Robotics & Automation

PhD Position at TU Berlin

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:49:57 PST

Open Research Position in Robotics: Motion Generation for Mobile Manipulation

Position: Ph.D. student
Topic: motion generation for mobile manipulation

http://www.robotics.tu-berlin.de/menue/stellenangebote/robotik/

The Robotics and Biology Laboratory in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Technische Universität Berlin has an immediate opening!

About the Research
The Robotics and Biology Laboratory conducts cutting-edge research in the area of autonomous mobile manipulation, including work on manipulation, interactive perception, grasping, computer vision, motion generation, motion planning, and robotic cognition. Our work is motivated by the desire to create robotic systems that perform dexterous manipulation tasks in everyday environments with a level of competency rivaling that of humans. We strive to demonstrate our research on real-world robotic systems in everyday environments. This requires the tight integration of autonomous capabilities in manipulation, perc

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eption, planning, control, machine learning, and reasoning. Researchers in our lab work at the intersection of at least two of these areas, creating innovative solutions to long-standing research challenges in robotics and artificial intelligence. Research projects will be tailored to the preferences, skills, and experience of the successful applicant.

Desired Skills
The successful applicant has completed a Masters degree in computer science or a closely related discipline. He or she should possess excellent skills and practical experience in one or more of the following research areas: motion planning, control, hybrid systems. Experience at the intersection of one or more of these areas is desirable. Experience with programming and operating real-world robots and with the development of large integrated software is a plus. Proficiency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of German is useful but not required.

About the Robotics and Biology Laboratory
The Robotics and Biology Laboratory is an international leader in the field of autonomous mobile manipulation. The lab is generously funded through the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt-Professorship by the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation. It has large, newly renovated laboratory and office space on the campus of the TU Berlin in the middle of Berlin. The lab home to top-notch, state-of-the-art mobile manipulators and robots; it is equipped with all the toys and bells and whistles that a roboticist might desire. The lab maintains close research ties to top universities in Germany, Europe, and the USA. The Robotics and Biology Laboratory provides an ideal environment for launching a successful career in academia or industry.

About Berlin
Berlin is a thriving center for science, culture, politics, and media right in the middle of Europe. Berlin is the most populous city in Germany, but through its many parks, forests, and lakes within the city limits, it provides a quality of life that is quite unique among large cities in the world. At the same time, the cost of living is very low. Berlin is home to three high-quality universities and many academic, governmental, and industrial research organizations.

Wikipedia about Berlin: "The metropolis is home to world-renowned universities, research institutes, sporting events, orchestras, museums and personalities. Berlin's urban landscape and historical legacy has made it a popular setting for international film productions. The city is recognized for its festivals, diverse architecture, nightlife, contemporary arts and a high quality of living. Berlin has evolved into a global focal point for young individuals and artists attracted by a liberal lifestyle and modern zeitgeist."

How to Apply
International applications are encouraged to apply and will receive logistic support with visa issues. Applications will be evaluated on an ongoing basis until the positions are filled. Please email your application, including cover letter, CV, scanned transcripts, diplomas, publications, theses, other supporting material, and the contact information for at least two references as a single PDF file with "Application Motion Generation" in the subject line to robotics@robotics.tu-berlin.de

. If you have questions regarding the position, please contact

Mrs Gudrun Pourshirazi
Tel. +49 30 314-73 110
Fax +49 30 314-21 116
robotics@robotics.tu-berlin.de

TU Berlin, Fakultät IV
Robotics, EN 10
Einsteinufer 17
10587 Berlin
Germany

CogSys 2010, January 27&28, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:49:10 PST

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

CogSys 2010 - Call for Contributions

4th International Conference on Cognitive

Image by viernullvier via Flickr

Systems

January 27 & 28, 2010, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Pre-registration of Poster Contributions: December 15, 2009

--- http://www.CogSys2010.ethz.ch/ ---

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

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

-- Objective:

The goal of the CogSys Conference is to bring together researchers in cognitive systems and robotics from academia, government and industry. The conference intends to present the state-of-the-art in cognitive systems and robotics in Europe and beyond. It aims to spotlight European research activities in the field and generate a lively discussion and interaction across disciplinary and institutional borders.

-- Symposium Format:

The conference will be held as a two-day single track conference with invited talks from selected EU projects in the field and four keynote talks from outstanding individuals. It will be enhanced by an open poster session presenting the very rich and diverse activities in European's research in cognitive systems and robotics. The posters will be published on the conference webpage and be freely available to the community and the public.

-- Venue:

The conference will be held at ETH Zurich downtown campus in the heart of Europe. ETH's campus is easy to reach by direct trains and trams from Zurich Airport and by fast train from various major cities in Europe. The oral and poster presentation as well as the banquet on January 27 will be in ETH's historic main building overlooking Zurich.

-- Poster Submissions:

Poster submission is open to all individuals or groups active in the field of Cognitive Systems and Robotics. Submissions from EU funded projects are particularly encouraged. Submitted posters are expected to focus on innovative research and scientific/technological advances. Simple project overviews not enhancing scientific results and innovations will not be accepted as posters. The posters have to be submitted in A4 format for our on-line database and have to presented with A0 printout at the conference. It is therefore highly important that they are arranged so that they are readable in both formats. Please avoid putting too much and too lengthy text. A simple review process will enforce that all posters comply with this concept.

-- Submission Procedure:

Poster submissions have to be pre-registered (announced) through the CogSys 2010 webpage by December 15, 2009. Late pre-registration will be accepted only if space availability permits it. The final poster has to be uploaded by January 10, 2010.

-- Related Events:

The EUCogII Members' Conference 2010 will be held in conjunction with CogSys 2010 on January 29 at the same location.

-- Registration Fee:

50 Euros, including reception, dinner and coffee breaks

-- Important Dates:

Important Dates:

- December 15, 2009: Pre-registration for Poster contribution

- January 10, 2010: Submission of Posters

- January 10, 2010: Deadline for Symposium Registration

- January 27 & 28, 2010: Symposium at ETH Zurich

- January 29, 2010: EuCogII Meeting at ETH Zurich

-- Committee:

General Co-Chairs:

Roland Siegwart, ETH Zurich

Rolf Pfeifer, University of Zurich

Program Co-Chairs
Thierry Bücheler
Cedric Pradalier
Rudolph Triebel

Webpage
Jerome Maye
Ralf Kästner

Administraition
Eve Lasserre
Cornelia Della Casa

EU - Liaison
Bjoern Juretzki

EUCogII - Liaison
Vincent C. Müller

EURON - Liaison
Herman Bruyninckx

CogSys 2008 - Liaison
Tamim Asfour

_________________________

Prof. Dr. Roland Siegwart

Autonomous Systems Lab

Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems

ETH Zürich, CLA E 33 Tannenstrasse 3

CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland

Office: +41 44 632 23 58

Fax: +41 86 079 214 49 27

Mobile: +41 79 214 49 27

E-Mail: rsiegwart@ethz.ch rsiegwart@ethz.ch> rsiegwart@ethz.ch rsiegwart@ethz.ch> >

WWW: www.asl.ethz.ch <http://www.asl.ethz.ch> <http://www.asl.ethz.ch <http://www.asl.ethz.ch> >

Tutorial on Real-Time Computer Vision for Localisation and Mapping

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:47:10 PST

As part of IEEE Humanoids, on the 7th of December 2009 in Paris.
Early registration for this tutorial is about 30Euros or less before Nov
5th

Speakers:
Andrew Davison (Imperial College)
Andrew Calway (Univ of Bristol)

Image via Wikipedia

Olivier Stasse (AIST/ISRI-CNRS/STIC)
Walterio Mayol-Cuevas (Univ of Bristol)

Motivation:
For a highly dexterous and agile platform such as a humanoid robot, a
pre-requisite for efficient task or motion planning is to be able to know
where it is relative to its surroundings. In recent years, there has been
significant effort in developing real-time mapping and localisation using
vision sensors only. The attractiveness of visual sensors is not only
their size, low cost and availability but importantly the different kind
of features they can recover.

Moreover, a humanoid requires fast algorithms able to provide pose within
a few milliseconds and therefore the visual techniques required must be
robust and consider real-time constraints.

This tutorial will concentrate on the following topics:

-Basics of Visual Localisation
-Introduction to Visual Mapping
-Real-time and robust feature matching and description
-Creating larger maps and discovering map structure
-Navigation and visual sensor planning

Length:
Half-day

Registration to IEEE Humanoids, this tutorial and more details are
available at:

http://www.humanoids2009.org/

[AAMAS-2010] - Call for industry track

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:46:29 PST

******************************

**********************************
Call for Papers: Industry and Applications track - AAMAS-2010
****************************************************************

**** We encourage the robotics community to consider submitting papers to
the Industry and Applications track at AAMAS-2010 describing industrial
robotic/cybernetic systems ****

**** Introduction

The AAMAS Industry Track is a special track of the AAMAS conference that
offers
a globally unique opportunity to present and promote industrial and
commercial
applications of agent technologies. Due to the growing maturity of the
field there
are now agent-based applications in widespread use across multiple
domains that
are responsible for the generation of significant revenue. This event
provides
the ideal forum to present and discuss your work; to inform and inspire the
largest international gathering of agent technology researchers and
practitioners
with presentations and demonstrations of your compelling applications,
success
stories and new business ideas. It is our intention that the 2010 event
actively
works to promote the fostering of mutually beneficial relationships
between members
of the AAMAS community who are engaged in foundational scientific
research and those
who are working to make autonomous agents and multi-agent systems a
commercial reality.

**** Topics and Issues of Interest

The AAMAS Industry Track invites submissions of short (4-page) or long
(8-page)
papers that describe autonomous agent and multi-agent systems that have
been
incorporated into for-profit or non-profit products or services, or that
demonstrate
a clear potential to be so included. Application domains of interest
include, but
are not limited to:

* telecommunication, media and entertainment
* bio-technology, pharmaceutical and health care
* financial systems and services
* manufacturing, automation, and logistics
* industry robotic and cybernetic systems
* enterprise systems
* large-scale and grid systems management

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* transportation and telematics
* ambient intelligence, intelligent buildings and smart cities
* surveillance and security
* e-government

Authors are advised and encouraged to address the following questions in
their paper:

* Why is your chosen application domain important to industry and/or
society?
What are typical use cases?
* What is the rationale for using agent-based technology in your
application,
as opposed to a more traditional approach?
* If you have deployed your technology commercially, what specific
or general
insights have you gained from the experience?
* Have you experienced (or do you foresee) technical challenges or
market-based
barriers to adoption, and if so how did (or might) you address them?
* What improvements or external factors might facilitate
wider-spread adoption of
your technology?
* What improvements in fundamental agent technology might improve
your application,
or enable it to be adopted more broadly?
* In financial terms, or any other appropriate measure of benefit,
what is the
present value of your technology to customers, industry, or government,
and what is its
ultimate potential?

**** What is the relationship between AAMAS Industry Track and AAMAS?

The AAMAS Industry Track is an essential and integral part of the AAMAS
conference. It
runs concurrently with the regular AAMAS scientific track, and all
accepted papers are
included in the general conference proceedings.

The AAMAS Industry Track mandates the same high level of quality that
has come to be
expected of the AAMAS scientific track. The expectation is that authors
must make a
concerted effort to address the issues and questions identified in
"Topics and Issues
of Interest", as appropriate to their paper. We discourage the
submission of purely
speculative papers or papers whose primary contribution is scientific,
as these ought
to have been submitted to the regular conference track.

Authors submitting a paper to the AAMAS Industry Track are encouraged to
submit a demo
of their agent-based application to the AAMAS Demonstration session

http://www.cse.yorku.ca/AAMAS2010/index.php#content=call4_demo_proposal

**** Submission instructions and dates

Please format your paper according to standard AAMAS guidelines. AAMAS
style guides, as
well as templates and style sheets for Microsoft Word and LaTeX can be
found here.

http://www.cse.yorku.ca/AAMAS2010/index.php#content=authors_instructions

Papers must be 8 pages (regular paper) or 4 pages (short paper),
including figures and
references, when formatted using the specified style. Papers should be
formatted for
standard Letter paper size. (i.e. not A4). Over-length papers will be
rejected.
Notification of receipt of the electronic paper will be mailed to the
first author
(or designated author) soon after receipt.

To submit your paper, please register your abstract at

http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=aamas2010industrytrack)

before 11:59pm, December 8, 2009 (UTC), and then submit an electronic
copy of your
completed paper to the same site by 11:59pm, December 15, 2009 (UTC).

We strongly encourage submissions in PDF (Adobe's Portable Document
Format), but will
accept submissions in Postscript if PDF is infeasible. We will not
accept papers in any
other format (e.g., MS Word) because of compatibility problems between
software versions,
machines, and nationalities. We cannot accept title pages or papers
submitted by FAX.
Submissions received after this deadline will not be considered for review.

Notification of acceptance or rejection of submitted papers will be
mailed to the
first author (or designated author) by January 23, 2010. Note that at
least one author
of each accepted paper is required to register and to attend the
conference to present
the work.

In summary, here are the critical dates:

* Deadline for paper information: December 8, 2009
* Deadline for paper submission: December 15, 2009
* Notification of acceptance or rejection: January 23, 2010
* Final versions due: February 8, 2010

For more information, see the AAMAS Industry and Applications Track web
site at

http://www.cse.yorku.ca/AAMAS2010/index.php#content=call_for_industry_track

or contact the track co-chairs at

aamas2010industrytrack@easychair.org

**** Policy on Multiple Submissions

The AAMAS 2009 Industry Track will not accept any paper which, at the
time of submission,
is under review for or has already been published or accepted for
publication in a journal
or another conference. Authors are also expected not to submit their
papers elsewhere
during the AAMAS review period. These restrictions apply only to
journals and conferences,
not to workshops and similar specialized presentations with a limited
audience and no
formal proceedings.

**** Track Co-Chairs

Dominic Greenwood
Whitestein Technologies, Switzerland

Jeff Kephart
IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center, USA

**** Program Committee

Jeremy Baxter, QinetiQ
Michael Berger, DocuWare AG
Sven Brückner, NewVectors LLC
Paul Buhler, Modus 21
Bernard Burg, Panasonic Laboratories
Klaus Dorer, Offenburg University
James Hanson, IBM Research
Tarek Helmy, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
Martin Hofmann, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories
Takahiro Kawamura, Toshiba
Michael Kerstetter, Boeing
Dejan Milojicic, Hewlett Packard Laboratories
James Odell, CSC
Michal Pechoucek, Czech Technical University
Michael Pirker, Siemens AG
Maarten Sierhuis, NASA
Elizabeth Sklar, Brooklyn College, City University of New York
Simon Thompson, BT Research
Shigeo Matsubara, Kyoto University
Steven Willmott, 3Scale Networks
Gaku Yamamoto, IBM and Tokyo Institute of Technology

CFP: AAAI 2010 Learning by Demonstration Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:45:19 PST

AAAI 2010 Robot Learning by Demonstration Challenge
July 11-15, 2010
Atlanta, GA, USA

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

http://web.media.mit.edu/~chernova/aaai2010lbd
------------------------------

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

Call for Participation

The 2010 AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence will be hosting the second annual exhibit and challenge
on robot Learning by Demonstration (LbD). The purpose of this event is to bring together research and
commercial groups to demonstrate complete platforms performing LbD tasks. Our long-term aim is to define
increasingly challenging experiments for future LbD events and greater scientific understanding of the area.

We welcome contributions that demonstrate physically embodied robots learning a task or skill from a human
teacher. This year’s LbD Challenge will consist of two components:

1) Individual demonstrations using live hardware and/or short video presentations showcasing Learning
by Demonstration abilities. Participants will be able to demonstrate their own unique demo highlighting
the abilities of their robot.

2) Optional challenge event in which all participants will perform an object relocation task that involves
teaching the robot to move an object from one place to another. Each participating team will be
provided with sample objects for practice in the weeks before the event. Due to differences in
embodiment and learning algorithms, we expect to see a wide variety of approaches for performing the
target behavior. A video showcasing the results will be compiled by the event organizers.

The LbD Challenge will be held July 11-15, 2010 as part of the AAAI Robotics Exhibition and Workshop.
Please visit the challenge website for the latest information: http://web.media.mit.edu/~chernova/aaai2010lbd

Submissions
Those interested in contributing should submit a 1-2 page proposal, by March 1, 2010, containing the following
information:
• the names and affiliation of the exhibitors
• summary of objectives and methods of the underlying research
• description of the LbD demonstration
• statement of intent of participation in the organized challenge
• citations to relevant or supporting papers
• if proposing a live hardware demonstration, a list and short description of the hardware you will be
using at the Challenge.

Please email submissions to aaai2010lbd@googlemail.com Notifications of acceptance will be sent by
May 1st, 2010. Participants interested in the optional challenge event are encouraged to contact the organizers
for additional information.

Travel support
Travel support may be possible for selected participants, depending on available funds and level of demand.

Organizers
Sonia Chernova, MIT Media Lab (chernova@media.mit.edu)
Monica Anderson, University of Alabama (anderson@cs.ua.edu)
Andrea L. Thomaz, Georgia Tech (athomaz@cc.gatech.edu)

------------------------------------
Sonia Chernova
Postdoctoral Associate
Personal Robots Group
M.I.T. Media Lab
E-15 #468 | 617-452-5602
http://web.media.mit.edu/~chernova

Real-time humanoid AI doctoral position at Bath & Lionhead (fully funded for UK residents)

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:44:22 PST

This is a VR position, but someone with previous experience in autonomous
robotics could be ideal. Come work on a system without torque :-)

Image via Wikipedia

Joanna Doctoral Student in Real-Time Humanoid AI, Lionhead Studios and The
University of Bath We are looking for an AI researcher and programmer of
exceptional promise to complete a four-year doctoral degree. The
dissertation would be supervised by Dr. Joanna
Bryson<http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/%7Ejjb/>of the University
of Bath <http://www.bath.ac.uk/comp-sci/>, but three of the four years would
be conducted largely on site at Lionhead Studios
<http://www.lionhead.com/>in Guildford.

The target of the research is to use upcoming game technology to create a
humanoid character that will enhance the human computer interaction
experience. The research should make use of multiple concurrent sensory
inputs including 3-dimensional optical and audio, as well as user pose.
These inputs may be used as part of communication exchanges, emotional
empathy, and possibly physical interactions of some kind such that under a
restricted set of circumstances it would appear that the Turing test had
been passed between the character on the computer and the human subject.
Systems AI engineering will be emphasised, as we aim to develop not only
impressive demonstrations, but reusable components for human-like AI
systems.

The doctoral position is funded through the Centre For Digital
Entertainment<http://www.digital-entertainment.org/>,
an EPSRC-funded joint initiative of Bath & Bournemouth, with additional
support from Lionhead. The degree includes a taught component, with courses
negotiated between the candidate, the university & Lionhead.

Candidates are asked to make an application through the the Centre's
ordinary procedure (
http://www.digital-entertainment.org/info-applicants.html), however please
emphasise experience in artificial intelligence (e.g. real-time perception &
action selection, machine learning, affective / interactive humanoid
intelligence) rather than focussing exclusively on animation. Also, be
certain to mention the specific project. The CDE positions are fully funded
for UK & EU citizens who have been resident in the UK for at least three
years, and partially funded for EU citizens who are not resident. Other
international applicants are welcome, but must provide their own funding.

Queries not answered by the Centre For Digital
Entertainment<http://www.digital-entertainment.org/>'s
website may be directed to Dr.
Bryson<http://www.bath.ac.uk/comp-sci/people/index.php?contact=Dr_Joanna_J_Bryson>
.

[ For a version of this advertisement with hyperlinks, see
http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/~jjb/here/LionheadCDE1Nov09.html ]

--
Joanna Bryson
http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/~jjb/

School of Earth and Space Exploration at ASU : Faculty Position in Environmental Sensor Networks

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:43:23 PST

Faculty Position in Environmental Sensor Networks

Established in 2006, the School of Earth and Space Explora

Image via Wikipedia

tion (SESE)
is the focal point for earth and space science at Arizona State
University, one of the largest and fastest growing institutions of
higher learning in the United States. An essential part of the SESE
mission is an effective integration of disciplines such as
astrophysics, biogeochemistry, geology, geophysics, hydrology and
engineering for scientific exploration.

Over the next two years, SESE will be hiring a large number of faculty
– at a variety of ranks – in order to build its capacity for
transdisciplinary research and education in earth and space science
and engineering. (A full listing of current searches may be found at http://sese.asu.edu
/opportunities.)

One priority for SESE is to welcome new faculty with interests in
sensor networks and robotics. Specifically, we seek applicants who are
interested in developing techniques for integrating large arrays of
static and mobile sensors and robots to monitor physical, chemical,
and biological processes that shape the evolution of Earth’s surface
and near surface environments. Research interests could range from the
development of control and distributed sensing algorithms to the field
deployment of sensor networks and robots for environmental
observations. A demonstrated track record in research, teaching and
grantsmanship is preferred. Opportunities are available for joint
appointments with other academic units within the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Applications should include: 1) a cover letter that includes a
description of the applicant’s research and teaching interests, 2) a
current CV, and 3) the names, addresses and telephone numbers of three
references. Inquiries and applications must be addressed to Kip
Hodges, Director, School of Earth and Space Exploration, and submitted
electronically to sesenewfac@asu.edu. Submissions in pdf format are
preferred.

ASU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that actively
seeks diversity among applicants and promotes a diverse workforce.

Postdoctoral / Programming Positions in Image-guided Robotic Surgery at Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:42:44 PST

The BU BioRobotics Lab is moving to Children's Hospital Boston in Spring
2010. In anticipation of this move, the following positions are available
immediately.

Postdoctoral Fellow (Robot Control) This position is to develop and
implement real-time control algorithms for complex medical robotic systems.
It is expected that the successful candidate will have a PhD in mechanical
engineering, electrical engineering or computer science. It is also expected
that the candidate will have hands-on experience in controller
implementation.

Postdoctoral Fellow (Image Processing) This position is to develop
real-time algorithms using open-architecture 3D ultrasound systems to enable
robot navigation within the body. It is expected that the successful
candidate will have a PhD in electrical engineering or computer science and
have experience in medical image processing.

Robot Programmer This position is to implement real-time control
algorithms for complex medical robotic systems. The successful candidate
will possess experience with robot control and the ability to thrive in a
research environment.

Our Lab's mission is to embed creative young engineers and scientists in one
of the world's leading pediatric hospitals. This ensures that we work on
clinically important problems and enables us to rapidly transition
engineering prototypes to a clinical setting for testing. More information
on our projects can be found at:
http://www.childrenshospital.org/cfapps/research/data_admin/Site2822/mainpag
eS2822P0.html
and http://biorobotics.bu.edu

Qualified applicants should respond by email as soon as possible to Prof.
Pierre Dupont (Pierre.Dupont@childrens.harvard.edu) with a description of
their qualifications, academic background, PhD thesis, publications, career
goals and availability. The initial appointments will be for one year with
the possibility of extension. Postdoctoral appointments will be made through
Harvard Medical School.

Pierre E. Dupont
Children's Hospital Boston
Harvard Medical School

ARSO2009: Call for Participation

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:41:55 PST

ARSO2009 Call for Participation
The 2009 IEEE Workshop on Advanced Robotics and its Social Impacts
http://www.arso2009.org/
------------------------------

--

ARSO2009 will be held on Nov 23-25, 2009 at AIST Tokyo Waterfront,
Tokyo, Japan. The workshop series started in Nagoya in year 2005, and
traveled through Beijing (2006), Hsinchu (2007), and Taipei (2008), and
will bring the spirits to Tokyo. The 5th workshop is overlapping w

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

ith
The 2009 International Robot Exhibition scheduled from November 25
to November 28, 2009 at Tokyo Big Site nearby AIST Tokyo Waterfront.
http://www.nikkan.co.jp/eve/irex/english/index.html

ARSO2009 aims at discussing advanced robotics R&D and its
implications to economic and social systems. Participants will be world
class robotic researchers, investors, economists, and representatives
of industry and government. The workshop consists of single session
with discussions on cutting edge technologies, business opportunities
and the social impact to societies.

* Plenary Talks
Dr. Steve Cousins, CEO, Willow Garage, Inc., USA
Mr. Dai Akimoto, Segway Japan, Ltd., Japan
* Invited Talks
Dr. Takanori Shibata, Government of Japan, Japan
Dr. Boo-Ho Yang, Soft Servo Systems, Inc., USA
Dr. Kyung Chul Shin, Yujin Robot Co., Ltd., Korea
Mr. Bruno Bonnell, Robopolis, France

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Service Robot
- Security Robot
- Surgical Robot
- Entertainment and Amusement Robot
- Education Robot
- Assistive and Rehabilitation Robot
- Foresight and Prospect
- New Business Models
- New Initiatives and Strategies for New Industries
- Socio-economic Impacts
- Culture Creation
- Education and Skill Transfer
- Traceability and Safety

ARSO2009 is sponsored by IEEE, in cooperation with:
- Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
- New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
- The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
- The Robotics Society of Japan
- The Society of Instrument and Control Engineers

For a detailed program and schedule, please refer to the workshop website:
http://www.arso2009.org/program.html

ARSO2009 Program Chair
Hajime Asama

---
On behalf of the ARSO2009 Program Chair
Kenji Suzuki
ARSO2009 E-Media Chair
---
Kenji Suzuki kenji@ieee.org
LPPA, College de France, France
University of Tsukuba, Japan
http://www.iit.tsukuba.ac.jp/~kenji/
_________________________________________

Two Postdocs in Neuro-inspired/Vision/Robotics/Learning at HRL (Malibu, CA)

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:40:57 PST

Post Doc - 0921F (code: 0921F)
Post Doc - 0921G (code: 0921G)

"Special Requirements": U.S. citizen or permanent resident status r

Image via Wikipedia

equired.

Education Desired: Ph.D. in EE, Computer Science, Applied Math, Electrical Engineering, Computational Neurobiology or related fields.

Essential Job Functions: Primary job function is to develop neuro-inspired models and algorithms for sensory (particularly visual) processing, navigation, motor control, memory, and learning. Tasks will include the development, simulation, evaluation, and implementation of neuromorphic algorithms applied to a variety of applications. Additional job functions include writing invention disclosures and publishing papers.

Experience Desired: Research experience in one or more of the following areas: Neurobiological modeling of vision, audition, control, language, memory, learning or cognition; building neuro or biologically inspired cognitive systems (software and hybrid software/hardware) with applications to robotic control, navigation, and visual scene analysis; neuromorphic engineering and construction of brain-based devices; machine learning. Experience developing innovative solutions based upon the application of relevant research results from a wide variety of sources.

Knowledge Desired: Required: Background in brain modeling and simulation, computational neuroscience, cognitive modeling; machine learning; strong programming skills, particularly proficient with C, C++, JAVA, and/or Matlab

Essential Physical/ Mental Requirements: Good communication (verbal and written) skills, active participation in R & D team activities is required.

Please apply at
http://fmudmz.hrl.com/resumes/jobs/cars_jobs5.lasso

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

===========
Kyungnam (Ken) Kim, Ph.D. Research Staff Member
HRL Laboratories, LLC, 3011 Malibu Canyon Rd. Malibu, CA 90265
(310)317-5024 | kkim@hrl.com | http://www.linkedin.com/in/KyungnamKim
_______________________________________________

UMass Lowell hiring Associate Professors

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:40:05 PST

We have openings for several Associate Professors in the Computer
Science Department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell this
year. The job announcement can be found at http://jobs.uml.edu under
Faculty Positions. You can also contact me (holly@cs.uml.edu) or Fred
Martin (fredm@cs.uml.edu) for more information about our department
and robotics research programs.

Holly

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

-----------------------------------
Holly Yanco
Associate Professor
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Computer Science Department
One University Avenue, Olsen Hall
Lowell, MA 01854

Phone: (978)934-3642
Fax: (978)934-3551
Web: http://www.cs.uml.edu/~holly
http://robotics.cs.uml.edu
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Advanced Robotics : Vol. 23, No. 14 issue

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:39:25 PST

******************************

******************************************
The Official International Journal of the Robotics Soci

Image via Wikipedia

ety of Japan
Advanced Robotics

Volume 23, Number 14, 2009
Robot and Human Interactive Communication
************************************************************************

You have free access to the abstracts of all papers below
from the following link, and can access the pdf files if you
or your institution is subscribing to Advanced Robotics:

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/vsp/arb/2009/00000023/00000014

Table of Contents

Preface
pp. 1829-1830(2)
Authors: Kühnlenz, Kolja; Buss, Martin

Gaze Guidance Using a Facial Expression Robot
pp. 1831-1848(18)
Authors: Hashimoto, Minoru; Kondo, Hiromi; Tamatsu, Yukimasa

Implementation of an Auditory Feedback Control System on an
Anthropomorphic Flutist Robot Inspired on the Performance of a
Professional Flutist
pp. 1849-1871(23)
Authors: Solis, Jorge; Taniguchi, Koichi; Ninomiya, Takeshi; Petersen,
Klaus; Yamamoto, Tetsuro; Takanishi, Atsuo

Human Action Recognition Using Global Point Feature Histograms and
Action Shapes
pp. 1873-1908(36)
Authors: Rusu, Radu Bogdan; Bandouch, Jan; Meier, Franziska; Essa,
Irfan; Beetz, Michael

Influence of Social Presence on Acceptance of an Assistive Social Robot
and Screen Agent by Elderly Users
pp. 1909-1923(15)
Authors: Heerink, Marcel; Kröse, Ben; Evers, Vanessa; Wielinga, Bob

Semi-Autonomous Robot Avatar as a Medium for Family Communication and
Education
pp. 1925-1949(25)
Authors: Lee, Jun Ki; Stiehl, Walter Dan; Toscano, Robert Lopez;
Breazeal, Cynthia

Effects of Embodiment and Gestures on Social Interaction in Drumming
Games with a Humanoid Robot
pp. 1951-1996(46)
Authors: Kose-Bagci, Hatice; Ferrari, Ester; Dautenhahn, Kerstin;
Syrdal, Dag Sverre; Nehaniv, Chrystopher L.

These are the relevant links to Advanced Robotics:

http://www.rsj.or.jp/AR/index_e.html [Advanced Robotics Home Page]
http://www.rsj.or.jp/AR/Subscribe_e.html [How to Subscribe]
http://www.rsj.or.jp/AR/Submit_e.html [Paper Submission]

--
Shigeki Sugano (Waseda University, Japan)
Editor-in-Chief, Advanced Robotics
Tetsunari Inamura (National Institute of Informatics)
Committee Chair of RSJ International Journal
e-info@rsj.or.jp

PhD position

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:38:32 PST

Thank you for the distibution of the below PhD position opened at UPMC
(Paris 6).

Image by justonlysteve via Flickr

Edwige Pissaloux
==================

PhD studentship at UPMC-Paris 6 University

PhD studentship is open at Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics
(ISIR) (http://www.isir.upmc.fr/) University of Paris Pierre et Marie
Curie (UPMC)–Paris 6 (http://www.upmc.fr/) under prof. Edwige Pissaloux
supervision (Edwige.Pissaloux@upmc.fr)

The position will be funded within the framework of a FP7 ICT project.

Thesis title is “Detection and tracking of 3D scene features”.

Thesis summary.

The ISIR (Institute of Intelligent Systems & Robotics, former Laboratoire
de Robotique de Paris) of the UPMC (University Pierre and Marie Curie,
former Paris 6 University), through various National, European and
International research projects, studies neuro-cognitive human-space
interaction in order to design and realize prototypes of intelligent
systems, robotics and mechatronics systems, highly autonomous and/or able
to assist healthy and handicapped in performing everyday life tasks.
The ability to interact with the environment, and especially to move in
it, is a key element for human and robot autonomy. The autonomous
navigation seems to be mainly supported by vision and balance which,
conveniently combined, allow the elaboratation of adequate motor stimulis
for the interaction progressing.
The precise process of human vision and balance data combination when
navigating is unknown; however it is hypothesized that the vision detectes
& helps to memorize 3D scene (not only geometric) features, while balance
assist the selection and tracking of pertinent features in image sequence.

This thesis aims to design and prototype a system - a new nomad
eye-tracker- which detects and tracks image geometric and cognitive
features of a 3D scene when navigating, ie. which determines the gaze
direction of subject carrying the system at any time. New hardware system
will be designed and prototyped with commercially available components.
The dedicated software will encompass new and spatio-temporal optimized
algorithms for feature detection and tracking and for vision & inertial
data combination; both classes of the algorithms could be bases upon
present knowledge of neuro-cognitive sciences for which a new
computational models will be designed.
A new nomad eye-tracker will be validated through real applications which
aim to assist the interactions of arm and hand motor handicapped people in
execution of everyday tasks. Finally the designed system (simulating
partly the human head) will be integrated in a more global system.

Key words: feature and gaze detection and tracking in images and 3D
scenes, visual perception, inertial data, vision and inertial data
combination, statistical methods (particle filter, EKF, MCMC, etc),
assistance of the control of the environment for arm/hand motor impaired

Candidate profile:
- strong background in mathematics, a strong interest in the scientific
study of human visual perception and in vision system for humanoid and
autonomous robotics application (shown by specific master subjects);
- good knowledge of computer architecture and algorithm design and
optimisation;
- excellent programming skills (assembly, DSP, C/C++, Java) ;
- good experience with practical system development
- good level of written/spoken English (French not required)
- maximum 30 years old

Highly appreciate candidate should show creativity, open-mindedness, team
spirit, and a willingness to address novel challenges in unknown research
area.

PhD Starting date: January 2010

Duration: 3 years

Financial support
The successful candidate will be hired as PhD student and receive an
equivalent of Ministry of Education scholarship with social benefits
(amount : around 1600€/month before taxes).

Deadline for application : November 27, 2009

If interested, please post, e-mail (pdf format only):
1- C.V.
2- Motivation letter (career plan, motivation for PhD, statement of
research interest)
3- Copy of original study certificates with list of subjects, grades, and
scale (indicate min, max, and pass threshold for your class) for Master
degree in Engineering, EE, Computer Science, Robotics, Mechatronics,
Mathematics, Physics or similar
4- Contact addresses of two reference persons
5- Copy of international publications, if any (max 3)

to:

Prof. Edwige Pissaloux
Contact : Edwige.Pissaloux@upmc.fr
ISIR/UPMC, Pyramide tour 55, boîte courriers 173
4 place Jussieu, 75 252 Paris, France
Fax : 33 1 44 27 51 45

Given the high number of applications and enquiries, further information can
be provided only to applicants who have submitted all items listed above.

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

===================
Edwige Pissaloux ph. 33(0)144272874
Professeur fax : 33(0)144275145
Vision VLSI/System Design email:Edwige.Pissaloux@upmc.fr
ISIR/UPMC & CNRS UMR 7220
Pyramide tour 55
4 place Jussieu
75 252 Paris Cedex 05, France
IEEE France Section EMBS Chapter Founder and Past Chair
Présidente de la Section Signal & Image du Club
EEA
===============================================

PhD student positions at Technische Universitaet Muenchen

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:37:18 PST

The Institute of Automatic Control Engineering, Technische Universtät
München, is seeking up to

4 Research Assistants/wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter
with opportunity for dissertation

within the EU STREP project IURO. The goal is to develop a robot
capable of navigating to a designated area in the city of Munich.
Since the robot does not dispose of GPS information or prior map
knowledge, missing information is retrieved by asking passers-by for
help. The IURO project is an international collaboration with 5
partners from 5 different countries funded by the EU commission. For
this project, we are employing ambitious young researchers with
interest in the following areas:

Image via Wikipedia

1. Environment perception
· 3D SLAM
· Topologic structures
· Moving obstacle tracking
2. Environment modeling and representation
· 3D environment representation considering dynamics
· Global path planning
· Multimodal sensor fusion
3. Information handling
· Information validation, plausibility verification
· Information fusion and abstraction
· Confidence assessment and action selection
4. Multi-camera foveated vision and attention control
· Multi-camera vision and visual information fusion
· Information modeling
· Fusion of top-down/bottom-up information
· Human/environment recognition
5. Nonverbal communication
· Control of non-verbal expression (face/gesture)
· Task-dependent modeling of non-verbal communication
· Recognition of human non-verbal signals

This challenging project requires a team of excellent researchers with
strong disciplinary background (control, mechanical or electrical
engineering, communication, information theory, computer science) and
interest to work in an interdisciplinary environment. A strong
capacity for teamwork is indispensable as well as excellent
programming skills. Advanced programming skills and experience (C/C++,
etc.) are an asset.

The positions are fully paid according to German rules (formerly BAT-
IIa). Requirements are a successful degree (master/diploma) with
excellent records. Please send your application including your
complete CV, relevant certificates, and some of your publications by
Email to office@lsr.ei.tum.de with the Keyword "PosIURO". TUM is
especially encouraging minorities and women to apply, because of its
strong commitment to diversity in engineering education, research, and
practice.

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing./Univ. Tokio Martin Buss
Lehrstuhl für Steuerungs- und Regelungstechnik
Technische Universität München
80290 München

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

-------------------
Dr.-Ing. Dirk Wollherr
Senior researcher and lecturer
Director of the robotics group
Lehrstuhl für Steuerungs- und Regelungstechnik/
Institute of Automatic Control Engineering (LSR)
Technische Universität München
D-80290 München, Germany
Tel.: +49 89 289-23401, Fax: +49 89 289-28340
mailto:dw@tum.de
WWW: http://lsr.ei.tum.de

PhD student positions at Technische Universitaet Muenchen

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:37:16 PST

Image via Wikipedia

Post Doc Position - University of Cambridge UK

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:36:16 PST

Research Associate in Visual Sensors and Control

Image via Wikipedia

Department of Engineering

University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Vacancy Reference No: NA05908 Salary: £27,183-£35,469

Two positions exist for Research Assosciates to work on Visual Sensors
and Control. The project is funded by the EU Framework 7 program and
will involve collaboration with academic and commercial instutions in
Europe including EPFL, TU-Graz and Ubisense.

The project has two main parts: to create 3D topographic maps with
thermal overlays from a remote controlled blimp and to create a system
perform tracking system for implementing an outdoors augmented reality
application on a hand-held PC. The aim of the project is to provide
software infrastructure to support teams of users in on-site
monitoring of events and analysis of natural resources.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in computer vision or a
related discipline. Preference will be given to candidates with
experience in real-time computer vision, robot guidance or machine
learning. Good experiance with C++ programming and mathematical
methods such as linear algebra and numerical optimization is required.

Further details may be obtained from Tom Drummond ( twd20@cam.ac.uk ).
The cover sheet for applications, PD18 is available from
www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/personnel/forms/pd18/. Parts I, II and III
should be sent, with a letter and CV to [Dr Tom Drummond], Department
of Engineering, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, (Tel +44 01223
765960, Fax +44 01223 332662, email twd20@eng.cam.ac.uk).

* Limit of tenure: 31 May 2011

Closing date: 26 November 2009. Planned Interview dates: Selected
candidates will be interviewed as soon as possible after the closing
date..

The University values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are
eligible to live and work in the UK.

HRI2010: Call For Videos and Late Breaking Reports

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:35:21 PST

******************************

******************************************
Call For Videos and Late Breaking Reports

5th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI 2010)
http://hri2010.org

March 2-5, 2010, Osaka, Japan

Image via Wikipedia

************************************************************************

HRI 2010 Videos Session:

HRI 2010 invite videos related to all aspects of HRI. This is a peer-reviewed session: besides the importance of the lessons learned and the novelty of the situation, the entertainment value will be judged.

The videos will be played on a projected screen during a plenary session of the conference and will be published in the conference proceedings and archived in the ACM Digital Library. Submission Website for Videos: http://www.hri-metrics.org/hri10videos/

Call for Late Breaking Reports (LBR):

The HRI 2010 submission website is open for Late-Breaking Reports (2 pages, following the same guidelines as the full papers).The LBR session is a venue for early stage research results, as compared to the full-paper track of the conference. Accepted abstracts will be presented at a poster session during HRI 2010.

Late-Breaking Reports will be available to attendees via the confer

Image via Wikipedia

ence DVD. Being non-archival, this format enables authors to publish their completed work in other venues, while still allowing this early version to remain visible to HRI researchers worldwide. Submission Website for LBR: https://precisionconference.com/~hri

Important Dates
15 December 2009: Submission of video & late-breaking short papers
4 January 2009: Notification of acceptance of Videos and Late Breaking Report, Final camera-ready full papers due
2-5 March 2010: Conference

Video Session Co-Chairs
Jacob Crandall (MASDAR Institute)
Aaron Steinfeld (CMU)

Late-Breaking Report Co-Chairs
Bilge Mutlu (University of Wisconsin-Madison) e-mail
Andrea Thomaz (Georgia Tech)

General Co-Chairs
Pamela Hinds, Stanford University
Hiroshi Ishiguro, Osaka University

Program Co-Chairs
Takayuki Kanda, ATR
Peter Kahn, Univ of Washington

Publicity Co-Chairs
Dong-Soo Kwon, KAIST
Greg Trafton, NRL
Aude Billard, EPFL
Dikai Liu, Univ. of Tech. Sydney

Call for papers - Paladyn. Journal of Behavioral Robotics

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:34:34 PST

I am a Managing Editor of "Paladyn. Journal of Behavioral Robotics" (http://www.versita.com/science/engineering/paladyn/). Paladyn is a new initiative of Versita (www.versita.com), one of the leading science publishers in Central and Eastern Europe. As the very first issue of the journal is just to be launched, we would like to cordially invite you to submit your contributions.

Paladyn is a peer-reviewed, online only journal intended to serve as a premier source of knowledge and an exchange platform for all those who are engaged or interested in the emerging field of behavioral robotics. The journal focuses on the original high-quality research results that cover such topics as: cognitive robotics, evolutionary robotics, robot control, learning and adaptation, artificial intelligence, machine vision, affective robotics and many more. Full Paladyn's scope, subject to constant changes, can be viewed at
http://www.versita.com/science/engineering/paladyn/authors/aims_and_scope/ . In general, we will welcome good manuscripts whenever they present novel behavior-based or nature-inspired concepts, designs or applications of robots and other autonomou

Image via Wikipedia

s and intellligent systems. We are open to the contributions
from all over the world and we are ready to promote different viewpoints on robotics, regardless of the authors' research background, from robot engineers and computer scientists to physicists, biologists or psychologists.

Regarding the journal's organization, Paladyn will start publishing quarterly, with approximately ten papers per issue, depending on the manuscript inflow. The first issue of Paladyn is scheduled for January 2010. Paper submission is handled online via Editorial Manager platform available at
http://www.editorialmanager.com/paladyn/ . The paper processing overview is given at http://www.versita.com/editool/em-review/ . The Editor-in-Chief of Paladyn is Prof. Raja Chatila, LAAS-CNRS, France. Our new publishing project is also supported by a professional editorial team and a number of Editorial Advisory Board members - all being worldwide-recognized experts in their disciplines. For full details, please refer to http://www.versita.com/science/engineering/paladyn/editors/ .

As an author of Paladyn you can have a range of benefits:

- fast and constructive peer review,
- international range,
- convenient, web-based paper submission system - Editorial Manager,
- high-quality electronic publication technology based on Metapress platform,
- extensive promotion of each published article to hundreds of researchers working in the same field,
- free language-correction services for non-English-speaking authors of accepted papers,
- no publication charge.

We look forward to your manuscripts!

Sincerely yours,

Andrzej Ruta, Ph.D.
Managing Editor
Paladyn. Journal of Behavioral Robotics
www.versita.com/science/engineering/paladyn/
aruta@versita.com
______________________________

_________________

Post-Doc Research Posts in Computer Vision/Personal Robotics, UK

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:33:43 PST

Research Assistant/Associate in Computer Vision (two posts)
University of Bristol - Department of Computer Science, UK

Image via Wikipedia

We are seeking outstanding and ambitious post-doctorate researchers to
join the FP7 project COGNITO: Cognitive Workflow Capturing and Rendering
with On-Body Sensor Networks.

This high profile multi-disciplinary project aims to automatically capture
and learn human workflow patterns in skilled manufacturing tasks. The
primary application will be online content generation for Augmented
Reality systems such as Virtual Handbooks. Data capture will be via
on-body sensor networks incorporating miniature cameras and inertial
devices. The project involves academic and industrial partners from
Germany, France, Portugal and the UK. The University of Bristol will lead
the Computer Vision research. Applicants should have a PhD in Computer
Vision or a closely related area, and have gained international
recognition through publications and previous work.

Successful applicants will take a lead role in carrying out the research
in close collaboration with the two principal investigators, and will also
collaborate closely with the project partners, involving regular trips to
Europe. In particular, we are looking for proven expertise in one or more
of the following areas: real-time vision, hand detection and

View Larger Map

tracking,
visual SLAM, gaze and head tracking, and object recognition. We are also
looking for proven ability in rapid software prototyping, programming and
mathematical analysis, including experience with C++ and Matlab.

Appointments are expected to commence early in 2010 and will be for up to
three years. Successful applicants may be appointed either on a fixed term
or a permanent contract depending on the extent of previous relevant
research experience. Further information can be found at
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/personnel/ftc/

Salary: 29,704-37,651 GBP

Contact for informal enquiries: Dr Andrew Calway, Andrew.Calway@bristol.ac.uk

Further particulars and details of the application process can be found
at:

http://www.bris.ac.uk/boris/jobs/ads?ID=84388

Closing date for applications: 9.00 am on 30 November 2009

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

----------------------------------------
Andrew Calway, Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol,
Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UB. Tel 0117 9545149 Fax 0117 9545208
Andrew.Calway@bristol.ac.uk http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/~andrew/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

How They Operate

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:18:54 PST

The construction of industrial robotic systems provided a key for industries that have high volumes of manufacturing. Here are some facts about its parts and procedures.

Automation improves the level of production and competence of certain industries. One thing that is included into the list of these modern strategies are industrial robotic systems. It is true that this strategy renders much help to users. But in certain instances, producers do not have enough cash to invest on the output. In businesses where modern techniques has not yet been launched, learning how to operate the system adds up to the load.

Device assembly and microscopic medical processes are two of the applications relying on the presence of industrial robotics. These modern devices are much varied than the other sub-classes of robots you have heard or learned about. Linking the term industry to the robotic system simply means that the device possesses special mechanisms that will actually make it work for specific business types. Complex network configurations need to be followed just to make industrial robotic systems do its functions.

Industrial robotics - its compositions and uses

It has been mentioned a while back that industrial robotics heighten efficiency and production for manufacturers. Apart from this however, there are other features and abilities that one would look forward to in the system. Major facets include environmental interfaces as well as environmental sensors. Completing the list are features for safety, data management and storage. All these primary features are connected with the sections within the enterprise.

Under the principal features are subcomponents for industrial robotic systems. These smaller components are considered minute yet very crucial in making the system function. The mechanical arm or robotic manipulator is one important feature in that it helps the robot work on a wider range of motion. The manipulator also has another smaller component known as the effector. This element is capable of moving far beyond than the robotic manipulator and is a very flexible part of the system.

How do industrial robots move?

The nice thing about industrial robots is that they do not simply move in one direction. There is a movement type known as the point-to-point where the robot does its function from one point to several points in the system. Another type is known as the straight line movement where the robot moves forward but does not have the ability to move to other system points. Defined curve movement on the other hand, is a phase wherein the robot is given the opportunity to take a curvilinear route as set by the engineers of the system.

Industrial robotic systems work according to the programmed path. As seen in the various types of motions made by the industrial robot, one may easily say that the path is important to the actions of the robot. Timing, noise and vibrations are also some factors that affect the working environment.

Robot that cleans water tanks

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:13:40 PST

An Indian engineering graduate, Pulkit Gaur, has developed a robot that can go underwater and clean water or chemical tanks. This project is developed by Gridbots, an entrepreneurial venture by Gaur, this low-cost robot will remove any sludge particles in water. "This compact machine has tracks fitted for movement. It has a drive system on the front side to which a brush mechanism is attached to scratch dirt from the tank walls. We are also considering using a filter," said Gaur to Bangalore Mirror.

This robot is available for consumers as well. This robot is available at Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000, and is a consumer version of SaUsR, the robot that is already in use in medicine industries. These robots are targeted at those who make medicines. They employ them to prevent sludge formation in tanks. "SaUsR carries out underwater operations with ease and lets you use this robot as a sophisticated underwater cleaning unit. It has on-board intelligent electronics that lets it navigate in fully-autonomous mode. With a high resolution on-board camera having pan-tilt capabilities, it can spot even minutest details of your water/chemical tank," said Gaur.

Gaur is a production and industrial engineer from MBM Engineering College in Jodhpur. He graduated in 2004 and since then has been pursuing his childhood passion. "I have been working on these bots since school days. Earlier, it was all about taking part in competitions. I soon realised robotics was in its nascent stage, and a lot can be built on it," he said. His resume goes up to 17 pages and was appreciated by former President A P J Abdul Kalam for his efforts.

Gridbots was a start-up that took shape through his passion for robotics. "I wanted to start a venture that would come up with innovative products that run on intelligence

Image via Wikipedia

ence. I wanted to do something more than the assembly of robots. It had to be a multi-purpose product for my client," he said. Gridbots started two years ago in Ahmedabad and presently employs 15 people. It plans to recruit 35 more by this year-end.

Gaur already has many plans chalked out for his company. "We are working on developing defence robots, and also a surveillance robot that can be controlled via mobile or the Internet," he added. Few of his other creations include an image- understanding technology and a consumer robot that does household chores.

Paro Robot Launch in US

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:31:44 PST

PARO Robots U.S. Inc. and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) have announced that order fulfillment and delivery of the therapeutic robot PARO will begin in the United States on December 1, 2009, from its sales and distribution office in Itasca, Illinois. The company will take orders from individuals and institutions by phone, fax, and email beg

Image via Wikipedia

inning November 16, 2009.

This follows receipt of Class II exempt pre-marketing notification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 21, 2009. During the course of pre-marketing with the FDA, the sales office loaned twenty of the PARO robots, designed as a baby harp seal, to hospitals and healthcare organizations with elderly residents, people with disabilities, and dementia patients, as well as schools for autistic children. Examples of positive comments from users include:

* "PARO has provided sensory, cognitive and social stimulation. PARO generates conversation and is used in place of pet visitation." Easter Seals, Silver Spring, MD

Image by Nemo's great uncle via Flickr

* "Our Alzheimer's residents were especially excited about their new friend. The greatest result we have seen with PARO in this unit is the joy it has brought." Beaufont Towers, Richmond VA

PARO is scheduled to be on display at the 2009 American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) Annual meeting from November 9-11 in Chicago. During the exposition, PARO will reside in the "AAHSA House" as one of the products that improve the quality of life for the aging. PARO will also be exhibited at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 7-10, 2010.

The PARO robot is covered in pure white synthetic fur with built-in intelligence providing psychological, physiological, and social effects through physical interaction with humans. Inside are two 32-bit CPUs, which can process voice recognition and imitate animal behavior, enabling PARO to develop its own character. PARO has five different types of sensors over the body that allows it to perceive people and the environment, and respond to touch, light, sound, temperature, and posture.

PARO has been in use in Japan and throughout Europe since 2003, and was introduced to the U.S. in November 2008 with the assistance of JETRO Chicago. The inventor of PARO is Takanori Shibata, PhD, Senior Research Scientist of Japan'

Image by AndreasSchepers via Flickr

s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), who has been at the forefront of service robotics for over 15 years.

More than 1,300 PAROs have been sold in Japan since 2005. 70% have been sold to individual users as substitutes for animal pets, and 20% have been sold to nursing homes, schools, and elderly institutions. In Denmark, more than 100 PAROs have been sold, primarily to the health care system, with another 900 scheduled for delivery by 2011. In the U.S., PARO has been in trial use at several hospitals and institutions across the country. Recently, the Vincentian Collaborative System, a Catholic healthcare and human services organization in Pittsburgh, has been utilizing PARO on a trial basis in four of its nursing homes, with plans to purchase seven at year's end, aided by a philanthropic grant.

Image via Wikipedia

The price of PARO is $6,000, including a one-year service warranty from the company's Itasca, Illinois warehouse. The sales office has a short term rental program for trial available for limited quantities.

Motoman MA1400 Master Arc Welding Robot

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:28:55 PST

Fast and highly flexible, Motoman’s new 6-axis MA1400 “Master Arc” welding robot significantly increases uptime by integrating the torch into the upper arm. Available in floor-, wall- or ceiling mounted configurations and ideal for high-density layouts, the space-saving MA1400 robot increases productivity due to its cutting-edge SIGMA V motor control technology.

The MA1400 robot has a 3 kg (6.6 lb) payload, 1,434 mm (56.5") horizontal reach, 2,511 mm (98.9”) vertical reach and ±0.08 mm (±0.003") repeatability. Its integrated through-the-arm torch cabling eliminates cable interference, simplifies programming and reduces cable wear. Power cable and welding utilities (gas and air hoses) can be routed through the robot base. The MA1400 is perfectly suited for use in high-density workcells with multiple robots working in close proximity, as well as for applications that require access to parts in tight spots or those with potential interference from fixtures.

The MA1400 robot uses Motoman’s dynamic, next-generation DX100 controller that features patented multiple robot control technology to easily handle multiple tasks and control up to eight robots (72 axes), I/O devices, and communication protocols. Featuring a robust PC architecture with unmatched memory capacity, the DX100 uses a Windows® CE programming pendant with color touch screen. The energy-saving DX100 controller features faster processing speeds for smoother interpolation, advanced robot arm motion, built-in collision avoidance, quicker I/O response and accelerated Ethernet communication. Its extensive I/O suite includes integral PLC and HMI pendant displays, 2,048 I/O and a graphical ladder editor that can provide system level control. The DX100 controller supports all major fieldbus networks. It is compliant to ANSI/RIA 15.06-1999 and other relevant ISO and CSA safety standards.

Downloads

Robot_overview_DX.pdf MA1400_E.pdf MA1400_dwg.zip MA1400_IGES.zip MA1400_step.zip

st robotics firefly

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:03:06 PST

ST Robotics announced the introduction of their new R12-500, dubbed “Firefly” -- a technological and economical breakthrough in bench-top robotics. At last, small companies looking to increase the production goals of their automated processes can afford such a robust, industrial robot system --- one that can be unpacked and programmed in just a few hours.

This low-cost, self-contained system features a five-axis, vertically articulated, industrial robot arm with a 500mm reach and, amazingly enough, it’s also fast, accurate, compact and easy to program. Its high intelligence can accomplish the most complex of tasks, while its simple interface allows for easy adaptation to any application -- from machine feeding to testing to laboratory sample handling.

“The R12 from ST Robotics is by far the world’s most cost-effective robot in its class,” said David Sands, President and CEO of ST Robotics. “We used the latest technology and production techniques to manufacture the R12, resulting in a technologically advanced, yet low-priced, industrial system with remarkable software and unparalleled reliability and performance.”

ST Robotics has unveiled an unprecedented internet offer through December 31, 2009, that enables companies to acquire a complete, ready-to-use, R12 Robot System for just $6000. This represents tremendous savings of 20% off the $7500 list price. This limited-time package price includes the R12-500 robot arm, the new Mk5 controller, RoboForth II software, intuitive teach pad, simple interfacing with other equipment, cables, manuals, a two-year warranty and unlimited free technical support. Options include pneumatic, electric and vacuum grippers, and expandable I/O. As with all ST Robotics products, the exceptional manuals and support provided make installation and programming surprisingly easy.

WCICA 2010 Second Call for Papers

noreply@blogger.com (V2) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:18:47 PST

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CALL FOR PAPERS

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WCICA 2010
http://2010.wcica.info

The 8th World Congress on Intelligent Control and Automation (WCICA
2010)
Jinan, China, July 7-9, 2010
****************************************************************************

The 8th World Congress on Intelligent Control and Automation (WCICA 2010)
will take place from July 7 to 9, 2010 in Jinan, China. It is our great
pleasure to invite you to submit your original research papers to the
Congress.

Subject and Scope
-----------------
WCICA 2010 is intended to provide a common forum for researchers,
scientists, and engineers throughout the world to present their latest
research findings, ideas, developments and applications in the area of
Control and Automation. WCICA 2010 will include keynote addresses by eminent
scientists and Engineers as well as special, oral and poster sessions.

We are happy to report the confirmation of following world wellknown keynote
speakers:

Prof. Brian D. O. Anderson
FRS,FASS,FIEEE
Distinguished Professor Brian Anderson
Research School of Information Sciences and Engineering,
The Australian National University
Australia

Prof. Rajni Patel, Ph.D., P.Eng.
FRSC, FIEEE,FEIC

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Distinguished University Professor & Tier-1 Canada Research Chair
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Western Ontario

Prof. Kazuhiro Kosuge
FIEEE,FRSJ,FJEME
Department of Bioengineering and Robotics
Tohoku University
Japan

Prof. Hassan K. Khalil
FIEEE, FIFAC
University Distinguished Professor
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE)
Michigan State University
USA

Prof. Frank L. Lewis
FIEEE, FIFAC, FIMC
University Distinguished Scholar Professor
University of Texas
USA

Prof. Daizhan Cheng
FIEEE, FIFAC
Institute of Systems Science
Chinese Academy of Sciences
China

All papers will be peer reviewed on the basis of a full length manuscript
and acceptance will be based on quality, originality and relevance. Accepted
papers will be published in the conference proceedings. All accepted papers
in the Proceedings of WCICA 2010 will be published by IEEE and indexed by
EI. WCICA 2010 also provides Best Paper Awards to honor the outstanding
papers presented at this Congress. WCICA 2010 welcomes proposals for
organizing Invited/Special Sessions on the conference topics and Tutorials
and Workshops on emerging topics. Detailed information on paper and proposal
submissions is available on the web:

http://2010.wcica.info

Topics will include, but are not limited to, the following:

A Intelligent Control and Automation
A1 Intelligent Control Theory and Applications
A2 Computational Intelligence and Applications
A3 Intelligent Automation and Manufacturing
A4 Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge Engineering
A5 Network Intelligence and Network Control

B Control Theory and Control Engineering
B1 Systems and Control Theory and Applications
B2 Systems Engineering and Engineering Optimization
B3 Advanced Control Algorithms and Applications
B4 Modeling, Identification, and Fault Diagnosis
B5 Industrial Automation and On-line Monitoring

C Complex Systems and Intelligent Robots
C1 Complex Systems, Logistics, and Supply Chain
C2 Robotics, Service and Medical Robotics
C3 Integrated and Complex Automation Systems
C4 Intelligent Management and Decision Making
C5 Electronic Commerce and Office Automation

D Others
D1 Measurement Method and Intelligent Instrumentation
D2 Sensors, Sensor Networks, Sensing and Signal Processing
D3 Pattern Recognition, Image Processing, and Machine Vision
D4 Biomedical Engineering and Biosystems Automation
D5 NANO, MEMS, NEMS, and Mechatronics Systems

Important Dates
---------------
Deadline for full paper submission: November 30, 2009
Notification of accepted papers: February 28, 2010
Submission of accepted final papers: March 31, 2010

Paper Submission
----------------
Authors are invited to submit the full manuscript (4 to 6 pages including
references) of their technical paper, for oral or poster presentation.
Papers in pdf format may be uploaded via the web at
https://www.softconf.com/s08/wcica2010 or http://2010.wcica.info

The MS Word, pdf and latex templates are available on the conference
website. Please go to http://2010.wcica.info/ and click Paper Submission
button to download all the templates. Final manuscripts are limited to six
pages.

In submitting a paper, the author(s) agree that, upon acceptance, they will
prepare the final manuscript in time for inclusion in the published
proceedings and will present the paper at the conference. The final
manuscript will not be published without advance registration.

Invited Sessions
----------------
WCICA 2010 solicits invited session proposals. The invited sessions are
intended to stimulate in-depth discussions in special areas relevant to the
conference theme. The session organizers will coordinate the review process
for their session papers. The conference proceedings will include all papers
from the invited sessions. Authors contributing to invited sessions are
required to register for the conference. All invited session proposals
should be sent via email to Prof. Z.P. Jiang at zjiang@control.poly.edu,
before November 30, 2009. Please check under "Workshop & Org. Sessions" of
the conference webpage: http://2010.wcica.info/ for more information.

We look forward to meeting you at WCICA 2010 in Jinan, China in July, 2010.

With kindest regards,

WCICA 2010 Organizing Committee