Future role of robots hot conference topic
massey-university
Wed Feb 04 2009 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Future role of robots hot conference topic
Wednesday, 4 February 2009, 1:45 pm
Press Release: Massey University
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Future role of robots hot conference topic
Robots for the home as well as the factory floor are a likely part of our future according to experts attending a Massey University conference next week which celebrates the latest advances in robotic engineering.
The fourth International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents (ICARA 2009) in Wellington from February 10-12 will bring together a host of researchers investigating the latest intricacies with robotics as well as more traditional fields such as image processing, motion control, embedded systems and communication.
Conference organiser Massey University senior lecturer Gourab Sen Gupta from the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology said the research being evaluated, including developments with the miniaturisation of robots like the bear robot below, had implications for future everyday living.
Dr Sen Gupta is pictured displaying a controllable robotic arm.
“More and more research will be centred on building robots that can make a difference in the quality of human life. The days are not far when humanoid robots will be common in many homes. Development of robots for edutainment, personal care and companionship is the next growth area,” he said.
Conference keynote speakers include Professor Mel Siegel of Carnegie Mellon University, USA who will talk about the future of quantum computing in Robotics, Professor R K Mittal from Pilani, India whose research interests include robust robot designs, Professor Kay Chen Tan from Singapore who is actively researching computational and artificial intelligence, and Massey’s own Dr Rory Flemmer who is currently researching advances with automated fruit picking and packing.
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Other papers being presented address advances in the development of a pipe climbing robot, dual high powered walking frame and wheelchair for the elderly, an automated system for assembling steel beams, automated band wrapper robot for grapevine pest control and a ‘Robomower’ for mowing the lawns.
Dr Sen Gupta said phenomenal growth of the conference, to be held at the James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor, can be judged from the fact that for ICARA 2009, over 180 papers were received from 28 different countries. Of these, 126 papers will be presented at the conference in 24 parallel oral sessions.
The conference has been co-sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers NZ (Central Section), Centre for Intelligent Control (National University of Singapore), Singapore Polytechnic, IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society, Knowledge Solutions Group Inc., Japan, and Trobotix Pty Ltd, Australia.
ENDS
The conference programme can be downloaded from http://icara.massey.ac.nz/default.asp. Click on “Conference Program”.
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