Khalifa University of Science and Technology is hosting the 21st International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR 2023) until 8 December 2023 at the university’s main campus in Abu Dhabi.
Brought to Abu Dhabi with the support of the Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, ICAR 2023 is co-sponsored by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. The conference will feature plenary talks, workshops, and oral presentations from all areas of robotics, including computer vision and cognitive, as well as humanoid robots. Four crucial sessions for FORUMs, including a panel discussion to cover the entire gamut of the robotics sector, will also be part of the event that will gather a large number of global researchers, academics, and industry professionals.
The individual sessions of the FORUMs will be held at the Khalifa Innovation Center (KIC), a deep-tech incubator located at Khalifa University and supports commercialisation of scientific research through tailored and mentored incubation, nurturing business concepts into successful startups.
Among the four sessions under FORUMs, Dr Hend Al Tair, Director of Department of Science, Technology and Scientific Research at the UAE Ministry of Education, will lead a session titled Robotics Education in the UAE, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). Other sessions include Robotics for Emerging Industries, Robotics for Africa, Women in Robotics: challenges and worldwide perspectives, and Robotics Education in the UAE.
Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, General Co-Chair and Forum Chair, ICAR 2023 said: "Khalifa University is delighted to partner with local and international stakeholders to bring ICAR 2023 to the UAE and facilitate in pushing the boundaries and establishing new research areas in robotics science and technology. Since 1985 this international conference has stimulated original contributions, new ideas and views. We believe these interactive sessions will highlight the extent of advanced research that happens in the UAE and the region, while the knowledge exchange at this global platform will further encourage research and innovation in this area."
Dr Jorge Dias, General Chair, ICAR 2023, and Deputy Director of Khalifa University Center for Robotics and Autonomous Systems, said: "We are glad to bring the forum as part of the main event. The session on Robotics for the Emerging Industries aims to focus on the role of robotics in today’s industrial settings within various sectors including sustainability, food, logistics, aviation, transportation, and construction. Additionally, it will highlight the direction and vision of robotics, as well as its future use in the industry. The session on Robotics for Africa, will be led by Dr Chinwe Pamela Ekenna, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, University at Albany, New York."
Organised in collaboration with IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE), the panel titled Women in Robotics: challenges and worldwide perspectives, will have three distinguished panelists sharing their experiences and perspectives, and focusing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Robotics. It will aim to educate young generations of engineers and scientists to respect the inclusion of different contributions across genders and cultures in robotics and engineering, while identifying the main challenges faced by young professional women and possible useful countermeasures to encourage and increase their retainment in the job market.
Keynote speakers include Dr Giulia De Masi, Technology Innovation Institute (TII), UAE, who will share her perspectives on Smarter Together: Collective Intelligence from Biological Systems to Robotic Systems and Dr Eric Feron, Director of Robotics, Intelligent Systems, and Control (RISC) Laboratory, KAUST, Saudi Arabia, will speak about Robots as Engineered Systems.
Dr Kostas Alexis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway, who will speak on Resilient Autonomy in Perceptually-degraded Environments, and Dr David Vernon, Carnegie Mellon University Africa, Rwanda, will deliver his keynote on The Situation Model Framework for Cognitive Behavior: Implications for the Design of Robot Cognitive Architectures.
