagery to large-scale observation networks; (2) autonomous sampling systems, including underwater vehicles, autonomous surface vessels and automated fixed platforms; and (3) automated data acquisition techniques, as well as computational tools and interpolation methods used to analyze large environmental datasets. *Researchers in oceanography as well as limnology are invited to contribute to this session on the application of advanced research and monitoring technologies to lakes and reservoirs.

--
Dr. Cedric Pradalier
http://www.asl.ethz.ch/people/cedricp

Special Issue on “Visual Understanding and Applications with RGB-D Cameras”, Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation (JVCI)

2012-01-31T16:17:00.001-08:00

we would kindly like to invite your submissions to the Special Issue
on “Visual Understanding and Applications with RGB-D Cameras” Journal
of Visual Communication and Image Representation (JVCI).
The full call for submissions is available online:
http://ias.in.tum.de/_media/people/pangercic/files/cfp-jvci12-vua-rgbd-camera.pdf.

Best,

US navy's Drones

2012-01-30T03:24:00.000-08:00

The Navy's new drone being tested near Chesapeake Bay stretches the boundaries of technology: It's designed to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier, one of aviation's most difficult maneuvers. What's even more remarkable is that it will do that not just without a pilot in the cockpit but without a pilot at all.

The X-47B marks a paradigm shift in warfare, one that is likely to have far-reaching consequences. With the drone's ability to be flown autonomously by onboard computers, it could usher in an era when death and destruction can be dealt by machines operating semi-independently.

Although humans would program an autonomous drone's flight plan and could override its decisions, the prospect of heavily armed aircraft screaming through the skies without direct human control is unnerving to many.

"Lethal actions should have a clear chain of accountability," said Noel Sharkey, a computer scientist and robotics expert. "This is difficult with a robot weapon. The robot cannot be held accountable. So is it the commander who used it? The politician who authorized it? The military's acquisition process? The manufacturer, for faulty equipment?"

Sharkey and others believe that autonomous armed robots should force the kind of dialogue that followed the introduction of mustard gas in World War I and the development of atomic weapons in World War II. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the group tasked by the Geneva Conventions to protect victims in armed conflict, is already examining the issue.

"The deployment of such systems would reflect ... a major qualitative change in the conduct of hostilities," committee President Jakob Kellenberger said at a recent conference. "The capacity to discriminate, as required by (international humanitarian law), will depend entirely on the quality and variety of sensors and programming employed within the system."

Weapons specialists in the military and Congress acknowledge that policymakers must deal with these ethical questions long before these lethal autonomous drones go into active service, which may be a decade or more away.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, said policy probably will first be discussed with the bipartisan drone caucus that he co-chairs with Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif. Officially known as the Congressional Unmanned Systems Caucus, the panel was formed in 2009 to inform members of Congress on the far-reaching applications of drone technology.

"It's a different world from just a few years ago — we've entered the realm of science fiction in a lot of ways," Cuellar said. "New rules have to be developed as new technology comes about, and this is a big step forward."

Aerial drones now piloted remotely have become a central weapon for the CIA and U.S. military in their campaign against terrorists in the Middle East. The Pentagon has gone from an inventory of a handful of drones before Sept. 11, 2001, to about 7,500 drones, about one-third of all military aircraft.

Despite looming military spending cuts, expenditures on drones are expected to take less of a hit, if any, because they are cheaper to build and operate than piloted aircraft.

'Let Robots Do The Dying'

All military services are moving toward greater automation with their robotic systems. Robotic armed submarines could one day stalk enemy waters, and automated tanks could engage soldiers on the battlefield.

"More aggressive robotry development could lead to deploying far fewer U.S. military personnel to other countries, achieving greater national security at a much lower cost and most importantly, greatly reduced casualties," aerospace pioneer Simon Ramo, who helped develop the intercontinental ballistic missile, wrote in his new book, "Let Robots Do the Dying."

The Air Force wrote in an 82-page report that outlines the future usage of drones, titled "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Plan 2009-2047," that autonomous drone aircraft are key "to increasing effects while potentially reducing cost, forward footprint and risk." Much like a chess master can outperform proficient chess players, future drones will be able to react faster than human pilots ever could, the report said. And with that potential comes new concerns about how much control of the battlefield the U.S. is willing to turn over to computers.

There is no plan by the U.S. military — at least in the near term — to turn over the killing of enemy combatants to the X-47B or any other autonomous flying machine. But the Air Force said in the "Flight Plan" that it's only a matter of time before drones have the capability to make life-or-death decisions as they circle the battlefield. Even so, the report notes officials will still monitor how these drones are used.

The X-47B is an experimental jet — that's what the X stands for — and is designed to demonstrate new technology, such as automated takeoffs, landings and refueling. The drone also has a fully capable weapons bay with a payload capacity of 4,500 pounds, but the Navy said it has no plans to arm it.

Robotic palletising of frozen meat

2012-01-30T03:21:00.000-08:00

Robotic Automation has been commissioned by Australian Meat Holdings to design, supply and install a turnkey system for the robotic palletising of frozen meat.

Located at Dinmore, near Ipswich, Australian Meat Holdings' facility is the largest in Australia. Robotic Automation supplied two Motoman SP100 palletising robots to the site.

The robots are located in the cold store area where temperatures approach 0°C, and are used to palletise 30 kg cartons of frozen beef. The robots are programmed to palletise a range of different sized cartons into different palletising patterns to cater for Australian Meat Holdings' domestic and export requirements.

The system provided by Robotic Automation has been designed to be flexible, and able to grow in line with the increasing production demands of Australian Meat Holdings' facility.

The palletising robots will initially palletise two different sized boxes, but will eventually handle four different sized boxes.

The system also includes a unique shuttle and park bench that has been designed to deliver empty pallets to the robot palletisers, and remove full pallets.

If a new pallet is moving into place, boxes are stored in the park bench to ensure smooth flow of production. No accumulation conveyors are used in the pick off or infeed roles.

The shuttle incorporates a heavy lift mechanism to handle each pallet of 36 cartons, which weigh over one tonne. Pallets are dispensed from a two way pallet dispenser.

IHMC: Robotics Researcher Controls System Developer

2012-01-30T03:19:00.001-08:00

Position: Robotics Researcher Controls System Developer

Starting Date: Negotiable

Location: Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), Pensacola, FL

Application Deadline: Open until filled.

Job Description: IHMC is a not-for-profit research institute with a project working on exoskeletons for mobility assistance. This is a full time position for an algorithm and software developer for our robotic exoskeletons. Information about this project can be seen at www.ihmc.us\mina. IHMC is an EEO/AA Employer.

Requirements:

· -Minimum of Bachelor’s (Master’s is preferred) degree in mechanical, electrical, or computer science engineering.

· -Minimum of 2 years of experience writing software for controlling robots.

· -Minimum of 2 years of experience programming in Java or similar object oriented language.

· -Knowledge of standard control theory, robot kinematics, dynamics, control concepts, and mechatronics.

· -Experience working with, trouble shooting, and fixing mechatronic hardware, including, motors, amplifiers, encoders, force sensors, and embedded computers.

· -Work authorization for the United States including ability to access Federal facilities.

Expected Salary Range: $45,000 - $65,000 depending on experience.

To Apply: Email to robotjobs@ihmc.us with the subject line: Exo-software 2012. You must include the following items below to be considered for this position:

a) Resume

b) Cover letter

c) Description of at least one robotic system you have written software for.

Additional materials to submit include:

d) Academic papers you have authored.

e) Sample code you have written.

f) Thesis or dissertation document.

Applicants not meeting all of the requirements or not submitting all of the required application materials will not be considered.

2-Day Surgical Robotics Symposium at BioRob 2012; June 24-June 25, 2012

2012-01-30T03:18:00.003-08:00

As part of the BioRob 2012 program (http://www.biorob2012.org), there
will also be a _two-day single track Symposium on*Surgical Robotics*
from June 24 to June 25, 2012 with a dinner banquet on June 24, 2012,
for the Surgical Robotics Symposium attendees. The Symposium will
comprise of invited speakers, regular paper presentations and poster
session(s), and will be held at the same venue as BioRob 2012.

*Papers Submission (DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JANUARY 31, 2012):*
Author(s) who would like their paper also to be considered for the
single-track Surgical Robotics Symposium should use the code "*ix976*"
when they upload their paper. Regular papers submitted to the Surgical
Robotics Symposium are limited to 6-pages in the double column IEEE
compliant PDF format and they will undergo the same peer-review process
as papers submitted to BioRob 2012. Author(s) who wish to submit a
poster contribution to the Surgical Robotics Symposium, should submit a
2-page paper for review in the double column IEEE compliant PDF format
(Surgical Robotics Symposium poster papers will not be published in IEEE
Xplore, but will be made available on the BioRob 2012 website).

To submit a contribution, please go to: ras.papercept.net
_
*Organizer:* Jaydev P. Desai, University of Maryland, College Park, USA

*Executive Program Committee:*
Prof. Paolo Fiorini, Universita' di Verona, Italy
Prof. Gregory Fischer, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA
Prof. Venkat Krovi, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA
Prof. Arianna Menciassi, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Italy
Prof. Sarthak Misra, University of Twente, Netherlands
Prof. Robert Webster, Vanderbilt University, USA

--
Dr. Jaydev P. Desai
Associate Professor
Director - Robotics, Automation, and Medical Systems (RAMS) Laboratory
Member, Maryland Robotics Center, Institute for Systems Research
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Room 0160, Bldg 088, Glenn L. Martin Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Phone: 301-405-4427
Fax: 301-314-9477
Web: http://rams.umd.edu

CFP: DSCC/MOVIC 2012

2012-01-30T03:18:00.001-08:00

*** CALL FOR PAPERS: DSCC/MOVIC 2012
2012 ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference, and 2012 Motion and Vibration Conference at Fort Lauderdale, FL, October 17-19, 2012 (website: http://dsc-conference.org)

Dear Colleagues:

The 5th annual Dynamic Systems and Control Conference (DSCC), sponsored by the Dynamic Systems and Control Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers International, will take place October 17-19, at the beautiful Fort Lauderdale marina in Florida. The 2012 DSCC will be held jointly with the 11th Motion and Vibration Conference (MOVIC) hosted by the Japanese Society of Mechanical Engineers. DSCC is a premier conference on dynamic systems and control covering a broad range of topics, including but not limited to:

- Automotive and transportation systems
- Bio-systems and health care
- Energy systems
- Mechatronics
- Modeling, identification, and intelligent systems
- Robotics
- Vibration and control of smart structures

Contributions are sought to DSCC/MOVIC 2012, including both contributed regular papers and invited papers. The deadline for invited session proposals is March 9, 2012, and the deadline for full manuscript submission is March 16, 2012. Please see the conference website (http://dsc-conference.org) for additional information.

The DSCC/MOVIC conference will take place at the Hilton Hotel at the Fort Lauderdale Marina. Fort Lauderdale is accessible by direct flights from 70 cities in North America and Europe. The city offers an outstanding quality of life, a semi-tropical climate, rich natural beauty, and a rich array of cultural, entertainment, and educational amenities. Blessed with over 3,000 hours of sunshine each year and pleasant year-round ocean breezes, the world-famous Fort Lauderdale Beach offers premier opportunities for recreation, relaxation, and enjoyment. The picturesque Riverwalk serves as the cornerstone of the city's arts, culture, and history. Attractions include the Broward Center for Performing Arts, the Museum of Discovery and Science, the Museum of Art, and the Old Fort Lauderdale Village and Museum. Las Olas Boulevard has gained international acclaim as Fort Lauderdale's center for fashion, fine dining, and entertainment.

Please join us at this premier conference. For further information, please consult the conference website, http://dsc-conference.org.

Faculty positions available at MIT Mechanical Engineering

2012-01-30T03:17:00.002-08:00

In the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT, faculty positions are available in general areas of mechanical engineering, which include Robotics, Control, and Instrumentation. We seek candidates who will provide inspiration and leadership in research, contribute proactively to both under-graduate and graduate level teaching in the Mechanical Engineering department and add to the diversity of the academic community. The initial closing date of application was December 31, 2011, but new applications will still be considered! See more details in

http://meche.mit.edu/news/jobs/index.html?id=69

Best,

Harry Asada

3 Postdoc positions at FORTH, Heraklion, Greece

2012-01-30T03:17:00.000-08:00

Job Title: Research Fellows in Mobile Robotics - Computational Vision

Host Institution: Computational Vision and Robotics Lab (CVRL - http://www.ics.forth.gr/cvrl), Institute of Computer Science (http://www.ics.forth.gr), Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH),
Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Job Description: CVRL immediately invites applications for three (3) Postdoc positions in the following areas:

a. Computational Vision: Visual tracking (2D/3D), 3D Reconstruction, Activity recognition, Gesture/expression recognition
b. Mobile Robotics: Visual odometry, Probabilistic laser/visual SLAM, Object grasping/manipulation

Researchers will have an opportunity to work in a cutting-edge interactive environment, and will be involved in ongoing and new EU-funded projects. The positions require a PhD in a related area. Relevant research experience as evidenced by publications in peer reviewed journals and international conferences is desirable. Strong capacity and commitment to research is mandatory.

Salaries are competitive and are determined according to the successful applicants' profiles (experience and qualifications).

Please submit the following by e-mail to Panos Trahanias (trahania@ics.forth.gr).

a. Curriculum vitae
b. Brief research statement
c. Two/three names and contacts of recommendation
d. Availability date

Cube Stormer II robot

2012-01-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

Int. Symp. on Robotics and Intelligent Sensors 2012 (IRIS2012), Kuching Sarawak, Malaysia (Hanafiah Yussof)

2012-01-27T17:08:00.001-08:00

******************************************************************
CALL FOR PAPER
International Symposium on Robotics and Intelligent Sensors (IRIS2012)
4-6 September 2012, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
http://www.iris2012.org/
Theme: Smart Sensors, Smart Robots
******************************************************************

[Please accept our apologies if you get multiple copies of this message]

Welcome to the 2nd International Symposium on Robotics and Intelligent Sensors 2012 (IRIS2012). The event will take place at a beautiful and exotic city of Kuching; the capital city of Sarawak, Malaysia. IRIS2012 is jointly organized by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, the Malaysian Robotics and Automation Interest Group (MYRAig), and Nagoya University, Japan. We are pleased to invite all potential academicians, scholars, researchers, scientists, engineers and students to submit their original and unpublished papers to IRIS2012.

OBJECTIVES:
IRIS2012 is intended to provide technical forum and discussion related to robotics and sensors. The symposium is aimed to bring together researchers, academicians, scientists, students, engineers and practitioners to participate and present their latest findings, ideas, developments and applications related to the various aspects of robotics and sensors. IRIS2012 will feature interactive Technical Sessions, Special Sessions, Workshop and Exhibition. The programs include keynote addresses by eminent scientists as well as presentation by delegates from industries.

IRIS2012 OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Please kindly visit IRIS2012 official website at http://www.iris2012.org/

PAPER SUBMISSION
Manuscripts should be at most six (6) pages in IEEE two-column format and must be submitted in PDF format via EDAS. Please use the Microsoft Word template available at the conference website to prepare your manuscript. Accepted, peer-reviewed papers will be published in the conference proceedings, and submitted to IEEE Xplore. Authors of selected best papers will be invited to submit extended version of the papers for possible publication in selected journals. Papers presented in Special Session will be publish in both proceedings and journal.

SCOPE AND TOPICS:
Scope and topics of interest include, but not limited to:

Evolutionary & Novel Robotics & Sensors
Humanoid Robotics
Entertainment & Education Robotics
Medical & Rehabilitation Robotics
Service & Industrial Robotics
Underwater & Space Robotics
Micro/Nano Robotics
Human-Robot Interaction
Intelligent Systems & algorithm
UAV & Mobile Platform
Haptic Interaction & Teleoperation
Navigation & Perception
Robot & Sensor Control
Mechatronics Systems
Sensor Systems in Robotics
Mechanical, Chemical & Electrical Sensors
Wireless Sensors
Sensor & Actuator
Force & Tactile Sensors
Vision, Range, Auditory & Odor Sensors
Sensing Fusion
Smart Materials for Sensors
Sensor Network
MEMS/NEMS
Human Sensing
Biological Inspired Robotics and Sensors

IMPORTANT DATES
Regular Session
Submission of Full Paper: April 30, 2012
Paper Acceptance: May 31, 2012
Submission of Final Camera-Ready Paper: June 30, 2012

*Authors of selected best papers will be invited to submit extended version of their papers for possible publication in following journals:

International Journal of Advance Robotic Systems (http://www.intechweb.org/ars-journal.html) - ISI Thompson Impact Factor 0.326
International Journal of Social Robotics (JCS) by Springer, Special Issue http://www.springer.com/engineering/robotics/journal/12369. - Indexed Scopus, etc.
International Journal on Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems (IJSSIS) (http://www.s2is.org/) - Indexed Scopus, etc.
Special Session
Confirmation of Special Session Proposal: Feb. 15, 2012
Submission of Full Paper: April 30, 2012
Submission of Final Camera-Ready Paper: June 30, 2012

*IRIS2012 welcomes proposal to organize Special Session. Successful proposer will get FREE registration to the conference.
*Papers presented in Special Session will be publish in IRIS2012 Proceedings and indexed in IEEE Xplorer (in progress). The extended version of the papers will be publish at the following journal:

Journal of Mechanical Engineering (JMechE) (http://www.fkm.uitm.edu.my/jmeche/) - Indexed in Scopus
International Journal on Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems (IJSSIS) (http://www.s2is.org/) - Indexed Scopus, etc.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Dr. Hanafiah Yussof
IRIS2012 Chairman
Center for Humanoid Robots and Bio-Sensing (HuRoBs)
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Universiti Teknologi MARA
40450 Shah Alam Selangor
Tel: +603-5543-6455
Fax: +603-5543-5160
Email: iris2012secretariat@gmail.com

Call for participation: ETH Robotics Summer School on Soft Robotics 2012

2012-01-27T17:07:00.001-08:00

ETH Robotics Summer School on Soft Robotics 2012

---------------------------------------------------------

June 18-22, 2012

Zurich, Switzerland

www.birl.ethz.ch/sssr2012<http://www.birl.ethz.ch/sssr2012>

---------------------------------------------------------

INVITATION

It is our great pleasure to invite you to the summer school on soft robotics that we are organizing this coming summer at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. This will be an exceptional opportunity to learn the broad and interdisciplinary field of soft robotics from leading scientists.

The school is designed for graduate students of all levels. A solid background in engineering will enable you to profit most from the lectures and exercises, while the course might still serve as a good introduction to people of different background who want to learn more about this inspiring field. For detailed information on the summer school, speakers or application procedure, please see the brief introduction below.

---------------------------------------------------------

ETH ROBOTIC SUMMER SCHOOL ON SOFT ROBOTICS

During this summer school, we will give an introduction into current issues and techniques in soft robotics research. Classes will cover a wide range of relevant topics from biology, neuroscience, material science via modeling to controls, robotics and artificial intelligence. Additional hands-on exercises provide a deeper understanding of the methods taught and illustrate their implementation. More specifically, there will be lectures on

* Mechanical fundamentals for soft robotics

* Modeling and simulation of soft bodies

* Soft actuators and deformable sensors

* Physical human robot interaction

* Soft design and control in biological systems

Finally, in a number of selected case studies presented by internationally recognized experts in the field, we will point to areas of stimulating research and allow you to see beyond the current state of the art.

---------------------------------------------------------

PRIMARILY CONFIRMED SPEAKERS AND LECTURERS

* Alin Albu-Schäffer, DLR

* Dario Floreano, EPFL

* Roger Gassert, ETHZ

* Fumiya Iida, ETHZ

* Maarja Kruusmaa, Tallinn University of Technology

* Stéphanie Lacour, EPFL

* Cecilia Laschi, SSSUP

* Carmel Majidi, CMU

* Rolf Pfeifer, University of Zurich

* Barry A. Trimmer, Tufts University

* Fritz Vollrath, University of Oxford

* Amir Jafari, ETHZ

* Olivier Lambercy, ETHZ

* Ramon Pericet-Camara, EPFL

* Liyu Wang, ETHZ

---------------------------------------------------------

IMPORTANT DATES

- Application deadline: 10.3.2012

- Notification of acceptance: 17.3.2012

- Summer school: 18.6.-22.6.2012

---------------------------------------------------------

HOW TO APPLY

Applications should be sent via email to sssr2012@birl.mavt.ethz.ch<mailto:sssr2012@birl.mavt.ethz.ch>. Please state on a single page (11pt font):

* Your scientific background and degree

* Your motivation to come to this school

* The topic of your thesis

* Any prior knowledge in the field

Optional: CV with list of publications

---------------------------------------------------------

ORGANIZATION

The summer school is jointly organized by the Bio-Inspired Robotics Lab (www.birl.ethz.ch<http://www.birl.ethz.ch>) and the Rehabilitation Engineering Lab (www.relab.ethz.ch<http://www.relab.ethz.ch>) which are part of the Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems of ETH Zurich. It is sponsored by the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Robotics (www.nccr-robotics.ch<http://www.nccr-robotics.ch>).

---------------------------------------------------------

For further information please visit our homepage: www.birl.ethz.ch/sssr2012<http://www.birl.ethz.ch/sssr2012>

Liyu Wang, Luzius Brodbeck, Fumiya Iida

SSSR 2012 Main Organizers

Maryland Miniature Robotics REU program

2012-01-27T17:06:00.001-08:00

Hi all -- We'd appreciate it if you could send this announcement to your
undergraduate students. Thanks!
-Sarah

We are excited to announce the 2012 NSF-sponsored Research Experiences for
Undergraduates (REU) program at the Maryland Robotics Center -- Research
Opportunities in Miniature Robotics (http://robotics.umd.edu/2012_REU/).
The application deadline is Feb 15, 2012.

Miniature robots, defined as small robots with overall sizes between 1 mm
and 100 mm have the potential to significantly enable or enhance
capabilities in manufacturing, medicine, reconnaissance, exploration, food
safety, and search and rescue. During this 10-week summer program, students
will develop their research projects, attend tutorial seminars on miniature
robotics, visit local government labs involved in miniature robotics
research, attend professional and academic development seminars, and tour
Maryland's top-notch facilities supporting robotics research including the
UMd FabLab and Neutral Bouyancy Research Facility. The program culminates
in student presentations on their summer research.

Selected participants will receive a $5,000 stipend and funding is
available for on-campus housing and travel support. Local students (within
commuting distance of the University of Maryland) are generally not
eligible for on-campus housing. Students must be a US citizen or permanent
resident to apply. International students are NOT eligible for this program.

More information about the program, including sample project descriptions,
can be found at: http://robotics.umd.edu/2012_REU/

--
Sarah Bergbreiter, Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering &
The Institute for Systems Research
Member, Maryland Robotics Center
University of Maryland
http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~sarahb/
Ph: 301-405-6506

Call for Posters: 2012 IEEE International Conference on Technologies forCall for Posters: 2012 IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Practical Robot Applications Practical Robot Applications

2012-01-27T17:04:00.000-08:00

Call For Posters

http://www.ieeerobot-tepra.org <http://www.ieeerobot-tepra.org/>

The TePRA Conference Committee invites robotics researchers, students, developers, engineers, scientists and industry representatives to submit abstracts for Poster Presentations at the conference. Posters topics are not limited but should be of interest to the robotic community and can present work-in-progress, reports on experiments, reports on open source software, etc. The Conference Technical Program Committee will review the submitted abstracts to ensure they are in line with the themes of this year's conference and authors will be notified if their abstract/poster has been selected for inclusion in the conference. Upon selection for the conference, the contributing authors for each poster will be expected to register for the conference and present their work.

The title and author of all Conference Posters will be included in the Conference Program and the posters will be displayed for the duration of the conference. Selected authors will be given an opportunity to outline the highlights of their poster to all conference attendees in a short oral "pitch" during a conference session. In addition there will be a Poster Session in the Conference Program when all conference attendees will be invited to view the posters and authors can describe the content of their posters in more detail to interested attendees. All posters will be displayed on the conference website.

Students are encouraged to prepare posters for this conference.

Authors of all selected posters are invited to submit a full, technical paper describing in more detail the topic of their poster for inclusion in IEEEXplore.

Submissions: Prospective authors are invited to submit abstracts for the 2012 TePRA Poster Session. Abstracts must be submitted electronically through the EasyChair system:

https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=tepra2012

Important Dates:
January 31, 2012 - Poster abstract submission
February 28, 2012 - Notification of poster acceptance
March 31, 2012 - Completed poster submission

--
Taskin Padir
Assistant Professor
Robotics Engineering Program
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609
Ph. +1-508-8316427

IEEE/ASME MESA12 Robotics and Mobile Machines

2012-01-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

The deadlines for paper submissions to the 2012 ASME/IEEE International
Conference on Mechatronics and Embedded Systems and Applications (MESA)
have been extended to the following:

Submission of Full-Length Paper: 02-21-2012
Notification of acceptance: 04-23-2012
Camera-ready copy Due: 05-21-2012

Hope to see you at MESA 2012.

[Please accept our apologies if you get multiple copies of this message]

------------------------------------------------------------------------
IEEE/ASME MESA 2012 Robotics and Mobile Machines Call for Papers
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Symposium on Robotics and Mobile Machines
as part of the 8th IEEE/ASME International Conference on
Mechatronic and Embedded Systems and Applications

Co-sponsored by IEEE ITSS, IEEE CSS, ASME DED,
Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society
July 8-10, 2012 Suzhou, China

Website: http://www.asmemesa.org/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Objectives:
Robotics is readily becoming ubiquitous with exponential growth and a
myriad of applications. This symposium provides a platform for presenting
the latest developments in the design, control and applications of
robotics and mobile machines. Topics of interest include, but are not
limited to:

* Novel robot designs, controls and applications
* Humanoid and multi-legged robots
* Cellular and modular reconfigurable, and metamorphic robots
* Field-based robots (marine, underwater, space, aerial, climbing)
* Cloud robotics and robot software architectures
* Rehabilitation and biomedical robotics
* Personal and service robots
* Robust and adaptive control of robotic systems
* Collaborative and cooperative Multi-Robot Systems
* Novel robotic sensor and actuator designs
* Micro and nano robots
* Anthropomorphic, bioinspired and biomimetic robotic systems
* Kinematics and Dynamics of Serial and Parallel Robots
* Industrial and Automation Robots
* Navigation, path planning and localization
* Soft, chemical and mobile robots and applications
* Co-Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction
* Telerobotics

Important Dates:
* Submission of Full-Length Paper 21-02-2012
* Author Notification of Acceptance 23-04-2012
* Submission of Copyright Form 21-05-2012
* Submission of Final Paper 21-05-2012

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper Submission:
Manuscripts should be at most six (6) pages in IEEE two-column format
and must be submitted in PDF format via the conference web-site. Please
use the LaTeX style file or Microsoft Word template to prepare your
manuscript. Accepted, peer-reviewed papers will be published in the
conference proceedings, EI indexed, and submitted to IEEE Xplore.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact Information:
Stephen S. Nestinger, Assistant Professor, Ph.D.
Robotics Engineering Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA
P: +1 (508) 831-6445
E: ssnestinger@wpi.edu
I: http://ram.wpi.edu/people/ssnestinger

Job posting: Junior Embedded / Electrical Engineer at Meka Robotics

2012-01-27T16:57:00.002-08:00

San Francisco based Meka Robotics (mekabot.com) is developing world class humanoid robots and innovative robotic technologies in collaboration with leading research labs. A spin-off from MIT CSAIL, Meka is dedicated to developing the robots of tomorrow that will work alongside people in the home and the workplace.

Meka is seeking a Junior Embedded / Electrical Engineer to contribute to the design, fabrication, and testing of our robot platforms. The ideal candidate will have a passion for the design and layout of mixed digital-analog PCBs, enjoy writing beautifully structured embedded code, and have a demonstrated understanding of motor drivers, sensors, and embedded systems for robots.

Primary Responsibilities:

* Work with team on design of motor amplifiers, digital electronics, and tactile skin sensors
* Manage the on-going design of the Meka M3 embedded control software
* Assist with assembly and debug of humanoid systems
* Design and implement QA processes for production boards
* Support integration of new electrical hardware into our RT control system

Requirements:

* BS in EE or equivalent experience
* 2+ years industry experience
* Altium, MPLAB, C, and dsPIC
* In depth experience designing mixed analog, power, and digital boards
* In depth experience writing embedded software for micro-controllers
* Very strong electronics test-bench ability
* Experience interfacing with Linux real-time software a plus

Qualities:

* Exceptional attention to detail and engineering discipline
* Creative, analytical, and disciplined
* Capable of multi-tasking and managing multiple deadlines
* Great team player able to communicate effectively and perform with in a dynamic start-up environment

Details:
This is a full time position in San Francisco. Please submit a resume, salary details, and any supporting materials to jobs (at) mekabot.com
No phone calls please.

Job Posting: Software / Research Engineer in Shared Autonomy for Manipulation

2012-01-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

Title: Software / Research Engineer in Shared Autonomy for Manipulation

About Willow Garage

Willow Garage intends to revolutionize robotic mobile manipulation and to
jump start a broad scale industry in that area. We are working towards this
goal through fostering robust open hardware and software platforms; doing
research internally and in close cooperation with top research groups
across the globe to systematically remove the key bottlenecks to robotic
capability; and enabling or spinning off companies in different application
areas. We are well funded and able to do this with staying power.

We have assembled a team of international leaders in a wide range of robot
fields from machine perception, machine learning, planning, control,
grasping, human-robotic interaction and on to mechanical and electrical
engineering. We have a great work environment with large and fluid
collaborations across areas of expertise. We're open, we publish, run
workshops, attend conferences and collaborate widely with top researchers
around the world. We have soccer games and free lunches, and company
outings from ski trips to zero-g flights.

Primary Function

To help design and build a shared autonomy system that allows remote
operators to direct and assist a robot performing complex manipulation
tasks in unstructured environments, such as homes and offices.

Roles and Responsibilities
* help design a Human-in-the-Loop framework that enables robots to request
assistance from human operators when faced with difficult scenarios
* design novel operator interfaces for assisting robots performing
manipulation tasks
* use the system to perform complex activities in household-like
environments, identify bottlenecks and improve overall performance
* integrate the results of the work in stacks released part of future ROS
distributions
* (Research Engineer) evaluate state-of-the-art autonomous algorithms for
manipulation tasks, and integrate them into a shared autonomy framework
* (Research Engineer) help disseminate novel methods and results through
publication in major international conferences and journals

Skills / Job Requirements

A subset of the following:
* experience with robotic manipulation (grasp planning and execution,
motion planning, Cartesian and joint level arm control, robot perception
for manipulation, 3D point cloud processing, etc.)
* experience with ROS
* experience designing and using 3D visualization and interaction tools
(Ogre, Coin3D, Qt, WxWidgets, OpenGL, etc.)
* strong C++ and/or Python programming

Application Materials
* Cover letter
* Resume/CV
* Downloadable code sample(s)
* Two references and/or two letters of recommendation
* A recent publication or statement of past experiences

To Apply
Send your Application Materials and links to any projects you'd like us to
take a look at to jobs@willowgarage.com. Please mention "Software /
Research Engineer in Shared Autonomy for Manipulation" as the targeted
position.

HRI 2012 discounted registration

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

******************************************************************
HRI EARLY REGISTRATION CLOSES 1/31/2012
******************************************************************
Registration is now open for HRI2012, the 7th ACM/IEEE International
Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, to be held in Boston, Massachusetts,
USA from March 5-8, 2012. Early registration closes January 31, 2012.

HRI is a single-track, highly selective annual international conference that
seeks to showcase the very best interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary
research in human-robot interaction with roots in social psychology,
cognitive science, HCI, human factors, artificial intelligence, robotics,
organizational behavior, anthropology and many more, and we invite broad
participation. The theme of HRI 2012 is "Robots in the Loop." For more
information on the conference, go to:
http://hri2012.org

To register for HRI2011, go to:
http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/?eventid=914470

Early registration (Dec. 14, 2011 - Jan. 31, 2012)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ACM/SIG/IEEE/HFES/AAAI Members: 575 USD
Student Members 250 USD
Non-Members 675 USD
Student Non-Members 300 USD

Late and on-site registrations are also offered. Registration to the
conference includes admission to the poster session and reception at the
Microsoft New England Research and Development Center for one person. Extra
reception tickets may be purchased during online registration or on-site for
40 USD.

******************************************************************
CONFERENCE HOTEL RESERVATIONS DUE 2/3/2012
******************************************************************
Rooms at the Back Bay Hilton will be available at the conference rate of
$135 per night (before tax) between the dates of March 2, 2012 and March 11,
2012. See http://hri2012.org/attending/ in the hotel section for reserving
your room.

This is an excellent rate for the Boston area. To obtain this rate, your
hotel room reservation must be made by February 3, 2012.

STUDENTS: If you are looking to share a room, please fill out the Student
Room Pairing Form at http://hri2012.org/attending/ in the hotel section.

******************************************************************
STUDENT FUNDING AVAILABLE DUE 2/3/2012
******************************************************************
We are pleased to announce that there is funding available to partially
support travel to HRI2012 for Student Volunteers. Students receiving support
will be expected to volunteer time to help with on-site registration and
with general duties, as needed, from 5 March (early on-site registration,
tutorials, and workshops) through 8 March, 2012. Note: You do not have to
have an accepted paper/poster at HRI2012 to be considered for financial
support, although students with accepted work will be given priority.

The deadline for applying for Student Volunteer funds by submitting the
requested information is February 3, 2012. Please apply at:
http://hri2012.org/2012/01/student-volunteer-application/

CLAWAR 2012 Call for Papers and Special Session

2012-01-24T04:59:00.001-08:00

CLAWAR 2012
15th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA, 23 – 26 July 2012
(http://www.niu.edu/clawar2012)

*** LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF EXTENDED ABSTRACTS/DRAFT PAPERS / SPECIAL SESSIONS ***

*** PROPOSALS FOR SPECIAL SESSIONS: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 06 FEBRUARY 2012 ***

Dear colleague
We are pleased to inform you that CLAWAR 2012 will be held within the premises of Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA during 23 – 26 July 2012.

The conference will feature technical and social programs. The technical program will comprise plenary, regular and special oral, poster and video sessions, and exhibition. Articles submitted for inclusion in the conference will be peer reviewed before acceptance. It is envisaged that the conference proceedings will be produced in hard copy as well as on CD. The hard copy proceedings will be published by the World Scientific Publishing Company. Accepted articles will only be published in the conference proceedings if at least one of the authors registers for the conference and presents the paper at the conference.

Key dates:
Proposals for Special Sessions (extended): 06 February 2012
Submission of Extended Abstracts/draft papers: 06 February 2012
Notification of Paper Acceptance: 12 March 2012
Submission of Final (accepted) Papers: 09 April 2012
Early Bird Registration: 01 May 2012
Author Registration: 01 May 2012
Preliminary Program: 01 June 2012
Conference: 23 – 25 July 2011
Laboratory Visit: 26 July 2012

We would like to invite you to submit your contributions according to the key dates given above.

Special sessions:
Please submit your proposals of special sessions to the conference secretariat (clawar2012@niu.edu) with a copy to Prof Gurvinder Virk (Gurvinder.Virk@hig.se) by the indicated deadline. The proposal should be no more than an A4 page in length and is to include title, aims/objectives, brief outline/scope, name and affiliation of the organiser.

Submission of Papers:
The technical program of the conference will feature Regular Papers and Special Session Papers. Please submit extended abstracts of your papers or draft papers in PDF format directly using the URL (https://www.softconf.com/c/CLAWAR2012/submit.html) or the link in paper submission page of the conference web-site by the indicated deadline for consideration for inclusion in the relevant category. Extended abstracts are limited to 4 A4 pages in single-line space format and should include problem formulation, motivation to the work, methodology, sample results and discussion and references, within the scope of the conference as detailed in the conference web-site. Final accepted papers will be limited to 8 pages in length in the prescribed style format given in the paper submission page of the conference web-site.

All papers will be peer reviewed, and all accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings.
A selection of presented papers will also be recommended for possible publication in reputable international journals.

Exhibition:
Organisations and research groups wishing to exhibit their robots and robotics research work at the conference are asked to contact the conference secretariat to discuss the necessary arrangements.

Sponsorship:
Organisations wishing to sponsor the conference in any way and gain the corresponding benefits by promoting themselves and their products to the robotics community through conference publications, conference web-site and conference publicity are encouraged to contact the conference secretariat to discuss the terms of sponsorship and necessary arrangements.

Conference web-site: http://www.niu.edu/clawar2012

Secretariat:
CLAWAR 2012 Secretariat
Email : clawar2012@niu.edu
Tel: 815-753-0386
Fax: 815-753-3702

Kind regards

Abul K. M. Azad and Noah J. Cowan, General co-Chairs
M. Osman Tokhi, Program Chair
Gurvinder S. Virk, International Advisory Committee Chair

Call for Papers: 2012 Workshop on Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics (WAFR 2012)

2012-01-24T04:58:00.001-08:00

10th International Workshop on the Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics (WAFR)
June 13-15, 2012
MIT
BOSTON, MA, USA
http://www.wafr.org/

AIM And SCOPE

The International Workshop on the Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics
(WAFR) is a single-track workshop devoted to recent advances on
algorithmic problems in robotics. The workshop proceedings will be
published in a hardcover volume in the Springer STAR series, and
selected papers will be invited for publication in a special issue of
the International Journal of Robotics Research.

Robot algorithms are a fundamental component of robotic systems. These
algorithms process inputs from sensors that provide noisy and partial
data, build geometric and physical models of the world, plan high-and
low-level actions at different time horizons, and execute these
actions on actuators with limited precision. The design and analysis
of robot algorithms raise a unique combination of questions from many
fields, including control theory, computational geometry and topology,
geometrical and physical modeling, reasoning under uncertainty,
probabilistic algorithms, game theory, and theoretical computer
science.

TOPICS

The focus of WAFR is on the design and analysis of robot algorithms
from both theoretical and practical angles. The topics of interest are
very broad. We encourage papers on fundamental algorithmic issues,
such as complexity, completeness, machine learning, probabilistic
reasoning, and new programming paradigms, to name a few. We also
encourage papers on applications of robot algorithms to important or
new domains, such as manufacturing, legged locomotion, distributed
robotics, human-robot interaction, surgical robots, intelligent
prosthetics, and brain-controlled robots. Furthermore, robot
algorithms are being applied in domains beyond the traditional scope
of robotics, e.g., computational biology, computer animation, sensor
networks, etc. Papers on these topics are also welcomed.

FORMAT

WAFR 2012 will place strong emphasis on interactions and
discussions among participants. Each presentation will be followed by
ample time for discussions. There will also be time dedicated for
discussions at the end of sessions. To facilitate discussions, all
papers will be made available on-line prior to the workshop. The goal
will be to encourage interesting and constructive discussions
throughout the workshop.

The accepted papers will be published in a Springer book after
the meeting.

IMPORTANT DATES

* Paper submission deadline February 15, 2012
* Notification of acceptance April 15, 2012
* Workshop at MIT June 13-15, 2012
* Final Manuscript July 1, 2012