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[news] results of the survey on robotics labs during CoViD19
by Andreas Birk 29 Sep '21

29 Sep '21

Dear all, first of all, many thanks to all of you who participated in our survey on the impact of CoViD19 on robotics labs and other forms of hands-on education. The results are now published in an article in the IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine (RAM), which is Open Access: A. Birk and D. Simunovic, Robotics Labs and Other Hands-On Teaching During COVID-19: Change Is Here to Stay? in IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, doi:10.1109/MRA.2021.3102979, 2021 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9523602 Among others, there is evidence that there is a potentially long-lasting impact, i.e., that instructors report an expectation of changes to be permanent. Furthermore, a vast majority of the participants reported a switch to online teaching with hands-on elements. This has among others strong consequences for the used equipment, e.g., simulation environments for use at home emerged as the most important tool for hands-on robotics education, while the use of take-home hardware could not substantially profit from the pandemic. Interestingly, there is a also significant discrepancy between the students' performance as perceived by the instructors and the actual grades the students achieved, which are significantly higher than before. Best regards, Andreas & Dora -- =============================================================================== Prof. Dr. Andreas Birk =============================================================================== Jacobs University Robotics Group Research 1, Campus Ring 12, 28759 Bremen, Germany http://robotics.jacobs-university.de/ =============================================================================== Commercial registry: Amtsgericht Bremen, HRB 18117 Managing Directors: Prof. Dr. Thomas Auf der Heyde / Andrea Herzig Erler Chairman of the Board of Governors: Tim Cordßen-Ryglewski ===============================================================================

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AAMAS-2022 - Call for Papers
by Francesco Amigoni 28 Sep '21

28 Sep '21

******************************************************************** * CALL FOR PAPERS * AAMAS-2022: The 21st International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems Auckland, New Zealand, 9-13 May 2022 https://aamas2022-conference.auckland.ac.nz/ ******************************************************************** We invite you to submit your best work in the area of agents and multiagent systems to AAMAS-2022, the 21st International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS-2022). We hope to be able to welcome all of you to Auckland next year, but a final decision on the conference modality (fully in presence, fully virtual, hybrid) will be only taken by the end of 2021. In the meantime, we look forward to your AAMAS-2022 exciting papers! Please visit the conference website for the full Call for Papers. ******************************************************************** AREAS OF INTEREST & SPECIAL TRACKS ******************************************************************** We welcome the submission of technical papers describing significant and original research on all aspects of the theory and practice of autonomous agents and multiagent systems. Areas of interest include: Coordination, Organisations, Institutions, and Norms Markets, Auctions, and Non-Cooperative Game Theory Social Choice and Cooperative Game Theory Knowledge Representation, Reasoning, and Planning Learning and Adaptation Modelling and Simulation of Societies Humans and AI / Human-Agent Interaction Engineering Multiagent Systems >>> Robotics <<< Innovative Applications AAMAS-2022 will also feature three special tracks, the Blue Sky Ideas Track, the JAAMAS Track, and the Demo Track, each with a separate Call for Papers. ******************************************************************** IMPORTANT DATES ******************************************************************** Abstract submission: October 1st 2021 Full paper submission: October 8th 2021 Authors rebuttal: November 22nd-25th 2021 Notification: December 20th 2021 Camera Ready submission: January 28th 2022 Tutorials/DC/Workshops: May 9-10, 2022 Main Conference: May 11-13, 2022 ******************************************************************** QUESTIONS ******************************************************************** If you have any questions please contact the Programme Chairs, Piotr Faliszewski, AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland, and Viviana Mascardi, University of Genova, Genova, Italy. ******************************************************************** --------------------------------------------------------- Francesco Amigoni Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Laboratory Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria Politecnico di Milano Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32 I-20133 Milano (MI), Italy Voice: +39 02 2399-3475 Email: francesco.amigoni(a)polimi.it<mailto:francesco.amigoni@polimi.it> Web: https://amigoni.faculty.polimi.it ---------------------------------------------------------

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[meetings] CfP: Oct 1, International Rescue Robotics Symposium
by Oskar von Stryk 27 Sep '21

27 Sep '21

The German Rescue Robotics Center (DRZ) invites participants to the International Symposium on the Current State and Challenges for Intelligent Robotic Assistance in Disaster Response When: 1 Oct 2021, 13:00-16:30 (CET) Where: Online and onsite in Dortmund, Germany What: Invited talks by leading researchers and practitioners and a round table discussion The symposium will highlight the current status and future challenges in intelligent ground and aerial robotic systems assisting in disaster response from the perspectives of research, development, training, and application. Confirmed speakers: * Emanuele Gissi, Italian Fire and Rescue Service * Adam Jacoff, NIST, USA * Jean-Paul Monet, Bouches-du-Rhone Fire Department, France * Robin Murphy, Texas A&M University, USA * Tomas Svoboda, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic * Satoshi Tadokoro, Tohoku University, Japan We welcome a broad audience, including first responders, industry, academia and general public. For more details and updates on the program and to register (free of charge) please visit the website: https://rettungsrobotik.de/en/symposium [1] The International Symposium Rescue Robotics is part of the Rescue Robotics Days 2021: https://rettungsrobotik.de/en/rettungsrobotiktage/ [2] Ivana Kruijff-Korbayova and Oskar von Stryk (Symposium Co-Chairs) Links: ------ [1] https://rettungsrobotik.de/en/symposium/ [2] https://rettungsrobotik.de/en/rettungsrobotiktage/

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[jobs] 1 PhD position as part of the ETN PERSEO (Horizon 2020 MSCA)
by Silvia Rossi 15 Sep '21

15 Sep '21

_________________________________________________ Call for Applications 1 Early Stage Researcher/ PhD Positions Marie Skłodowska-Curie – ITN PERSEO Project www.perseo.eu <http://www.perseo.eu/> _________________________________________________ Applications are invited for 1 Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) position to be funded by the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie European Training Network on “PErsonalized Robotics as SErvice Oriented applications” (PERSEO) within the Horizon 2020 Programme of the European Commission. The ESR positions to be filled is: ESR12, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Italy: Personalized Social Cues for Robots as Information Providing Interfaces OBJECTIVES: Design and develop a set of solutions for a multimodal user interface to maintain engagement through personalized social interaction and to enrich such interaction with social cues that can influence persuasion. To pursue this goal, the project will hybridize domain knowledge with on-line learning of the social strategies that are more effective for each specific user. The expected benefit is the reduction of the time needed for familiarisation with the robot and the support of the long-lasting use of it, minimizing the risk of rejection by frustration. Selection and social colouring of recommendations and instructions will be introduced by balancing the candidate output with the estimated receptiveness and engagement of the user. The network will train 15 early-stage researchers in the context of research and development for “PErsonalized Robotics as SErvice Oriented applications” (www.perseo.eu <http://www.perseo.eu/>). The consortium is formed by 8 prestigious European Universities and 2 leading robotics businesses plus 9 partner organisations to cover a full training programme on scientific, technical, and personal development skills. Placements will include secondments in current world-leading organisations in Spain, Germany, Austria, UK, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, etc. to gather the necessary knowledge and implement it in Europe. Thus, collaboration within the network is strongly encouraged. Candidates We are looking for talented and highly motivated early career researchers with a degree giving access to PhD studies in a domain relevant to the ESR position of interest (such as Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Robotics, Engineering). We expect dedication and enthusiasm for experimental research, combined with scientific curiosity and the capacity to teamwork in an interdisciplinary environment. Preferred qualifications include excellent grades, research talent and personal ambition. Applicants should have excellent command of English, together with good academic writing and presentation skills. Additional preferable requirements: - Advanced programming skills - Experience in robot programming and/or human-robot interaction research Fulltime employments as PhD students are offered for 3 years. The starting date of the contract is negotiable, but ideally it would be 1 November 2021. Benefits PERSEO fellows will beneﬁt from: Outstanding training aimed at fostering scientiﬁc, technical and transferable skills Short-term secondments in the PERSEO network Scientiﬁc advice from internationally recognized experts A solid mentoring strategy followed up through a personalised career development plan. The position will permit to carry out research in a stimulating group with the chance to join high-level training events. You will get a very attractive salary plus an allowances package in accordance with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) rules <https://www.bioremia.eu/fileadmin/bioremia/h2020-wp1820-msca_en.pdf%22%20%5…> and the personal circumstances of the applicant. The monthly gross ESR salary, subject to local tax, social benefit and other deductions following national regulations is of 4000€. The PhD students will be employed with full social security coverage and all benefits in accordance with the Marie Sklodowska-Curie ITN fellowship regulations of the European Union. For further information please visit the MSCA website <https://ec.europa.eu/res>. Eligibility criteria To be eligible, the candidate: must be in the first four years of her/his research career. Candidates should ideally possess a master’s degree in a relevant academic field or a comparable degree that allows them to embark in a PhD (applications from candidates who already possess a doctoral degree cannot be considered). must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the institution that recruits the student for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. Short stays such as holidays and/or compulsory national service are not taken into account. must be willing to spend a prolonged time in another institute/country of the network during the PhD thesis period. For further details on eligibility criteria please check in the Information Note for ITN Fellows <https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/sites/mariecurie2/files/msc…>. Application DOCUMENTS TO BE SENT 1. Application form (see Project Website www.perseo.eu <http://www.perseo.eu/>) 2. a copy of the passport 3. a full CV 4. a 2-page motivation letter including a description of previous research experience (1 page) and current research interest, outlining the fit to the desired ESR (1 page) 5. one or more reference letters and names of 2 referees including contact details 6. Transcripts of grades obtained for B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees, expected final grade 7. Certificates 8. List of Publications (if any) Only documents in English language will be accepted. Applicants should submit the documentation exclusively via e-mail in ONE PDF document to applications(a)perseo.eu <mailto:applications@perseo.eu> (max file size 5 MB) by 10 October, 2021 at 23 pm (GMT). Your application will be jointly processed by the members of the PERSEO consortium and treated according to the GDPR. Applications failing to include the requested documentation or do not meet the eligibility criteria, WILL NOT be considered in this competition. SELECTION OF CANDIDATES Shortlisted candidates will be selected on the basis of the fit of their CV and research interests with the chosen research project(s). These candidates will be invited for an online interview and positions will be offered after approval by the PERSEO Committee. To ensure equality of opportunities, we strongly encourage women with the appropriate qualifications to apply. If equally qualified, participants with a handicap will be preferred. FURTHER INFORMATION It is strongly recommended to contact supervisor silvia.rossi(a)unina.it <mailto:silvia.rossi@unina.it> via E-mail before submitting an application.

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Final week to apply to the PAL Robotics Stacking Challenge!
by Cailin Greiner 15 Sep '21

15 Sep '21

Hi all! My name is Cailin, and I am writing to you on behalf of YES!Delft, Europe’s leading tech incubator. We have an exciting event with Ahold Delhaize and PAL Robotics that we thought would be great for this community of robotics enthusiasts. If you and your team like coding challenges then the AIRLab Stacking challenge is for you! Within this challenge, students, company teams, professors and research teams in the field of robotics from all over the world are invited to join Ahold Delhaize, AI for Retail AIR Lab and PAL Robotics with research on retail and robotics. Algorithms will be coded using a simulation that can later be deployed using the TIAGo robot developed by PAL Robotics. Winning teams will be awarded a cash prize up to *€5000*. Deadline applications: September 17th. More information can be found here: https://www.yesdelft.com/airlab-stacking-challenge/

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LAST CALL - RoboCup Brazil Open
by Comunicação RoboCup 13 Sep '21

13 Sep '21

Hi teams, Last days to sign up for RoboCup Brazil Open! Do not leave to the last minute! The event will be online, streamed live on our youtube channels. Already registered? Did you check if everyone on the team is registered correctly? If you have any questions, please send it to us by email at organizacao(a)cbrobotica.org ! *Registrations are open for RoboCup Brazil Open* *The event will be virtual, with the same categories of RoboCup Federation* RoboCup Brazil launches the RoboCup Brazil Open, a virtual event with the same categories of the Robocup WorldWide. Registrations are now open for teams from all over the world. All the categories have been adapted and will happen in a fully remote format, using simulators, challenges and submission of articles written by the teams. Our goal is to disseminate the studies and technologies developed by universities in the field of robotics and IA. The event will happen in October 11th-15th, and will be broadcast through lives on the RoboCup Brazil Youtube channel. *Categories:* RoboCup Open Flying Robot Trial League Small Size Soccer Humanoid League Standard Plataform League (SPL) Simulation 2D Simulation 3D RoboCup at@Home IEEE Humanoid Robot Racing (HRR) IEEE Open IEEE Standard Educational Kit (SEK) IEEE Very Small Size Soccer RoboCup Junior Soccer Open RoboCup Junior Rescue Maze Primary RoboCup Junior Rescue Maze RoboCup Junior Rescue Simulation Primary RoboCup Junior Rescue Simulation Open * Registration* To participate, you and your team must register by september 15th, on the website: www.cbrobotica.org . The registration fee is US$ 50 per team. *RoboCup Brasil is a non-profit civil association, organized by volunteer professors and researchers. The association holds the Brazilian Robotics Olympiad, the Brazilian Robotics Competition and the National Robotics Show.-- Patrícia VergaraComunicação RoboCup Brasil(11) 9.8686-4993www.robocup.org.br <http://www.robocup.org.br>*

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[jobs] tenure track position in Automation at Jacobs University Bremen
by Andreas Birk 13 Sep '21

13 Sep '21

Jacobs University [1] in Bremen, Germany offers a tenure track position for a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer or Assistant Professor of Computer Science with specialization in Automation. The position is linked to Computer Science and the Robotics and Intelligent Systems program; hence expertise with respect to Intelligent Systems and AI is also welcome. Jacobs University is an international, English speaking environment, which has received very good positions in international rankings - Jacobs University is among others ranked on place 19 among all small universities in the world (<5,000 students) in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Ranking. The deadline for submission of applications is 08.10.2021. Applications can be submitted online [2]. [1] http://www.jacobs-university.de/ [2] https://sdworxhr03.pi-asp.de/bewerber-web/?company=*G042-FIRMA-ID&tenant=&l… <https://sdworxhr03.pi-asp.de/bewerber-web/?company=*G042-FIRMA-ID&tenant=&l…> -- =============================================================================== Prof. Dr. Andreas Birk =============================================================================== Jacobs University Robotics Group Research 1, Campus Ring 12, 28759 Bremen, Germany http://robotics.jacobs-university.de/ =============================================================================== Commercial registry: Amtsgericht Bremen, HRB 18117 President: Prof. Dr. Antonio Loprieno Managing Directors: Prof. Dr. Thomas Auf der Heyde / Andrea Herzig Erler Chairwoman of the Board of Governors: Dr. Claudia Schilling ===============================================================================

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RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2021: Call for Participation
by RCAP Office 31 Aug '21

31 Aug '21

Dear RoboCuppers, You are welcome to participate in the RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2021 (RCAP 2021). ============== Call for Participation =============== *RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2021 (RCAP 2021)* 25-29 November 2021 https://2021.robocupap.org/eng/participation.html RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2021 Aichi Japan (RCAP 2021) will be held at Aichi Sky Expo (Aichi International Convention & Exhibition Center), November 25-29, 2021. RCAP 2021 will be held in a hybrid ON-SITE and VIRTUAL format. Due to the current uncertainties of Covid-19, ON-SITE competitions will only open to participants from Japan. - ON-SITE Competitions: Participants from Japan. - VIRTUAL Competitions: Participants from all over the world. *LEAGUES:* Virtual Competitions are open to participants from all over the world, with most of the leagues of RoboCup 2021 Worldwide. For details of leagues, please refer to: https://2021.robocupap.org/eng/leagues.html *REGISTRATION:* All teams are required to pre-register through the online form: https://2021.robocupap.org/eng/registration.html *IMPORTANT DATES:* - Deadline for pre-registration (both on-line and virtual competitions): 30 September 2021 - Announcement of qualified teams: 14 October 2021 - Deadline for registration: 4 November 2021 *REGISTRATION FEES:* The registration fee is waived for all Japanese teams/members. The registration fee for teams to participate in virtual competitions (except teams from Japan): - Major Team Registration Fee: Waived - Major Staff/Students: USD60/person - Junior Team Registration Fee: Waived - Junior Students/Mentors: USD40/person *SYMPOSIUM:* https://2021.robocupap.org/eng/symposium.html *CONTACT:* For inquiries please contact us via the hereunder email addresses: - Aichi Local Organizing Committee (General Enquiries, On-site competitions): - rcap2021(a)intergroup.co.jp - RCAP Office (Registration fees and payments, Virtual competitions): - office(a)robocupap.org For more information please visit our official website at https://2021.robocupap.org/eng/index.html We look forward to welcoming you to RCAP 2021 Aichi Japan! Best Regards, RoboCup Asia-Pacific (RCAP) Office, RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2021 (RCAP 2021) Organizing Committee

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RoboCup Brazil Open 2021 - 2nd Call for Participation
by April Foster 25 Aug '21

25 Aug '21

======================================= Registrations are open for RoboCup Brazil Open 2021 The event will be virtual, with most of the categories of RoboCup Federation RoboCup Brazil launches the RoboCup Brazil Open, a virtual event with most of the categories of the Robocup WorldWide. Registrations are now open for teams from all over the world. All the categories have been adapted and will happen in a fully remote format, using simulators, challenges, and submission of articles written by the teams. Our goal is to disseminate the studies and technologies developed by universities in the field of robotics and AI. The event will happen on *October 11th-15th* and will be broadcast through lives on the RoboCup Brazil Youtube channel. In 2020, more than 700 students from Latin America attended the event. ============= Categories: ============= RoboCup Soccer Simulation 3D League RoboCup Soccer Simulation 2D League RoboCup Small Size Soccer League RoboCup Soccer Humanoid League RoboCup Soccer Standard Plataform League (SPL) RoboCup @Home RoboCup Open Flying Robot Trial League RoboCupJunior Soccer Open RoboCupJunior Rescue Maze Primary RoboCupJunior Rescue Maze RoboCupJunior Rescue Simulation Primary RoboCupJunior Rescue Simulation Open IEEE Humanoid Robot Racing (HRR) IEEE Open IEEE Standard Educational Kit (SEK) IEEE Very Small Size Soccer ================= Registration ================= To participate, you and your team must register *by August 30th*, on the website: www.cbrobotica.org . The registration fee is US$ 50 per team. *RoboCup Brasil is a non-profit civil association, organized by volunteer professors and researchers. The association holds the Brazilian Robotics Olympiad, the Brazilian Robotics Competition, and the National Robotics Show.* -- RoboCup Brazil http://www.robocup.org.br/

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[HRI][meetings][CFP] Special Issue on IJSR "GENDERING ROBOTS: Ongoing (Re)configurations of Gender in Robotics"
by Giulia Perugia 17 Aug '21

17 Aug '21

Dear colleagues, After the success of the GenR 2021 workshop at RO-MAN 2021 last week, I am pleased to announce that the homonym Special Issue “GENDERING ROBOTS: Ongoing (Re)configurations of Gender in Robotics” is now open for submissions on the International Journal of Social Robotics (IJSR)! The Special Issue opened on August 12th and will stay open until January 31st, 2022. All submitted papers will be reviewed as soon as they are received and the accepted papers will be published online first until the complete Special Issue is published. Please note that we welcome submissions from all disciplines addressing the topic of gender in robots and are open to submissions from Ethics, Social Sciences, Psychology, and Humanities, as well as more technical and traditional Social Robotics and HRI papers. You can find more information on the Special Issue below and on our website <https://sites.google.com/view/ro-man21-genr-workshop/special-issue?authuser…>. Please feel free to reach out for questions and details to our email addresses (see below). Kindest regards, Giulia Perugia ============================================================= *SPECIAL ISSUE GENDERING ROBOTS: ONGOING (RE)CONFIGURATIONS OF GENDER IN ROBOTICS* International Journal of Social Robotics (IJSR) - Impact Factor 5.126 (2020) [link to journal <https://www.springer.com/journal/12369/>][link to special issue <https://www.springer.com/journal/12369/updates/19292566>] The field of HRI is increasingly employing humanoid robots and anthropomorphic designs to aid social interactions between humans and robots. However, designing robots with human-like characteristics can have far-reaching implications. For instance, integrating identity markers such as gender into robotic systems can involuntarily transfer implicit biases into the human-robot interaction (HRI) and perpetuate harmful structural patterns and societal stereotypes. This Special Issue aims to *deepen the social, ethical, and psychological understanding of the attribution of gender to robots, addressing how the design and use of gendered robots might impact HRI and affect society at large*. We welcome original papers investigating the attribution of gender to social robots, the influence of robot’s gender on the perception of and interaction with robots (e.g., acceptance, trust), the design of gendered robots, and its ethical and societal implications. Through this special issue, we would like to inspire discussions about the mindful use of robots in society and promote the possibility of using robots to challenge harmful social practices (e.g., gender stereotypes, gender inequality). Our ultimate goal is to bridge the communication gap we observed between the different disciplines addressing the topic of gender in robotics and the lack of spaces to converse with and learn from one another. The Special Issue is based on the GenR workshop “GENDERING ROBOTS: Ongoing (Re)configurations of Gender in Robotics” which took place on August 12th, 2021 at the 30th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN 2021). The Special issue opened on August 12th, 2021 and will stay open until *January 31st, 2022*. All submitted papers will be reviewed as soon as they are received. Accepted papers are published Online First until the complete Special Issue is published. *Topics of interest* include, but are not limited to - Gendering practices in Social Robotics - Experimental studies on gendered robots - Feminist robotics - Robot’s gender design - Norm-critical design - Queer design in HRI - Sex Robots - Ethics of Gendered Robots - Normative deviance in relation to robot gender - Societal implications and applications of gendered robots - Performative arts encompassing a reflection on gender in robotics - Non-binary perspectives on robot gender *Instructions to submit your paper to the Special Issue:* When submitting your paper to the International Journal of Social Robotics via the Editorial Manager, you will be asked if your paper belongs to a special issue, please select YES as an answer. At this point, a *pull down menu* will appear and you will be able to select the title of the special issue, select "GENDERING ROBOTS (GenR): Ongoing (Re)configurations of Gender in Robotics". Besides selecting the Special Issue upon submission, you should also specify in your *cover letter* that you wish to submit your manuscript to the special issue "GENDERING ROBOTS (GenR): Ongoing (Re)configurations of Gender in Robotics". Please, feel free to contact us should you need further information about the special issue. The Guest Editors: - Dr. Giulia Perugia (Lead guest editor): giulia.perugia(a)it.uu.se - Dr. Katie Winkle: winkle(a)kth.se - Dominika Lisy: dominika.lisy(a)liu.se - Ryan Blake Jackson: rbjackso(a)mymail.mines.edu

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