Plenary Speakers
Mirko Kovac
Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology (Empa) Switzerland/ Imperial College London, UK
Joohyung Kim
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
Hyunchul Shim
KAIST, Korea
Sustainability Robotics: from Nature to Robotics and Back
Friday 6 December, 09:00-10:00 @ Auditorium (2F)
Mirko Kovac
Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology (Empa) Switzerland/ Imperial College London, UK
Abstract: Environmental sciences rely heavily on accurate, timely and complete data sets which are often collected manually at significant risks and costs. Robotics and mobile sensor networks can collect data more effectively and with higher spatial-temporal resolution compared to manual methods while benefiting from expanded operational envelopes and added data collection capabilities. In future, robotics and AI will be an indispensable tool for data collection in complex environments, enabling the digitalisation of forests, lakes, off-shore energy systems, cities and the polar environment. However, such future robot solutions will need to operate more flexibly, robustly and efficiently than they do today.
This talk will present how animal-inspired robot design methods can integrate adaptive morphologies, functional materials and energy-efficient locomotion principles to enable this new class of environmental robotics. The talk will also include application examples, such as flying robots that can place sensors in forests, aerial-aquatic drones for autonomous water sampling, drones for aerial construction and repair, and impact-resilient drones for safe operations in underground and tunnel systems.
Bio: Prof. Mirko Kovac is director of the Aerial Robotics Laboratory and full professor at Imperial College London. He is also heading the Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in Zürich and the École polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). His research group focusses on the development of novel mobile robots for distributed sensing and autonomous manufacturing in complex natural environments. Prof. Kovac’s particular specialisation is in robot design, hardware development and multi-modal sensor mobility. Before his appointment in London, he was post-doctoral researcher at Harvard University and he obtained his PhD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). He received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) in 2005. Since 2006, he has presented his work in more than 100 peer reviewed publications in leading conferences and journals, has won several best paper awards and has delivered over 100 keynote and invited lectures. He also regularly acts as advisor to government, investment funds and industry on robotics opportunities.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirkokovac/
Why Humanoids Now?
Thursday 5 December, 09:40-10:40 @ Auditorium (2F)
Joohyung Kim
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
Abstract: As automation becomes increasingly prevalent in manufacturing and logistics, there is a growing demand for robots that can work closely with humans and perform tasks requiring interaction and cooperation. Companies like Boston Dynamics, Tesla, and Figure have intensified their efforts in humanoid robot development, drawing significant attention to this field. This talk explores the reasons behind the recent surge of interest in humanoid robots by examining their historical development, advancements in AI technologies, and practical application areas. Insights will be shared on designing user-friendly robots, with an emphasis on motion control and human-robot interaction to create robots that integrate seamlessly and safely into human environments. Enhancing the usefulness of robots in daily life requires a deeper understanding of human tasks and improved methods for task execution. Ultimately, this presentation aims to highlight the importance of humanoid robots and their potential impact across various industries and everyday life, illustrating why now is the time to focus on the development and deployment.
Bio: Joohyung Kim is an Associate Professor of ECE (Electrical and Computer Engineering) and MechSE (Mechanical Science & Engineering), and the director of KIMLAB (Kinetic Intelligent Machine LAB) at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on design and control for humanoid robots, system for motion learning in robot hardware, and safe human-robot interaction. He received BSE and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) from Seoul National University, Korea, in 2001 and 2012. He was with Disney Research as a Research Scientist from 2013 to 2019. Prior to joining Disney, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University for DARPA Robotics Challenge in 2013. From 2009 to 2012, he was a Research Staff Member in Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and Samsung Electronics, Korea, developing biped walking controllers for humanoid robots.
Refer to the KIMLAB website and YouTube.
From Drones to Autonomous Cars to Generalist Approaches
Wednesday 4 December, 13:20-14:20 @ Auditorium (2F)
Hyunchul Shim
KAIST, Korea
Abstract: Over the last three decades, there have been dramatic advances in mobile robotics, particularly in perception, localization, and path planning for various platforms such as aerial vehicles (drones) and self-driving cars. Thanks to innovations in sensors and computing systems, what once required large airplanes and minivan-sized robots has now been miniaturized into palm-sized drones and F1tenth cars. With the latest SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms, these systems can now navigate and operate indoors without the aid of GPS.
Robotics is experiencing yet another quantum leap, this time driven by the integration of cutting-edge machine learning technologies. Notably, large language and visual models are enabling robots to perceive their environments and make intelligent decisions. Moreover, these breakthroughs are paving the way for a new approach where humanoid robots can take control of any vehicle as needed.
In this talk, the speaker will introduce the latest advancements in autonomous drones and self-driving cars, including the Indy Autonomous Race cars. Additionally, the speaker will discuss recent progress in humanoid robots that can control various vehicles simply by “reading” their manuals, without the need for manual coding, suggesting a promising direction for future robotics research.
Bio: Dr. David Hyunchul Shim received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical design and production engineering from Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, in 1991 and 1993, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, USA in 2000. From 1993 to 1994, he was with Hyundai Motor Company, Korea. From 2001 to 2005, he was with Maxtor Corporation, Milpitas, CA, USA as Staff Engineer. From 2005 to 2007, he was with the University of California Berkeley as Principal Engineer, in charge of Berkeley Aerobot Team. In 2007, he joined KAIST, Daejeon, Korea, as an Assistant Professor and is now Professor in School of Electrical Engineering. He has received a number of major awards from Korean government and global events including 1st prizes in AI Grand Challenges in 2019 and 2020, and from AlphaPilot 2019. He has served as Director of KI Robotics Center at KAIST from ’19 to ’22 and Director of Korean RPAS Research Center from ’16 to ’21. He is now leading Future Challenge Research Program developing intelligent robots using foundation models, supported by Korean Government.