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Fwd: ICARSC 2026 is coming!
by A. Fernando Ribeiro 13 Dec '25

13 Dec '25

ICARSC 2026 is coming in April! ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ <https://campaign-statistics.com/b/c/elJpDM-gnywYgk-3OjrRA> ICARSC 2026 is coming! [Our apologies if you receive multiple copies of this announcement] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Call for Papers! ICARSC 2026 International Conference on Autonomous Robot Systems and Competitions https://www.icarsc.pt <https://campaign-statistics.com/link_click/elJpDM-gnywYgk-3OjrRA/f5af47b9d8…> April 22-23, 2026 Barcelos, Portugal ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear colleague We are pleased to inform you that ICARSC 2026 26th IEEE(*) International Conference on Autonomous Robot Systems and Competitions will be held in Barcelos, Portugal, on April 22-23, 2026. The conference is organized within ROBOTICA 2026 – 26th Portuguese Robotics Open, a RoboCup-sponsored local event, and it is promoted by the Universidade de Aveiro, Universidade do Porto, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Universidade de Coimbra and Instituto Politécnico do Cávado e do Ave. (*) IEEE co-sponsorship pending approval ---------------- Conference Scope ---------------- ICARSC gathers participants from academia and industry working in the field of autonomous robotics and related areas. ICARSC is a well-established IEEE conference that has been growing continuously for over a decade and is nowadays a truly international forum attracting worldwide quality research papers. ICARSC has long been an IEEE co-sponsored event and its proceedings will be indexed in IEEExplore and Scopus. Moreover, similarly to previous editions, extended versions of selected best papers will be invited for publication in relevant indexed journals. --------------- Important Dates --------------- Submission: Jan 23, 2026 Notification: Mar 04, 2026 Camera Ready: Mar 24, 2026 Registration: Mar 24, 2026 (Reduced price) Conference: Apr 22-23, 2026 ----------------- Special Sessions ----------------- Two special sessions are confirmed, one organized by the Portuguese Chapter of IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and the other by the Portuguese Chapter of IEEE Education Society. Other special sessions will be announced shortly. Be attentive to the conference website https://icarsc.pt/ <https://campaign-statistics.com/link_click/elJpDM-gnywYgk-3OjrRA/780054b6b7…> ----------------- Conference Topics ----------------- The conference aims to gather researchers from industry and academia to present and discuss the latest trends in research and technology in the fields of robotics and related areas. Contributions from researchers, industry, and outputs from collaboration between industrial and academic R&D units are welcome in the following topics. Agricultural Robotics Applications of Autonomous Intelligent Robots Artificial Intelligence Autonomous Robotic Systems Computer Vision and Image Processing Control Architectures and Programming Cooperative Perception Cooperative Planning and Task Allocation Dexterous Manipulation and Grasping Educational Robotics Entertainment Robots Evolutionary Robotics Humanoid Robotics Human-Robot Interaction Localization, Mapping, and Navigation Locomotion and Actuation Systems Multi-Robot Coordination Multi-Robot Systems Planning, Reasoning and Modelling Recognition and Tracking Robot Learning Robotic Competitions Robotic Simulation Sensors and Sensor Integration Swarm Robotics Underwater Robotics ---------------- Paper Submission ---------------- Authors are invited to submit original research contributions in English. Six pages in the standard IEEE A4 format ( http://www.ieee.org/conferences_events/conferences/publishing/templates.html <https://campaign-statistics.com/link_click/elJpDM-gnywYgk-3OjrRA/959a3cb008…>) are allowed for each paper, including tables and figures. Full draft papers should be submitted electronically, in PDF format, using the URL: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icarsc2026 <https://campaign-statistics.com/link_click/elJpDM-gnywYgk-3OjrRA/4d55ec729a…>. For evaluation, authors must remove their names from the submitted papers, and should take reasonable care not to indirectly disclose their identity. Submitted contributions categorized as review papers will not be considered for the conference, ensuring the focus remains on original research contributions. Accepted papers will be scheduled for presentation, which requires that at least one of the authors should register at the Conference and present the paper. If the authors of an accepted paper, either for oral presentation or poster, do not show up at the conference, the corresponding paper will not be submitted to IEEExplore. ------------------------------ ICARSC Conference Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, PT If you would like to unsubscribe, please click here. <https://campaign-statistics.com/unsubscribe/elJpDM-gnywYgk-3OjrRA> Sent using *Sender.net* <https://campaign-statistics.com/link_click/elJpDM-gnywYgk-3OjrRA/3a0a370f5b…> -- A. Fernando Ribeiro, Prof. Associado com Agregação Lab. Automação e Robótica, Dep. Eletrónica Industrial, Centro Algoritmi Escola de Engenharia, Universidade do Minho Campus de Azurém, Guimarães, Portugal Fernando Ribeiro - https://www.dei.uminho.pt/~fernando/ LAR - Lab. de Automação e Robótica - https://lar.dei.uminho.pt/ RoboParty - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDA_XmjWATs BotnRoll - https://www.botnroll.com/onea BotnRoll.com - https://www.botnroll.com/ Diretor da Revista Robótica - https://www.robotica.pt/ Presidente da Soc. Portuguesa de Robótica - http://www.sprobotica.pt/ IEEE Senior Member, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society RoboCup - https://robocup.org/ CHARMIE - https://youtu.be/RNr9uOhubqw MSL - https://youtu.be/-BYe9JvSy10 Condução Autónoma - https://youtu.be/13uP0egD4c0

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CfP: Soccer Simulation 2D at RoboCup 2026, Korea
by Tomoharu NAKASHIMA 13 Dec '25

13 Dec '25

================================= Call for Participations RoboCup 2026 Soccer Simulation 2D league Incheon, Korea, June 20-July 6, 2026 Important dates: March 8, 2026: Qualification materials deadline March 23, 2026: Acceptance Notification Detailed information are described in the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vHs1W82DnE7Ch7R6w35UiepX4WPB6FNADV--mlb… =================================

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Q&A sessions summarised
by alexarossi＠gmail.com 03 Dec '25

03 Dec '25

Dear RoboCuppers, We have created a consolidated Q&A document with a summary of the questions of the two digital sessions with Ubbo, the president of the RoboCup Federation, a group of Trustees and several RC members. The document attached to this email aims at answering questions raised by RC community about the trustees' vision shared with the committees and the community during RoboCup in Brazil. The Q&A document includes the list of questions gathered in the forms and those raised during the two meeting sessions. We have also created an /ad hoc /channel, called RoboCup Roadmap, on RC Discord server where you can find the Q&A summary, but also post further questions may they raise. Kind regards Alessandra & Maike (for the Board of Trustees) -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page:https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address:alessandra.rossi@unina.it e-mail address:a.rossi@herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81

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CfP RoboCup German Open 2026
by Oskar von Stryk 30 Nov '25

30 Nov '25

RoboCup German Open 2026 Call for Participation - Major Leagues https://robocup.de/german-open [1] Cologne Trade Fair, Cologne, Germany The 23nd RoboCup German Open 2026 will take place from March 10-14 in Cologne. Cologne with its welcoming vibe offers a captivating mix of culture, architecture, history, and lively atmosphere. From the awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- to its dynamic art scene and riverside cafés along the Rhine, the city invites exploration. For example, visitors can enjoy world-class museums, the walkable old town with many bars, or festive events like the Cologne Carnival. Cologne is a perfect destination for both history lovers and urban adventurers and a great host for RoboCup German Open 2026. Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to take part in the event. ---------------------------- RoboCup Major Leagues (international teams) ---------------------- After the team setup on March 10th, the competitions will take place from 11th to 14th of March 2026 in the following main leagues: * RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League * RoboCupSoccer Small Size League * RoboCupRescue Robot League * RoboCupIndustrial Smart Manufacturing League * RoboCup@Home League For Major team registration please visit: https://portal.robocup.de/registry Registration deadline: January 31st, 2026. Late registration deadline (team members only): February 28th, 2026. Teams are advised to arrange their own accommodation as early as possible as cost of accommodation is expected to rise in the run-up of the event. Most recent rule developments in all leagues, especially the Soccer and Smart Manufacturing Leagues will be considered for the competitions. ------------------------------- Further information on co-located events ------------------------- RoboCup German Open 2026 will be embedded in didacta 2026, which is Europe's largest education fair and most important continuing education event for teachers. Over 700 exhibitors from more than 60 countries will present their offerings in Cologne. Participants tickets to RoboCup German Open will include didacta tickets as well. The 2nd German Robotics Conference on AI-powered robotics, organized by the Robotics Institute Germany, will take place from March 11 to 13, 2026, parallel to the RoboCup German Open and in close proximity to it. ---------------------------- RoboCup Junior (German teams) ----------------------------------- From March 12-14, 2026 the final event of the German RoboCupJunior Championship will be held at RoboCup German Open 2026 in Cologne. The best teams that have qualified in the nine previous German qualifying tournaments will take part. The best German Junior teams in the 2026 German Junior Final will qualify for RoboCup 2026 in South Korea and for the European RoboCupJunior Competition 2026 in Austria. ----------------------------- Organization Committee ---------------------------------- * Oskar von Stryk (General Chair) * Julian Werner (Project Lead) * Alexander Ferrein (German RoboCup Committee, Spokesperson Major) The Major Leagues Organizing Committee: * Heinrich Mellmann (Humanoid Soccer League, former Humanoid & Standard Platform Leagues) * Nicolai Ommer (Small Size League) * Johannes Pellenz, Stefan May, Thomas Sander (Rescue Robot League & RMRC) * Sven Wachsmuth (@Home League) * Alexander Ferrein, Christoph Steup (Smart Manufacturing League) The Junior Leagues Organizing Committee: * Lara Trappmann * Oskar Kirmis * Niko Lockenwitz * Michelle Bialdyga * Christian Häußler * Lena Eickhoff * Stefanie Haupt ---------------------------- Co-located Events ------------------------------------------------------ Parallel to the RoboCup German Open 2026 the second German Robotics Conference of the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG) will take place. The conference will bring together the leading German researchers in AI-based robotics. The education fair "didacta", will also take place in Halls 6 to 8, between March 10-14, 2026. All participants will also have access to didacta. ---------------------------- Important dates ---------------------------------- * 2025-12-01 Major teams early registration starts * 2026-01-31 Major teams registration deadline, team member registration deadline * 2026-02-28 Late registration deadline (team members only) * 2026-03-10 Set-up day Major League teams * 2026-03-12 to 16 Competition days * 2026-03-14 Major and Junior finals The event is open to the public during all days from 9 am to 5 pm. ----------------------------- Contact ---------------------------------- Please contact germanopen(a)robocup.de for any questions. See you all at the 23rd RoboCup German Open 2026! Best regards, German RoboCup Committee Links: ------ [1] https://robocup.de/german-open

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Call for Nominations: Autonomous Agents Award 2026
by Louise Dennis 17 Nov '25

17 Nov '25

Nominations are solicited for the 2026 ACM SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award. This award is made for excellence in research in the area of autonomous agents. It is intended to recognize researchers in autonomous agents whose current work is an important influence on the field. The award is an official ACM award, funded by an endowment created by ACM SIGAI from the proceeds of previous Autonomous Agents conferences. The recipient of the award will receive a monetary prize and a certificate, and will be invited to present a plenary talk at the AAMAS 2026 conference. *************** How to Nominate *************** Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations should be made by filling out the below google form, and should consist of a short (< 1 page) statement that emphasizes not only the research contributions that the individual has made that merit the award but also how the individual’s current work is an important influence on the field. NOTE: a candidate can only be considered for the award if they are explicitly nominated. If you believe that someone deserves the award, then NOMINATE THEM -- don't assume that somebody else will! Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/RNLZgbbaPQe6TDsb6 *************** Important Dates *************** 15 December 2025 -- Deadline for nominations 1 February 2026 -- Announcement of winner 25-29 May 2026 -- AAMAS-2026 conference in Paphos, Cyprus For any questions please contact Edith Elkind (Award Chair, edith.elkind(a)northwestern.edu) or Louise Dennis (SIGAI Vice Chair, louise.dennis(a)manchester.ac.uk). -- Dr. Louise Dennis (She/Her). Room LF21 Kilburn, Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester, UK. While I may send emails outside of office hours, I do not expect replies except within office hours.

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RoboCup German Open 2026 - Save the Date 10 - 14/03/26
by Ferrein, Alexander Antoine 12 Nov '25

12 Nov '25

RoboCup German Open 2026 Save the Date - Major Leagues https://robocup.de/german-open/?lang=en Cologne Trade Fair, Cologne, Germany The 23nd RoboCup German Open 2026 will take place from March 10-14 in Cologne. Cologne with its welcoming vibe offers a captivating mix of culture, architecture, history, and lively atmosphere. From the awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — to its dynamic art scene and riverside cafés along the Rhine, the city invites exploration. For example, visitors can enjoy world-class museums, the walkable old town with many bars, or festive events like the Cologne Carnival. Cologne is a perfect destination for both history lovers and urban adventurers and a great host for RoboCup German Open 2026. Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to take part in the event. RoboCup Major Leagues (international teams) After the team setup on March 10th, the competitions will take place from 11th to 14th of March 2026 in the following main leagues: * RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League * RoboCupSoccer Small Size League * RoboCupRescue Robot League * RoboCupIndustrial Smart Manufacturing League * RoboCup@Home League Registration opens December 1st, 2025, further announcements will follow. Registration deadline January 31st, 2026 Late registration deadline (team members only) February 28th, 2026. Teams are advised to arrange their own accommodation as early as possible as cost of accommodation is expected to rise in the run-up of the event. Most recent rule developments in all leagues, especially the Soccer and Smart Manufacturing Leagues will be considered for the competitions. Depending on sufficient interest from teams in participating, additional major leagues, such as the Middle Size League, may be offered. Further information on co-located events RoboCup German Open 2026 will be embedded in didacta 2026, which is Europe’s largest education fair and most important continuing education event for teachers. Over 700 exhibitors from more than 60 countries will present their offerings in Cologne. Participants tickets to RoboCup German Open will include didacta tickets as well. The 2nd German Robotics Conference on AI-powered robotics, organized by the Robotics Institute Germany, will take place from March 11 to 13, 2026, parallel to the RoboCup German Open and in close proximity to it. -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup German Regional Committee W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org

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[CfP] The 12th Robotic Hamburg Open Workshop (RoHOW) | Nov 28-30, 2025
by HULKs 23 Oct '25

23 Oct '25

Dear RoboCup Community and Robot Soccer Enthusiasts, We are thrilled to officially invite you to the *12th Robotic Hamburg Open Workshop (RoHOW)*, hosted by the HULKs robot soccer team at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)! The event will take place from November 28 - November 30, 2025 at TUHH Hamburg, Germany. RoHOW is our annual networking and educational event designed for RoboCup teams to share insights, discuss advancements, and tackle challenges in humanoid robotics and robot soccer. We strive to create a friendly and collaborative environment for in-depth discussions, hands-on workshops, and informative talks. *An Open Space for Ideas* The event follows the concept of an "Open Space Conference." This means the program is agile and flexible, shaped by the topics /you/ want to explore. This means a large part of the event is dedicated to participant-driven discussions. It's the perfect place to exchange ideas on the evolution of the league or any other cutting-edge topic you're passionate about. *All Robot Soccer Teams Welcome!* In the spirit of the ongoing unification of the RoboCup soccer divisions, we want to make it clear that this invitation isn't just for SPL teams. *We warmly invite teams from all robot soccer leagues* to join the event! *New This Year: Livestream Option* For the first time, we will be setting up a livestream for our main talks, allowing teams to participate remotely. Please note that to maintain the informal and open atmosphere of our discussions, the "couch zone" sessions and informal discussion rounds will /not/ be streamed. Registration for the livestreams will be required as well. We will also have opportunities for our industry partners and sponsors to showcase their exciting projects. *Event Summary:* * *Event:* 12th Robotic Hamburg Open Workshop (RoHOW) * *Dates:* November 28-30, 2025 * *Location:* Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Hamburg, Germany * *Participation Fee:* 55€ (This covers drinks, dinner on Friday, and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.) *Registration* To register your team (for either in-person or online participation), please send an email to *hulks(a)hulks.de* by *November 15, 2025*. In your email, please state: 1. Your team name. 2. How many members plan to attend in person. 3. If you are interested in the remote livestream option. We want to make sure everyone can attend. If any team members find it difficult to pay the full price, please send a mail to *hulks(a)hulks.de* for a "friends ticket" so we can work out a solution. For further information, please keep an eye on our website: *https://rohow.de* Please also feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions! We can't wait to welcome you to Hamburg! Best regards Team HULKs

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[ML-news] [Job Opportunity] Faculty Positions in AI/ML - Department of AI, IIT Hyderabad
by Ganesh Sambhaji Ghalme 17 Oct '25

17 Oct '25

Dear All, The Department of AI at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH), invites applications for faculty positions at the ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. Outstanding candidates in all areas of AI/ML will be considered, with a particular emphasis on gap areas, including NLP, Robotics, and RL. The eligibility criteria are listed in the advertisement document <https://iith.ac.in/assets/files/careers/faculty/Faculty-Recruitment-Advt-Oc…>. Successful candidates are expected to pursue active research, to teach both graduate and undergraduate courses, and to supervise students in research. For more information on our programs, please visit our website <https://ai.iith.ac.in/information-for-prospective-faculty/index.html>. The current faculty members (both core and affiliated) include faculty members who work in areas such as robotics, CV, NLP, Speech processing, Bayesian learning, statistical learning theory, Communication Systems, IoT and Autonomous Navigation. The list of programs and faculty members is provided in our department brochure <https://ai.iith.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AI_DepartmentBrochure-2025…> . The department is fully committed to building a world-class faculty, and towards this goal, additional incentives are provided to future faculty (detailed in the advertisement document <https://iith.ac.in/assets/files/careers/faculty/Faculty-Recruitment-Advt-Oc…>). We welcome candidates who resonate with our core values of high-quality teaching, high-impact research, leadership, and responsibility. Complete applications received through the application portal <https://faculty.recruitment.iith.ac.in> by *October 31, 2025,* will be considered. You can contact us at the following email addresses if you'd like. office(a)ai.iith.ac.in or head(a)ai.iith.ac.in Also, contact faculty.recruitment(a)iith.ac.in for any technical issues related to application submission. Best regards, Ganesh on behalf of Dept of AI, IITH -- Disclaimer:- This footer text is to convey that this email is sent by one of the users of IITH. So, do not mark it as SPAM.

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[News] survey results for hands-on robotics teaching
by Andreas Birk 15 Oct '25

15 Oct '25

Dear all, many thanks to all who participated in the survey about hands-on teaching in robotics, i.e., labs, projects, theses. The results are now published (open access): A. Birk, "In-Presence, Take-Home, and Online Education: The State of Equipment Use and Practices in Robotics Labs and Other Hands-On Activities," IEEE Access, vol. 13, pp. 171984-171997, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2025.3614055 Findings include: * Simulation is the most popular form of regularly used equipment. * 24% of the instructors do not regularly use robot hardware in labs. * Data-sets are particularly popular as occasionally used element. * In-presence use is the predominant access form for robot hardware * Among the alternatives to in-presence access, take-home hardware is clearly more popular than online, i.e., remote access to robots. Many thanks again & kind regards, Andreas -- ========================================================================================== Prof. Dr. Andreas Birk ========================================================================================== Constructor University Robotics Group Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany https://robotics.constructor.university/ ========================================================================================== Commercial registry: Amtsgericht Bremen, HRB 18117 Chairs of the Executive Board (Vorsitzende der Geschäftsführung): Dr. Stanislav Protasov (President/Präsident), Turgut Tülü (Chancellor/Kanzler) Managing Directors (Geschäftsführung): Prof. Dr. Thomas Auf der Heyde & Serguei Kouzmine Chairwoman of the Board of Governors (Aufsichtsratsvorsitzende): Oznur Bell ==========================================================================================

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[Meetings] Call for Workshop Proposals at ICSR + Art 2026
by Salvatore Anzalone 13 Oct '25

13 Oct '25

[Apologies for multiple copies of this announcement] *18th International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR + Art 2026)* 1–4 July 2026, London, UK *https://icsr2026.uk/ <https://icsr2026.uk/>* *Call for Workshop Proposals* The International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR) is the foremost global forum for researchers, academics, and industry professionals dedicated to the expansive field of social robotics. For its 18th edition, ICSR 2026 introduces the special theme *ICSR + Art*, exploring how robotics and the arts intersect. While this theme will receive special attention, the conference warmly welcomes contributions across the *full breadth of social robotics research and applications*. Participants are invited to hold workshops on topics relevant to social robotics. We particularly welcome creative, innovative, and interactive workshop formats that focus on areas of active research to generate significant discussion and exchange of ideas between participants, as well as interactions between established experts and early-career researchers. We encourage state of the art programs with high level of interest, impact, creativity and innovation that will attract a broad and active audience. Also, workshops focusing on academia-industry partnership and technology transfer of robotics research are welcome, with the aim of making connections to fields outside of robotics and/or connect academia to industry. The primary criteria for selection are anticipated level of interest, impact, novelty or creativity, and background of organisers. By default, the workshops, as the conference, are held in-person. *Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):* – Social Robotics & Human–Robot Interaction – Creative Robotics – Robotics, Arts & Culture (e.g., performance, visual arts, music, fashion) – Trust, Personality, Emotion & Affective Computing in Robots – Embodied Intelligence, Adaptation & Lifelong Autonomy – AI, Learning, Explainability & Transparency – Assistive Robotics, Human Augmentation, Rehabilitation & Welfare – Medical Robotics, Healthcare Applications & Social Assistance – Robotics in Education, Entertainment, Gaming & Immersive Media (VR/AR/XR) – Design, UX & Human Factors – Soft Robotics, Textile & Novel Materials – Space, Underwater & Aerial Robots – Environmental & Sustainable Robotics – Robotics in Architecture & the Built Environment – Swarm, Collective Robotics & Multi-Agent Systems – Robotics for Agriculture, Food Systems & Supply Chains – Disaster, Crisis & Rescue Robotics – Robotics in the Humanities – Ethics, Policy, Governance & Societal Impacts (e.g., privacy, bias, inclusion, socioeconomic issues) – Novel and emerging concepts in social robotics and related fields *Submission Guidelines* The submission of the workshop contribution must be accompanied with the following information: – Title – Workshop duration: half or full day – Organisers: name, email address, affiliation and a short bio of the members of your organising committee. – Tentative workshop structure: lectures, interactive, pane discussions, etc. – Workshop description and objectives: concise description of the content and objectives of the workshop. – Intended audience and plans to solicit participation: describe the intended workshop audience, how you plan to solicit participation: (i) ahead of the workshop to generate submission and (ii) within the workshop in encouraging discussions and exchanges between participants. – List of topics: a bulleted list of the topics of interest that will be covered by the workshop. – List of invited speakers: list any invited speakers (if applicable) – Additional information: Any relevant information that could not be captured by the previous sections (e.g. regarding previous workshop organisation) – Room equipment requirements if any. Submissions should be PDF documents of no more than 3 – 4 pages. They can follow the Springer LNCS/LNAI layout <https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…> . *Workshop Proposal Deadline*: 1 Dec 2025 Please send your proposals to the Workshop Committee Members <https://icsr2026.uk/contact/>, with the subject starting with [ICSR2026 Workshop Proposal]. All workshop proposals will be reviewed, and organisers will be informed of the decision within two weeks following the proposal deadline. Accepted workshops will be featured on the ICSR website. *More information & submission details*: https://icsr2026.uk/ We look forward to welcoming you in London for an inspiring event that embraces both traditional social robotics research and innovative explorations at the intersection of technology and creativity. Best regards, *The Organising Committee of ICSR 2026*

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15 Doctoral Candidate Positions in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network CAVECORE
by Gerald Steinbauer-Wagner 10 Oct '25

10 Oct '25

15 Funded PhD Positions in Cognitive Robotics (MSCA Doctoral Network CAVECORE) We are seeking highly motivated doctoral candidates for 15 fully funded PhD positions in the new Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network CAVECORE (Continuous, Automated Validation, and Evaluation of Cognitive Robots in Open-Ended Environments). Doctoral Candidates will develop novel methods for evaluating and validating safety, reliability, and performance of AI-enabled robots, combining robotics & AI (manipulation, control, HRI) with cutting-edge validation techniques (automated testing, diagnosis, AI metrology). Through secondments across academia and industry, they will gain hands-on experience and international perspectives. Doctoral topics include the following: - Shared models for reliable and safe human-robot collaboration, and efficient decision-making under uncertainty and partial observability (Positions #1 and #3) - Learning-enabled safe and reliable hybrid controllers, and pro-active behavioural adjustment of RL-based manipulation skills (Positions #4 and #5) - Digital twin-based behavioural specification, adaptive safety monitoring, and uncertainty quantification for risk-informed decision-making (Positions #2, #10, #13) - Measures of human preferences for responsible robot behaviour in prosocial dilemmas and psychometric evaluation of cognitive robots (Positions #8 and #9) - Automated robotic mission assessment with digital twins and scenario-based testing in virtual worlds (Positions #6 and #7) - LLM-assisted scenario generation for safety validation, data-driven test scenario selection using measured sim2real gap, and replicable evaluation based on provenance models (Positions #11, #12, #14, #15) Partners include: University of Bremen, Bielefeld University, IT University of Copenhagen, University of York, TU Graz, Cyprus University of Technology, Laboratoire national de métrologie et d’essais (LNE), PAL Robotics, EIVA A/S, and Cellumation GmbH. Start date: February 2026 | Duration: 36 months | Deadline: October 20, 2025 Application procedure, requirements, and official announcement: https://cavecore.eu/how-to-apply/

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[meetings] Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot Certificate On-site Training in Barcelona // Nov 6-7 2025
by Sonia W 19 Sep '25

19 Sep '25

Dear Roboticists, Don’t miss out on the final chance to secure your spot with the early-bird discount for the upcoming “Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot Certificate Training <https://www.theconstruct.ai/unitree-g1-humanoid-robotics-certificate-traini…>,” scheduled to be held onsite in Barcelona, Spain, from November 6–7, 2025. *Training Details:* - *Dates*: November 6 - 7, 2025 - *Location*: On-site Training in Barcelona, Spain - *Time*: 9:00 – 19:00 Central European Time (CET) - *Limited Seats:* Only 15 participants - *Website*: https://www.theconstruct.ai/unitree-g1-humanoid-robotics-certificate-traini… <https://www.theconstruct.ai/unitree-g1-humanoid-robotics-certificate-traini…> *About the Training:* This intensive 2-day program delivers practical training in humanoid robotics. You will master control, perception, and navigation — moving from theory to Sim2Real deployment. Through hands-on projects, you will design and implement AI-powered systems using MuJoCo simulation and the Unitree G1 humanoid robot. *What You Will Learn:* - *RL-based Walking* – Train G1 to walk with reinforcement learning (sim2sim & sim2robot). - *3D Navigation* – Mapping, positioning, global planning & obstacle avoidance. - *Perception* – RealSense-powered humanoid vision & environment awareness. - *Motion-Captured Skills* – Use motion-captured movements on a humanoid. * Training Highlights: * - Expert instruction from industry professionals - Interactive exercises with a simulated robot - Hands-on experience with the real Unitree G1 robot - Certificate of Completion recognizing your proficiency in humanoid robot systems This training is organized by TheConstruct.ai <https://www.theconstruct.ai/>. For any questions, please email us at info(a)theconstruct.ai. Best regards, The Construct team

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Invitation to second virtual Q&A Session with Trustees on 03/10 1pm UTC
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 12 Sep '25

12 Sep '25

Dear RoboCuppers, thanks to all of you who attended our first Q&A session and for all the questions that have reached us so far! As promised, we are scheduling a second Q&A session so that we can cover the remaining questions. The next Q&A session will take place *3rd of October at 1pm UTC* (exactly the same time as the last session) Here the Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NmM5MzlmYTgtMTQxYy00… Meeting ID: 321 321 133 364 Passcode: 8oC7vG2Q Again, you are very welcome to submit further questions to us beforehand using the following link: https://cloud.robocup.org/apps/forms/s/JgMnpff2wZ4E9ke7ysnXYA84 In parallel, we are working on a Q&A document in which we will summarize the questions that came up during the panel at the Symposium and our virtual Q&A sessions. Cheers Maike (for the RoboCup Board of Trustees)

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[meetings] Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot Certificate On-site Training in Barcelona // Nov 6-7 2025
by Sonia W 09 Sep '25

09 Sep '25

Dear colleagues, Join the 2-Day Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot Certificate Training <https://www.theconstruct.ai/unitree-g1-humanoid-robotics-certificate-traini…> to master the Fundamentals, Navigation, and Perception of Humanoid Robots. The program is fully hands-on with the Unitree G1, giving you practical experience in humanoid robotics. In this training, you’ll learn: - Hardware architecture and software systems of the G1 humanoid robot - Walking control of the G1 humanoid robot based on reinforcement learning - Mapping and positioning of the G1 humanoid robot - Global path planning and local obstacle avoidance for the G1 humanoid robot - Perception system of the G1 humanoid robot based on RealSense - Combat challenge practice with the G1 humanoid robot *Training Dates*: NOVEMBER 6-7 | ON-SITE IN BARCELONA *Registration Link*: https://www.theconstruct.ai/unitree-g1-humanoid-robotics-certificate-traini… <https://www.theconstruct.ai/unitree-g1-humanoid-robotics-certificate-traini…> This training offers a unique opportunity to work directly with the Unitree G1 and learn how to program it, advancing your expertise in humanoid robotics. Best, The Construct Robotics Institute

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Invitation to a virtual Q&A Session with Trustees on 05/09 1pm UTC
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 05 Sep '25

05 Sep '25

Dear RoboCuppers, some time has passed since RoboCup in Salvador and we hope you, your teams and robots all had a safe trip back home. During this RoboCup, we Trustees decided to re-imaging RoboCup and we shared this vision with the committees and the community in various forms during RoboCup. And while there was time for discussion in different settings and groups, we also saw how many open questions there still were during the Symposium. Some may have already been clarified with your league committees in the meantime - many of these committees worked tirelessly since RoboCup to meet with the teams, share updates and gather league opinions. But we also heard that many of you still have questions for us Trustees to address. We would hence like to invite you to a digital Q&A with a group of Trustees - an extended version of the question section we had during the Symposium panel on the Future of RoboCup. The session will happen on Friday, September 5 at 1pm UTC. Here is a link to participate: https://herts-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/97476995141?pwd=vCfWGzm1ckwXb6qg6NTH4xEWRHJPP… Meeting ID: 974 7699 5141 Passcode: 253164 We would like to gather some questions beforehand in order to group similar ones together and bring them into an order. We would hence appreciate if you could submit your questions beforehand using this link: https://cloud.robocup.org/apps/forms/s/JgMnpff2wZ4E9ke7ysnXYA84 Please submit your questions by Monday, September 1. We will also try to leave time at the end of the meeting for spontaneous questions from the audience that can be submitted via the chat. We are also planning to release a consolidated Q&A document with a summary of the questions asked during the Symposium panel and the virtual meeting afterwards. Kind regards Alessandra & Maike (for the Board of Trustees)

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Official Videos – RCAP Beijing Masters 2025 Humanoid League 5V5 and 3Vs Finals
by Office RoboCupAP 26 Aug '25

26 Aug '25

Dear RoboCuppers, Co-organized by the Beijing Municipal Government and the RoboCup Asia-Pacific (RCAP) Confederation, the RCAP Beijing Masters – Humanoid League 3V3 and 5V5 was successfully held in conjunction with the World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG 2025) at the Beijing National Speed Skating Oval (Ice Ribbon) from 14–17 August 2025. The World Humanoid Robot Games featured 26 competition categories, of which RoboCup/RCAP organized the RCAP Beijing Masters events: RoboCup HL AdultSize 3V3 and RCAP HL TeenSize 5V5. A total of 47 RoboCup teams from 14 countries participated in the RCAP Beijing Masters. We sincerely thank the RoboCup community for its strong support and enthusiastic participation. We are delighted to share with you the official videos of the 3V3 and 5V5 finals. We hope you enjoy watching these exciting matches: 1. RCAP Beijing Masters – RCAP HL TeenSize 5V5 Finals Watch here: https://youtu.be/CvqQvNeKfrM • Team BLUE: HTWK Robots + Nao Devils (Germany) • Team RED: Hephaestus (China) 2. RCAP Beijing Masters – RoboCup HL AdultSize 3V3 Finals Watch here: https://youtu.be/UBpnJ0VKado • Team BLUE: Sweaty (Germany) • Team RED: CAU Mountain & Sea (China) For full competition results, please visit: bjm2025.robocupap.org/results Please like, share, and subscribe for more highlights from RoboCup and RCAP events. With best regards, Organizing Committee RCAP Beijing Masters 2025

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Robotics Developer Masterclass – Final Enrollment for 2025 Batch 8
by Sonia W 19 Aug '25

19 Aug '25

Greetings all, This is a kind reminder that registration for the Robotics Developer Masterclass <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worldwid…> <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worldwid…>Batch 8 2025 is coming to a close on Aug 31, 2025. - Name: Robotics Developer Masterclass - Class: Batch 8 - Program Start Date: September 1st, 2025 - Registration link: roboticsdeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worldwid…> - Program Fee: €999/month To support your learning journey, we are providing a special coupon *2F583131*: receive €150 off each month for 6 months, for a total of *€900* in savings. The coupon is valid only if used by *August 30, 2025*. The Robotics Developer Masterclass is a comprehensive online learning program designed to provide individuals starting from zero with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in robotics development. Below are some key details of the Masterclass: *Program Highlights:* - 6-Month Training Period: Divided into 6 phases, each focusing on developing specific, in-demand robotics skills through hands-on projects. - 3-Month Internship: Gain real-world experience with leading robotics companies, applying your skills in industry settings. - 3-Month Job Hunting Program: Receive step-by-step guidance, from resume building to interview preparation, to help you land your new career in robotics. - Hands-on Learning: Engage with both simulated and real robots to develop practical, actionable robotics skills. - Comprehensive Curriculum: Covers everything from fundamental programming techniques to advanced planning and control algorithms. - Robotics Portfolio: Showcase your work through a professional online portfolio, integrating all projects and code for potential employers to view. - LinkedIn Certificate: Earn a certificate to enhance your professional profile and demonstrate your newly acquired robotics expertise. *What you will learn:* - ROS1 and ROS 2 - C++ for Robotics - Python for Robotics - Linux for Robotics - Math for Robotics - Collaborative Software Development with Git - Robot Modeling with URDF - Robot Frame Transformations with TF ROS 2 - Create robot simulations with Gazebo (Ignition) - Robot Navigation with ROS 2 (Nav2) - Robot Perception - Object Manipulation - Build Robot Controllers (ros2_control) - Kinematics of Mobile Robots and Arm Robots - Robot Dynamics - Kalman Filters - Path Planning Algorithms - Program web interfaces for Robot Ap - Docker for Robotics - Automate Development Tasks with Jenkins - Continuous Integration (CI) - Design, Develop, and Present, from Zero, a Complete Robotics Project For more details, please check roboticsdeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worldwid…> . If you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at info(a)theconstruct.ai. -- [image: Logo] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/> [image: Logo] Sonia Wang Robotics Career Success Advisor | The Construct E: rjun(a)theconstruct.ai | theconstruct.ai [image: Banner] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=email&utm_medium…>

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[Jobs] Research Software Engineer at University of Edinburgh
by Ram Ramamoorthy 14 Aug '25

14 Aug '25

We are hiring a Research Software Engineer for the recently established Centre for AI in Assistive Autonomy (https://assistive-autonomy.ed.ac.uk/) within the School of Informatics in the University of Edinburgh. The primary purpose of this role is to develop, deploy, and maintain software stacks associated with robotic systems such as autonomous vehicles and robotic manipulation platforms. This includes sensor processing and controller interfacing to higher level modules for perception, planning and control, human-machine interfacing, testing and data visualisation. The Centre for AI for Assistive Autonomy is a mission-driven research centre at the University of Edinburgh, dedicated to advancing interactive AI to enable new assistive technologies for mobility and healthcare We believe intelligent autonomy must be human-centred – grounded in predictive models of individual capability, shaped by adaptive interaction, and guided by shared reasoning to achieve true collaboration. To achieve this, we combine foundational science with real-world applications to build intelligent systems that extend human capabilities -providing safe ethical, and adaptive assistance. For more details and to apply, please see: https://elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1… The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th’ ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, clàraichte an Alba, àireamh clàraidh SC005336.

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Call for AAAI-26 Bridge Program Proposals
by Hadi Hosseini 12 Aug '25

12 Aug '25

📢 💥 *Call for AAAI-26 Bridge Program Proposals (Deadline Extended to August 29)* 💥 📢 The AAAI-26 Program Committee invites proposals for the* Bridge Program* of the 40th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-26) held in Singapore from January 20-21, 2026. *Call details:* https://aaai.org/conference/aaai/aaai-26/bridge-program-call/ <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Faaai.org%…> 🤔 *What are bridges?* AAAI has incubated numerous AI sub-disciplines and conferences and has nurtured for decades the cohesion of AI. New communities often emerge when two or more disciplines come together in order to explore new opportunities and perspectives; today, both are plentiful. The purpose of the AAAI Bridges Program is to tap into this new source of innovation by cultivating sustained collaboration between two or more communities directed towards a common goal. Our interpretation of bridge is broad and encompasses disciplines both within and outside of AI. Hence, the communities that the AAAI Bridges Program brings together could be distinct subfields of AI, such as planning and learning, or different disciplines that contribute to and benefit from AI, such as AI and the humanities. Examples of accepted Bridges from AAAI-25 can be found here https://aaai.org/conference/aaai/aaai-25/aaai-25-bridge-list/ <https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Faaai.org%…> *Proposal Deadline Extension:* August 29, 2025 @ 11:59pm AoE Inquiries concerning Bridge format and submission process may be directed to aaai26bpchairs(a)aaai.org -- Hadi Hosseini, Ph.D. Associate Professor, College of Information Sciences and Technology Associate Director, Center for AI Foundations and Engineered Systems (CAFE) Director, FAIR Lab Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA https://faculty.ist.psu.edu/hadi/

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[RCAP 2025 @ Abu Dhabi, UAE from 10-15 Nov 2025] Call for Participation
by Office RoboCupAP 08 Aug '25

08 Aug '25

====== RCAP 2025 Call for Participation ========== *RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025 (RCAP 2025)* Location: ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi <https://www.adnec.ae/en/discover-adnec/about-adnec> , Abu Dhabi, UAE Dates: 10 - 15 November 2025 Website: https://2025.robocupap.org/ Pre-Registration: https://2025.robocupap.org/registration/ Dear RoboCuppers, Mark your calendars for RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025 (RCAP 2025). The RCAP 2025 will be held in ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi <https://www.adnec.ae/en/discover-adnec/about-adnec>, UAE from 10 - 15 November 2025. 1. Important Dates <https://2025.robocupap.org/important-dates/> - 1 July – 18 August 2025: Pre-Registration - 25 August 2025: Announcement of qualified teams - 14 September 2025: Final submission and payment deadline - 15 September – 11 November 2025: Late registration and payment. During this period, no team registration is allowed. - 29 September 2025: Team presentation videos (For RCAP Influencer Award) submission deadline. - 10 October 2025: Team presentation videos to be uploaded to RCAP Academy Official YouTube channel. - 10 – 13 November 2025: Team Setup and competition. - 14 November 2025: Finals and Award Ceremony - 15 November 2025: Symposium 2. Registration <https://2025.robocupap.org/registration/> - Begin your team's pre-registration on the following page: https://2025.robocupap.org/registration/ - Deadline for pre-registration: 18 August 2025. - Qualified teams will be notified on 25 August 2025. For inquiries related to registration, please contact the registration office at: registration(a)robocupap.org 3. Leagues to be organised at RCAP 2025 The following selected leagues will be hosted at RCAP 2025. *(1) Major Leagues* - RoboCupSoccer Humanoid League (KidSize, AdultSize) - RCAP Humanoid League (TeenSize) - RoboCupSoccer Standard Platform League (SPL) - RoboCupSoccer Middle Size League (MSL) - RoboCupSoccer Small Size League (SSL) - RoboCupSoccer Simulation League (2D) - RoboCupRescue Robot League - RoboCup@Home Open Platform League - RCAP Flying Robot Challenge (FRC) - RCAP CoSpace Auto-Delivery Challenge (University) - RCAP CoSpace Rescue Challenge (University) *(2) Junior Leagues* - RCJ Rescue Line (Primary, Secondary) - RCJ Rescue Maze (No age group) - RCJ Soccer Light-Weight (Primary, Secondary) - RCJ Soccer Open (No age group) - RCJ OnStage (Primary, Secondary) - RCAP CoSpace Autonomous Driving (U12, U19) - RCAP CoSpace Rescue (U12, U19) - RCAP CoSpace Autonomous Delivery (U19) *(3) RCAP Education * - RCAP Rescue Line, Entry (U12, U19) - RCAP Rescue Maze, Entry (U12, U19） - RCAP Soccer, Entry (U12, U19) - RCAP CoSpace Autonomous Driving, FirstSteps (U12) - RCAP CoSpace Rescue, FirstSteps (U12, U19) 4 Contact: registration(a)robocupap.org Stay updated with the latest announcements by visiting the RCAP 2025 official website: https://2025.robocupap.org/ You can also follow us on our social media page for regular updates: facebook.com/robocupap. We look forward to welcoming RoboCuppers to Abu Dhabi, UAE! Warm Regards, RoboCup Asia-Pacific 2025 (RCAP 2025) Organising Committee

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Call for Papers – Frontiers in Robotics and AI
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 07 Aug '25

07 Aug '25

Dear RoboCup Community, we are excited to invite you to submit to our upcoming Research Topic on **Leveraging Foundation Models for Interactive and Adaptive Robot Policy Learning** in Frontiers in Robotics and AI (FRAI) – a leading journal in the field of Robotics and AI. This topic is especially interesting for those among you that work in fields related to human-robot interaction, such as the @Home or Industrial Leagues. *Website* https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/71044/leveraging-foundation-mod… If you are interested in submitting, please klick "Participate in this topic" on the website and we will make sure to keep you updated and remind you to submit your research summary in time. *Description* This Research Topic aims to investigate the transformative potential of foundation models (FMs) for effective and adaptive robot-policy learning. We seek to highlight cutting-edge research and innovative applications of these models, showcasing novel adaptation algorithms and human-robot interaction and collaboration strategies. Our focus is on how robots, empowered by off-the-shelf and/or domain-adapted foundation models, can perceive, reason, interact, and make intelligent decisions in open-world domains. By enabling effective and generalizable perception, reasoning, and multi-turn human-robot interactions, we aim to allow robots to acquire knowledge actively from external environments and humans in a targeted manner, interpret and reason about information in relation to its multi-modal context, facilitating new policy adaptation, refining existing policies, and enhancing its task and motion planning ability. *Topics of Interest* We invite researchers and practitioners to submit original research, review articles, case studies, and technical notes that explore, but are NOT limited to, the following areas: - Applications of off-the-shelf Foundation Models for Robot Policy Learning - Embodied Multi-modal Vision and Language models - Efficient Domain Adaptation of Foundation Models for Policy Learning - Interactive Robot Policy Learning and Grounding - Human-robot Collaboration for Policy Learning - Policy Learning with Few-shot Demonstrations - Data Augmentation using Foundation Models - Interactive Reasoning and Task Planning with Foundation Models - Integrated Planning and Foundation Models - Applications and Fine-tuning of Foundation Models for Task and Motion Planning - Learning Safe Policy through Human-Robot Interaction - Trustworthy AI and AI Safety - In-context Learning (ICL) for Decision-Making - Knowledge Representation and Reasoning for Agents - Interactive Open-Vocabulary Robot Navigation and Manipulation - Policy Correction and Adaption through Human-robot Interaction - Policy Evaluation using Foundation Models - Applications and Fine-tuning of Foundation Models for Spoken Dialogue - Detecting and Adapting to Novelty in Open-world Environments *Important Dates* Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline: 30 September 2025 Manuscript Submission Deadline: 19 December 2025 *Submission* We are accepting the following article types: - Brief Research Report - Data Report - Editorial - General Commentary - Hypothesis and Theory - Methods - Mini Review - Opinion - Original Research - Perspective - Policy and Practice Reviews - Review - Systematic Review - Technology and Code *Topic Editors* - Sahisnu Mazumder, Javier Felip Leon and Ramesh Manuvinakurike (Intel Labs, USA) - Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany) - Peng Hu and Hao Wang (Sichuan University, China) - Xin Yang (Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, China) - Hanbo Zhang (National University of Singapore, Singapore) If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch!

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meetings][CFP] Extended Deadline for participation at the software @HOME competion of the International Conference of Social Robotics in Naples 2025
by alexarossi＠gmail.com 28 Jul '25

28 Jul '25

Dear everyone, The submission's deadline for the ICSR competitions has been extended! The International Conference of Social Robotics 2025 will be held in Naples, Italy on 10-12 September. Below you can find the information and website for the conference and competition. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you need further information. best regards Alessandra See below the new updated CFP: Robot Software and Design Competition International Conference of Social Robotics - ICSR 10-12 September, Naples, Italy Competitions full description https://icsr2025.eu/competition/ Submission deadline 15th August 2025 Submission competition(a)icsr2025.eu The design and development of different types of robots, along with their intelligence and behaviours, have been steadily advancing. However, the robotics industry is entering new challenges due to the emergence of innovative and intelligent robots designed for a wide range of applications. In particular, we are increasingly seeing the need for embodied AI agents that are able to engage, support and assist people with different needs, preferences and expectations across various aspects of life. To this extent, we want to invite students, young researchers and more experienced groups to participate in robot software and design competitions that will match today’s increasing demands. There are three categories: * Robot design Competition, where teams of students, young researchers can show their design innovative ideas * @HOME Competition, where teams of young and more experienced researchers can apply advanced techniques for solving real-world problems in a competition format. * @HOME Hackathon, where teams of students and young researchers can develop social behaviours for HRI in a hackathon format. The @HOME Competition will be organised in two days: 1. A set-up day on 10/09 will serve for teams to test and adjust their solutions 2. A competition day on 11/09 where teams will show their robotic solutions. The Robot design Competition will take place on the last day - 12th September 2025. The Hackathon will be organised in two days: 1. A Workshop on 10/09 morning for illustrating the basic functionalities of the robot platforms and how to program them 2. Guided development on 10/09 afternoon with instructors following the teams in the development of some baseline tasks 3. Competition day on 11/09, where teams will develop their solutions and then show them for evaluation. For each category, we will select the winners. The winners of the challenges will be announced during the Closing Ceremony on September the 12th, 2025. Submissions Each submission should have a (maximum) 2-page summary. The template is flexible; however, it should include a concise abstract/synopsis of a maximum of 50 words, and enough details to judge the technical novelty of the proposed solution and/or innovative applications of robots. A single link of related video can be included. Video link is optional, and the maximum duration of the video should be 3 minutes. Please remember that it is not a scientific publication, but the description of a robotics innovation with potential to be developed as a project. Competition chairs, with the help from experts and reviewers, will select the finalists. Each finalist is supposed to register and present their entry at a dedicated session in the conference, which will be further evaluated by the Jury of peers. Email your submission to competition(a)icsr2025.eu <mailto:competition@icsr2025.eu>with the subject line including the competition you intend to participate into: * [ICSR 2025 Robot Design Competition] * [ICSR 2025 @HOME Competition] * [ICSR 2025 @HOME Hackathon] -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page:https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address:alessandra.rossi@unina.it e-mail address:a.rossi@herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81

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Re-Imagining RoboCup
by Ubbo Visser 20 Jul '25

20 Jul '25

Dear RoboCuppers, RoboCup has been a uniquely enduring and inspiring force in robotics and AI since its inception. For almost three decades, it has grown through the self-motivation, passion, and remarkable  dedication of you, its participants. This spirit has made RoboCup the world’s largest and most influential robotics competition. Today, we stand at a pivotal moment. The field of robotics and AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace. The emergence of a new generation of robots, AI methods, and technologies is a unique  historical opportunity. RoboCup takes this opportunity to continue to lead. Therefore, we enact changes to the RoboCup international competitions, which is our window to the world. We unite all the advancements from all soccer leagues into one united umbrella focused on humanoid robot soccer. We push the state of the art in robotics and AI by introducing  humanoid robots for general-purpose applications, including the @home, work, and rescue leagues. Let’s write the next chapter of RoboCup together! On behalf of The RoboCup Board of Trustees, Ubbo Visser (President of The RoboCup Federation) ============================ Link to news on robocup.org <https://robocup.org/news/181> Details of Changes for the International RoboCup competition  Note: Existing leagues can continue at super-regionals, opens, and community-driven events. 1. Standard Platform League and Humanoid KidSize League  The SPL and Humanoid League KidSize divisions begin an immediate merger process aiming to form a unified league by 2026 (name to be decided). Teams from across all soccer leagues will be invited to join and shape this process.  2. Small Size League, Middle Size League, and Soccer Simulation Leagues  2027 will be the final year of the international competition for the SSL, MSL, and the soccer simulation leagues, as long as we have sufficient participation. We look forward to transitioning all the scientific advancements from these leagues to humanoid robot soccer.  We welcome proposals from the community to re-imagine how these leagues may  contribute as a bridge to encourage participants from the Junior leagues to continue on with the Major leagues.  3. RoboCupRescue Simulation League The 2025 competition is the final year for RoboCupRescue Simulation as an independent league at the International event. Teams are encouraged to engage with the Rescue Robot League to explore merger concepts and combined evaluation frameworks.  4. RoboCup@Home A single, unified RoboCup@Home league takes effect immediately. The 2025 competition is the last to feature two separate sub-leagues.  5. RoboCupIndustrial The @Work and Logistics sub-leagues will create a new Smart Manufacturing League (SML), merging for the 2026 and 2027 competitions to better address emerging autonomous production and logistics challenges.

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RoboCup Official Livestream - We are live for competition day 2
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 18 Jul '25

18 Jul '25

Good morning RoboCuppers! Here are the live streams to the second competition day here in Salvador: RoboCup Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/robocupofficial RoboCup Brasil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2D98OVM1VA Here is the overview what we are streaming today: 10:00 - 10:10 Opening & Recap of Day 1 10:10 - 10:30 Junior Rescue Sim 10:30 - 11:00: Junior Rescue & Soccer 11:00 - 11:30: @Work 11:30 - 12:00: Rescue Robot BREAK 13:00 - 13:30: SPL 13:30 - 14:00: Logistics (SPL on Standby) 14:00 - 14:30: Humanoid KidSize 14:30 - 14:50: RMRC 14:50 - 15:20: OnStage 15:20 - 16:00 Sim 2D / Sim 3D 16:00 - 16:30 SSL 16:30 - 17:00 @work (SSL on Standby) 17:00 - 17:30 MathWorks ARM 17:30 - 18:00 @Home Again, please go ahead an share the links and let's make RoboCup known even better on an international stage! Cheers Maike

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[RoboCup 2025] Regional Committee Meeting on Friday, July 18, 2025 1.30-3.30 pm
by Ferrein, Alexander Antoine 17 Jul '25

17 Jul '25

Dear RoboCup Regional Committee Chairs, dear RoboCupers, The Regional Committee Meeting will take place tomorrow, Friday, July 18, 2025, 1.30-3.30 pm in Room 5 on the first floor of the venue. All Regional Committee Chairs/representatives who are in Salvador please join us there as the Trustee Election will also take place. For those Regional Committee representatives, who are not here, please join us online using the following Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83150025321 Meeting-ID: 831 5002 5321 If you plan to attend, please contact me via email to receive the key code. I want to remind all regional committee members who have not yet done so to submit their Regional Committee report. The link to the template is this: https://cloud.robocup.org/s/e4ztPBn48E4y7eD Please submit your presentation with the file name RoboCupRegionalCommittee-YourRegion.pptx by uploading it to the following folder until July 13, 2025: https://cloud.robocup.org/s/c3qiFqN4Cxw5jGX Please let me know, if there are problems with the upload. Many of you are already represented by regional committees. You can find the list of regional committees here: https://www.robocup.org/organization/regional_committees In that case, your representative has already been invited to the meeting. If you are from a country that is not represented, I encourage you to get together with any other participants from your country to form a Regional Committee. The procedure for forming Regional Committees is included at the bottom of this message. Please let me know if you or someone else from your nation is planning to attend this year's meeting. Best Regards, Maike & Alexander on behalf of the RCF President and the Trustees -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup German Regional Committee W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org RoboCup Regional Committees =========================== A sufficiently large number of teams, researchers and teachers from any nation, group of nations, or nation-sized region (henceforth "region") with significant past and current RoboCup participation is invited to form a "RoboCup Regional Committee.” The purposes of these committees are to 1) Promote RoboCup within your region. 2) Organize local RoboCup events and RoboCup opens. 3) Manage qualification for RoboCup leagues when slots are limited. 4) Maintain RoboCup standards for scientific research and education within your region and uphold the RoboCup mission of sharing advances through friendly competition. 5) Maintain an English website to be linked to the main RoboCup website describing the RoboCup activities in your region. There are local events smaller than regional "open" competitions, which should also be run with regional committee participation, but must be approved by the board of trustees. For each such local event and open, regional committees may at some time in the future be asked to collect a standard RoboCup Federation registration fee from participants and send the resulting funds to the federation (details to be announced if/when this policy goes into effect). The regional committee is also expected to send a report following each event summarizing the participation and organization of the event, including how many people and teams participated, from where, etc. If there are many local events in a given year, they can be grouped together into a single annual report. Each regional committee should have a single chair who serves as the main point of contact with the RoboCup Board of Trustees for questions that are relevant to the region. There should be representation on the committee from all of the different RoboCup leagues in which your region is active (including RoboCupJunior). If not already established, we encourage the regional committees to initiate formation of all aspects of RoboCup activities, including RoboCupSoccer, RoboCupRescue, RoboCupJunior, and RoboCupAtHome. To form a committee, please get together with all of the participants from your region. Once the list of committee members is prepared, please contact the RoboCup Trustees to let us know: 1) The members and affiliations of the committee. 2) The names, affiliations, and email addresses of all the teams represented by the committee (hopefully all the teams from your region). 3) The URL of your current webpage, if it already exists (see http://www.robocup.org/organization-of-robocup/regional-committees/(http://… for some examples). The Trustees will then check that all the represented teams agree to be represented in this way, and then link the committee to the RoboCup website. The representatives of all RoboCup Regional Committees meet at least once a year during the annual RoboCup event to discuss with the Trustees about the development of RoboCup in their regions and in general. Furthermore, while vacancies exist in the Board of Trustees, one appointment is reserved for election by the regional committees (one vote per regional committee).

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RoboCup Official Livestream - Inviting the world to join us in Salvador today!
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 17 Jul '25

17 Jul '25

Good morning RoboCuppers! Today is the first day of the competition and we will stream it live! Here are the official links to our stream: YouTube Brazil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T4LYY8wjBk RoboCup Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/robocupofficial It's the same stream on both channels, so you can pick whichever platform you like best. We have a super exciting lineup for you today, switching between the different RoboCup leagues so you get an insight into all the exciting events going on! We are starting the stream at 10 am local time in Salvador. Share the link with your team, University, online following, friends & family - and let's make this online stream a huge success. Cheers Maike

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[meetings] ASIMOV Workshop at ICSR 2025
by Salvatore Anzalone 14 Jul '25

14 Jul '25

*** WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT *** [Apologies for multiple copies of this announcement] ****************************************************** Adaptive Social Interaction based on user’s Mental mOdels and behaVior in HRI ASIMOV 2025 Naples (Italy), September 10, 2025 Held in conjunction with the 17th International Conference on Social Robotics https://sites.google.com/view/asimov2025 ****************************************************** ------------------------------------------------------ IMPORTANT DATES ------------------------------------------------------ - Deadline for Paper Submission: July 20th, 2025 - Paper Acceptance Notification: July 30th, 2025 - Camera Ready Paper: August 11th, 2025 - Main Conference Date: September 10th–12th, 2025 - Workshop Date: September 10th, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------ AIM AND SCOPE ------------------------------------------------------ The ability to understand and adapt to people’s mental models is a key objective for enabling natural, efficient, and successful human-robot interaction (HRI), in particular in human-centered scenarios where robots are expected to meet people’s social conventions. Theory of mind and mental models are largely investigated in human-computer interactions, however, it is still unclear what level of others’ mental states a robot should be aware of in order to communicate with people in a transparent and socially acceptable way. The ASIMOV workshop will constitute a unique opportunity to gather roboticists, psychologists, and philosophers and computer scientists to discuss a variety of current and new approaches aiming at endowing social robots with learning abilities, enhancing cognitive and social abilities based on mutual understanding. SCIENTIFIC CONTEXT The ASIMOV Workshop investigates how social robots can engage in meaningful, ethically aware, and cognitively grounded interactions with humans, particularly in sensitive contexts such as education, healthcare, and assistive scenarios. Despite the promise of social robots in such domains, users often remain cautious about employing them due to ethical, psychological, and safety concerns as well as a lack of trust in such technologies. Addressing these acceptability challenges requires considering not only individual psychological and behavioral factors, but also emergent group dynamics in the design of social interactions, integrating insights from ethics, philosophy of mind, and moral psychology. Central to this exploration is the question of how robots can be designed and behave to respect and respond to human values, expectations, and vulnerabilities. To achieve natural and effective human-robot interaction (HRI), robots must be endowed with learning and real-time adaptation abilities to perceive and interpret users’ mental states, navigate group dynamics in teamwork scenarios, while explicitly taking into account social and ethical rules. Beyond functional alignment, we seek to understand how socio-cognitive architectures, adaptive behaviors, and affective signals can support morally appropriate engagement—avoiding manipulation, misunderstanding, or dehumanization. This requires not only technical innovation, but also a reflective framework that integrates perspectives from ethics, moral psychology, and philosophy of mind. Recent research shows that these capabilities are essential to bridge the gap between user expectations and the robot’s actual behavior, enhancing mutual understanding, engagement, and interaction efficiency. Robots' acceptability increases when they can understand and meet people'sexpectations during HRI. By equipping robots with moral, social and cognitive skills, which may be integrated through AI supports, they can convey contextually appropriate affective and social signals in an intelligent and readable way. From the mutual comprehension of mental states, an effective HRI can emerge, allowing human partners to suspend disbelief and fostering trust, partnership, and acceptability. OBJECTIVES The ASIMOV Workshop brings together interdisciplinary experts in robotics, AI, cognitive science, psychology, and philosophy to explore the design of socially assistive robots that are cognitively competent in modeling both individual mental states and complex group dynamics, while being ethically informed and norm-aware. Focusing on sensitive domains such as education, healthcare, and assistive technologies, the workshop emphasizes integrating socio-cognitive architectures with normative frameworks to ensure robots respect human values, autonomy, and dignity. Key topics include individual and multi-user interaction modeling, moral agency, and mechanisms for real-time ethical adaptation, all aimed at fostering trustworthy, human-centered human-robot interaction grounded in moral psychology and philosophy of mind. TARGET AUDIENCE We aim to bring together a diverse audience from the fields of social and assistive robotics, cognitive and behavioral robotics, and HRI. The workshop will serve as a platform for exchanging ideas, discussing innovative concepts, and addressing unresolved issues in ongoing research. We encourage the participation of PhD students and young researchers working on user modeling, HRI and control interfaces, machine learning, and ethical aspects of human-machine interaction, among others. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: Mental models in HRI Human-aware perception-action loop Emotion and intention recognition Affective and ethical adaptation Groups, teams and emergent states Group dynamics and fairness Multi-user collaborative robots Empathy and Theory of Mind in Robotics Mutual affective understanding Real-time monitoring of behavior and mental states Detection of non-verbal behavioral cues Multimodality in human-robot interaction Autonomy and responsibility Robots with personality Online adaptive behavior Acceptability and personalization Physiological monitoring and biofeedback systems BCI (brain-computer interfaces)-enabled adaptive interaction Objective metrics and scales for evaluation of HRI Human partnership and trust in HRI Explainable AI in HRI Security and safety in HRI Robot ethics and moral philosophy Value-sensitive design Assistive and educational robotics Human dignity and ethics of care in HRI ------------------------------------------------------ INVITED SPEAKERS ------------------------------------------------------ Prof. Paolo Dario, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, IT Prof. Giovanna Varni, University of Trento, Trento, IT ------------------------------------------------------ SUBMISSIONS ------------------------------------------------------ We welcome prospective participants to submit either full papers (up to 6 pages) or extended abstracts (up to 2 pages). Such contributions, focusing on the topics of the workshop, will be peer reviewed by at least two experts of the domain. Papers can be on research that the authors would like to discuss during the workshop, especially encouraging papers on new ideas or research that the authors plan to conduct. Possible topics of the submissions will cover a wide view of the state of the art. Workshop papers must clearly indicate that they are part of ASIMOV workshop. All material collected during the Workshop: video, slides, papers, etc. upon approval of the authors, will be made available on the workshop website. Selected papers will be invited to present extended versions of their work for a new book series on Robotics for Healthcare by Elsevier. It is highly recommended to use the Springer LNCS/LNAI style for the layout. Detailed instructions for paper submission are available on the conference website (https://icsr2025.eu/call-for-papers/#regular-paper). LNCS style templates are available on the Springer LNCS website. Each paper will receive two reviews. Accepted papers require that at least one of the authors register for the workshop. All submitted papers will be reviewed by two reviewers. The abstracts of the accepted papers will appear on the workshop website. Authors are requested to submit a PDF copy to sanzalone (at) univ-paris8.fr. ------------------------------------------------------ WORKSHOP ORGANIZERS ------------------------------------------------------ Salvatore M. Anzalone Université Paris 8, France Giuseppe Palestra University of Bari, Italy Carlotta Bettencourt The Sherkow Center for Child Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder, USA Elena Ricci Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, IT Alberto Pirni Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, IT Maryam Alimardani Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands Mariacarla Staffa University of Naples Parthenope, Italy This workshop is sponsored and partially founded by: - RESTART - Italian National Project - Robot Enhanced Social Abilities based on Theory of Mind for Acceptance of Robot in Assistive Treatments, funded by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research —MIUR (D.D. no.861) (RESTART) - “TRust in Technology: How to Assess and Improve RoboT-User Interaction in Elderly Care Integrating EtHical, Technical and Social Variables” project, funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) (CUP B83C22004800006) - PEPR O2R "Robotique Organique" AS3 (ANR-22-EXOD-007) - France 2030 program

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[RoboCup 2025] Regional Committee Meeting on Friday, July 18, 2025 1.30-3.30 pm
by Ferrein, Alexander Antoine 11 Jul '25

11 Jul '25

Dear RoboCup participants, We are writing to let you know that, like last year, we will have a Regional Committee Assembly this year in Salvador. The meeting will be on Friday, July 18, 2025, 1.30-3.30 pm. I will write again to let you know once the details, including location, are confirmed. Many of you are already represented by regional committees. You can find the list of regional committees here: https://www.robocup.org/organization/regional_committees In that case, your representative has already been invited to the meeting. If you are from a country that is not represented, I encourage you to get together with any other participants from your country to form a Regional Committee. The procedure for forming Regional Committees is included at the bottom of this message. Please let me know if you or someone else from your nation is planning to attend this year's meeting. Best Regards, Maike & Alexander on behalf of the RCF President and the Trustees -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup German Regional Committee W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org RoboCup Regional Committees =========================== A sufficiently large number of teams, researchers and teachers from any nation, group of nations, or nation-sized region (henceforth "region") with significant past and current RoboCup participation is invited to form a "RoboCup Regional Committee.” The purposes of these committees are to 1) Promote RoboCup within your region. 2) Organize local RoboCup events and RoboCup opens. 3) Manage qualification for RoboCup leagues when slots are limited. 4) Maintain RoboCup standards for scientific research and education within your region and uphold the RoboCup mission of sharing advances through friendly competition. 5) Maintain an English website to be linked to the main RoboCup website describing the RoboCup activities in your region. There are local events smaller than regional "open" competitions, which should also be run with regional committee participation, but must be approved by the board of trustees. For each such local event and open, regional committees may at some time in the future be asked to collect a standard RoboCup Federation registration fee from participants and send the resulting funds to the federation (details to be announced if/when this policy goes into effect). The regional committee is also expected to send a report following each event summarizing the participation and organization of the event, including how many people and teams participated, from where, etc. If there are many local events in a given year, they can be grouped together into a single annual report. Each regional committee should have a single chair who serves as the main point of contact with the RoboCup Board of Trustees for questions that are relevant to the region. There should be representation on the committee from all of the different RoboCup leagues in which your region is active (including RoboCupJunior). If not already established, we encourage the regional committees to initiate formation of all aspects of RoboCup activities, including RoboCupSoccer, RoboCupRescue, RoboCupJunior, and RoboCupAtHome. To form a committee, please get together with all of the participants from your region. Once the list of committee members is prepared, please contact the RoboCup Trustees to let us know: 1) The members and affiliations of the committee. 2) The names, affiliations, and email addresses of all the teams represented by the committee (hopefully all the teams from your region). 3) The URL of your current webpage, if it already exists (see http://www.robocup.org/organization-of-robocup/regional-committees/(http://… for some examples). The Trustees will then check that all the represented teams agree to be represented in this way, and then link the committee to the RoboCup website. The representatives of all RoboCup Regional Committees meet at least once a year during the annual RoboCup event to discuss with the Trustees about the development of RoboCup in their regions and in general. Furthermore, while vacancies exist in the Board of Trustees, one appointment is reserved for election by the regional committees (one vote per regional committee).

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[meetings][CFP][RO-MAN 2025] Extended deadline - TRUST: Building Trust in Human-Robot Interaction Workshop
by Alessandra Rossi 03 Jul '25

03 Jul '25

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to inform you that due to high request, we decided to extend the deadline for submissions for our workshop, "TRUST: Building Trust in Human-Robot Interaction." The workshop is the joint work of SCRITA and RTSS workshops. The TRUST workshop will be held as a full-day event at ROMAN 2025 on August 29, 2025, in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Please find below the call for paper! Do not hesitate to contact us for more info. We look forward to seeing you in Eindhoven! best regards Alessandra on behalf of the SCRITA and RTSS workshops organisers Important dates Paper Submission Deadline: 18 July 2025, Anywhere on Earth Notification of Acceptance: 25 July 2025 Camera-ready submission: 08 August 2025, Anywhere on Earth Workshop website: https://scrita.herts.ac.uk/2025/ Invited speakers - Kerstin Fischer, University of Southern Denmark - Roy Lindelauf, Tilburg University - Philip Brey, University of Twente - Minoru Asada, Osaka University & International Professional University of Technology in Osaka, Japan. Call for contributions and submission format We invite authors to submit position papers and four-page papers: - We invite authors to submit four pages long (excluding references), discussing novel works in the scope of the workshop. - We invite authors to submit position papers, 2 to 4 pages long (excluding references), discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We encourage the authors to present a video or demonstrate their works and achievements. All accepted papers will have short oral presentations. Submission Guidelines Authors should prepare papers formatted according to the IEEE two-column format <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/support.php>, which is also used for contributions to the main conference. Use the following templates to create the paper and generate or export a PDF file: LaTeX <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/tex.php> or MS-Word <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/word.php>. Please submit your paper(s) to: https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=scritartss2025 Aim and scope The TRUST workshop is the result of a collaboration between two established workshops in the field of Human-Robot Interaction: SCRITA (Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction) and RTSS (Robot Trust for Symbiotic Societies). This joint initiative brings together the complementary goals of these workshops to advance research on trust from both the human and robot perspectives. The RTSS component addresses a critical challenge in the development of future human-robot symbiotic societies: enabling robots to form trustworthy interactions with both human and robotic partners. While trust from the human perspective has been extensively studied, RTSS emphasizes the need to explore how autonomous agents assess and establish trust in heterogeneous peers. It promotes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and designing mechanisms for robot trust, with the aim of advancing technological, social, and ethical aspects of symbiotic interaction. On the other hand, SCRITA focuses on people’s trust and acceptance of robots in a wide range of social and collaborative contexts. Previous SCRITA workshops have highlighted progress in short-term and controlled interaction studies but also emphasized the need for robust, unambiguous metrics for evaluating human trust in more realistic and dynamic environments. SCRITA promotes cross-disciplinary dialogue to identify key factors affecting trust and to develop novel methodologies to measure and foster trust in long-term human-robot relationships. The TRUST workshop thus provides a unique forum for synthesizing these perspectives, bringing together researchers from robotics, psychology, AI, and HRI to explore how trust can be modelled, measured, and maintained in complex, real-world interactions. It aims to generate novel insights and guidelines for designing trustworthy robotic systems capable of adapting to and thriving in diverse human environments. Audience and topics: The workshop is open to a broad audience from academia and industry researching social robotics, machine learning, robot behavioural control, and user profiling. In particular, we aim to integrate expertise from roboticists with psychologists' and sociologists' insights and experiences to foster a multidisciplinary and human-focused discussion that can capture the multi-faceted nature of trust and acceptance. We will foster the exchange of views on past and ongoing research and contribute to the discussion of innovative ideas for tackling unresolved issues by providing new and inspirational directions for research. Organizers - Alessandra Rossi, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy - Patrick Holthaus, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Gabriella Lakatos, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Sílvia Moros, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Ali Fallahi, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Murat Kirtay, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands - Marie Postma, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands - Erhan Oztop, Osaka University Symbiotic Intelligent Systems Research Center (SISReC), Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka, Japan; Ozyegin University, Computer Science Department, Istanbul, Turkey

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Deadline Extension - Call for Papers - 13th ICAPS Workshop on Planning and Robotics (PlanRob 2025)
by Iman Awaad 28 Jun '25

28 Jun '25

Apologies for multiple copies DEADLINE EXTENSION *** after several requests, the new submission deadline is now the 11th of July 2025 *** International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling 2025 Workshop on Planning and Robotics (PlanRob 2025) https://icaps25.icaps-conference.org/program/workshops/planrob/ Melbourne, Australia November 10-11, 2025 *Description* AI Planning & Scheduling (P&S) methods are key to enabling intelligent robots to perform autonomous, flexible, and interactive behaviours. Researchers in the P&S community have continued to develop approaches and produce planners, representations, as well as heuristics that robotics researchers can make use of. However, there remain numerous challenges complicating the uptake, use and successful integration of P&S technology in robotics, many of which have been addressed by robotics researchers with novel solutions. Strong collaboration and synergy between researchers in both communities is vital to the continued growth of the fields in a way that provide mutual benefits to the two communities. To foster this, the PlanRob workshop aims to provide a stable, long-term forum (having been held annually at ICAPS since 2013) where researchers from both the P&S and Robotics communities can openly discuss relevant issues, research and development progress, future directions and open challenges related to P&S when applied to Robotics. In addition to the usual paper submissions, the workshop’s format naturally lends itself to preliminary results, position papers as well as to work focused on challenges in using and integrating planners in robotics systems. *Topics of interest* Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): - human-aware planning and execution in human-robot interaction, - real-world planning applications for autonomous and intelligent robots, - planning domain representations for robotics applications, - optimising behaviour in large scale automated or semi-automated systems, - integrated planning and execution in robot architectures, - learning methods for robot planning and scheduling, - P&S methods for optimisation and adaptation in robotics, - mission, path, and motion planning for robots, - formal methods for robot planning and control, - challenges and solutions in using P&S technology in robotics, - open problems for P&S in robotics, - coordination of multi-robot teams, - benchmark planning domains for robots, - adversarial action planning in competitive robot domains, - mixed-initiative planning and sliding autonomy for robotic systems. *Important Dates* Paper submission (extended): July 11, 2025 (was June 30, 2025) Notification (extended): August 1, 2025 (was July 20, 2025) Workshop: November 10-11, 2025 (tbd) *Submission* There are two types of submissions: - short position papers (four pages) - regular papers (up to 10 pages) Papers may have an additional page containing references. Regular papers may be scheduled with more time in the final program. A poster session may be considered to provide a further presentation opportunity. The guidelines for formatting are the same as is used for ICAPS 2025 papers (typeset in the AAAI style as described at:http://www.aaai.org/Publications/Author/author.php), but with the AAAI copyright removed. The papers must be submitted in PDF format via the EasyChair system (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icapswsplanrob25). Please note that papers under review (e.g. which have been submitted to IJCAI-2025) are also welcome, however, in order to avoid potential conflicts, these manuscripts should be prepared as anonymous submissions for a double blind reviewing process. Accepted papers will be published on the workshop’s website. The organisers are investigating the availability of journal editors in order to invite a selection of accepted papers from the workshop to a special issue or post-proceedings volume. *Organizing Committee* Zlatan Ajanović, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands zlatan.ajanovic(a)ml.rwth-aachen.de Iman Awaad, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Germany iman.awaad(a)h-brs.de Alberto Finzi, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Italy alberto.finzi(a)unina.it AndreA Orlandini, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC-CNR), Italy andrea.orlandini(a)istc.cnr.it *Program Committee (To Be Completed)* - Zlatan Ajanovic, TU Delft - Iman Awaad, Bonn Rhein Sieg University of Applied Sciences - Roman Barták, Charles University - Ronen Brafman, Ben-Gurion University - Riccardo Caccavale, Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II - Magí Dalmau Moreno, Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Riccardo De Benedictis, CNR - National Research Council of Italy - Alberto Finzi, Universita' di Napoli Federico II - Nick Hawes, University of Oxford - Jane Jean Kiam, Universität der Bundeswehr München - Senka Krivic, University of Sarajevo - Oscar Lima, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence - DFKI - Tim Niemueller, Intrinsic Innovation GmbH - AndreA Orlandini, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISTC) - Ron Petrick, Heriot-Watt University - Sebastian Stock, German Research Center for Artificial Intellegence, DFKI - Elisa Tosello, Fondazione Bruno Kessler - Alessandro Umbrico, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISTC) - Pulkit Verma, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Iman Awaad Researcher, Autonomous Systems Group Assistant director & Study advisor, Master's Program in Autonomous Systems www.h-brs.de/en/inf/studienangebot/master/autonomous-systems Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems www.h-brs.de/en/a2s Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences | Department of Computer Science Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany Phone +49 (0) 2241 865-295 www.h-brs.de/en/inf/iman-awaad Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it) Friedrich Hirzebruch-Allee 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany www.b-it-center.de

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[meetings][CFP][RO-MAN 2025] TRUST: Building Trust in Human-Robot Interaction Workshop
by Alessandra Rossi 24 Jun '25

24 Jun '25

Dear Colleagues, This is the second call for submissions for our workshop, "TRUST: Building Trust in Human-Robot Interaction." The workshop is the joint work of SCRITA and RTSS workshops. The TRUST workshop will be held as a full-day event at ROMAN 2025 on August 29, 2025, in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Please find below the call for paper! Do not hesitate to contact us for more info. We look forward to seeing you in Eindhoven! best regards Alessandra on behalf of the SCRITA and RTSS workshops organisers Important dates Paper Submission Deadline: 30 June 2025, Anywhere on Earth Notification of Acceptance: 21 July 2025 Camera-ready submission: 08 August 2025, Anywhere on Earth Workshop website: https://scrita.herts.ac.uk/2025/ Invited speakers - Kerstin Fischer, University of Southern Denmark - Roy Lindelauf, Tilburg University - Philip Brey, University of Twente - Minoru Asada, Osaka University & International Professional University of Technology in Osaka, Japan. Call for contributions and submission format We invite authors to submit position papers and four-page papers: - We invite authors to submit four pages long (excluding references), discussing novel works in the scope of the workshop. - We invite authors to submit position papers, 2 to 4 pages long (excluding references), discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We encourage the authors to present a video or demonstrate their works and achievements. All accepted papers will have short oral presentations. Submission Guidelines Authors should prepare papers formatted according to the IEEE two-column format <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/support.php>, which is also used for contributions to the main conference. Use the following templates to create the paper and generate or export a PDF file: LaTeX <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/tex.php> or MS-Word <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/word.php>. Please submit your paper(s) to: https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=scritartss2025 Aim and scope The TRUST workshop is the result of a collaboration between two established workshops in the field of Human-Robot Interaction: SCRITA (Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction) and RTSS (Robot Trust for Symbiotic Societies). This joint initiative brings together the complementary goals of these workshops to advance research on trust from both the human and robot perspectives. The RTSS component addresses a critical challenge in the development of future human-robot symbiotic societies: enabling robots to form trustworthy interactions with both human and robotic partners. While trust from the human perspective has been extensively studied, RTSS emphasizes the need to explore how autonomous agents assess and establish trust in heterogeneous peers. It promotes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and designing mechanisms for robot trust, with the aim of advancing technological, social, and ethical aspects of symbiotic interaction. On the other hand, SCRITA focuses on people’s trust and acceptance of robots in a wide range of social and collaborative contexts. Previous SCRITA workshops have highlighted progress in short-term and controlled interaction studies but also emphasized the need for robust, unambiguous metrics for evaluating human trust in more realistic and dynamic environments. SCRITA promotes cross-disciplinary dialogue to identify key factors affecting trust and to develop novel methodologies to measure and foster trust in long-term human-robot relationships. The TRUST workshop thus provides a unique forum for synthesizing these perspectives, bringing together researchers from robotics, psychology, AI, and HRI to explore how trust can be modelled, measured, and maintained in complex, real-world interactions. It aims to generate novel insights and guidelines for designing trustworthy robotic systems capable of adapting to and thriving in diverse human environments. Audience and topics: The workshop is open to a broad audience from academia and industry researching social robotics, machine learning, robot behavioural control, and user profiling. In particular, we aim to integrate expertise from roboticists with psychologists' and sociologists' insights and experiences to foster a multidisciplinary and human-focused discussion that can capture the multi-faceted nature of trust and acceptance. We will foster the exchange of views on past and ongoing research and contribute to the discussion of innovative ideas for tackling unresolved issues by providing new and inspirational directions for research. Organizers - Alessandra Rossi, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy - Patrick Holthaus, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Gabriella Lakatos, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Sílvia Moros, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Ali Fallahi, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Murat Kirtay, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands - Marie Postma, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands - Erhan Oztop, Osaka University Symbiotic Intelligent Systems Research Center (SISReC), Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka, Japan; Ozyegin University, Computer Science Department, Istanbul, Turkey

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AAAI-26 Call For Papers
by Hadi Hosseini 23 Jun '25

23 Jun '25

We are pleased to invite high-quality submissions to the *Fortieth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-26)*, which will be held in *Singapore EXPO *from January 20 to January 27, 2026. *Call For Papers* *TL;DR*: AAAI-26 Call For Papers *Important Dates* - Abstract deadline: *July 25, 2025 *at 11:59 PM UTC-12 - Full paper deadline: *August 1, 2025 *at 11:59 PM UTC-12 - Supplementary material/code deadline: *August 4, 2025 *at 11:59 PM UTC-12 - Notification of final acceptance or rejection (main track): *November 3, 2025* - AAAI-26 Conference*: January 20-27, 2026* *Details of Main Track*: https://aaai.org/conference/aaai/aaai-26/main-technical-track-call/ *Note*: Deadlines are track-specific and may differ from those listed above. Track-specific deadlines are listed on their respective CFP. *Additional Tracks/Programs*: AAAI-26 will feature technical paper presentations, special tracks, invited speakers, workshops, tutorials, poster sessions, senior member presentations, competitions, and exhibition programs, and two other activities: a Bridge Program and a Lab Program. Please see the AAAI-26 webpage for details. *Webpage*: https://aaai.org/conference/aaai/aaai-26/ *About AAAI*: The purpose of the AAAI conference series is to promote research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and foster scientific exchange between researchers, practitioners, scientists, students, and engineers across the entirety of AI and its affiliated disciplines. Founded in 1979, the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) is a nonprofit scientific society devoted to advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines. Read more *here <https://aaai.org/about-aaai/>: * https://aaai.org/about-aaai/ *Quick Summary*: - Three technical tracks (Main Track; AI for Social Impact; AI Alignment) - Two-phase reviewing for the Main Track: - Phase 1: Two reviews supplemented by one AI-generated, non-decisional review. - Phase 2: Additional reviews for papers not rejected in Phase 1. - Author response after Phase 2, only for papers not rejected in Phase 1. - Metareview and disposition decision after author response period. - Submissions may consist of up to 7 pages of technical content plus additional pages solely for references. - Authors may submit supplementary material, but please note that reviewers are not required to review this material. Any material critical to the evaluation of the paper should be included in the main body of the paper. Three kinds of supplementary material may be submitted alongside all papers: (1) technical appendix; (2) multimedia; (3) code and data. The supplementary material deadline is 3 days after the paper submission deadline. - All authors must complete a reproducibility checklist to facilitate replication of the reported research. - All authors are expected to be available to review (light load), unless extenuating circumstances apply. - AAAI-26 is an* in-person* conference. *AAAI-26 Organizing Committee* -- Hadi Hosseini, Ph.D. Associate Professor, College of Information Sciences and Technology Associate Director, Center for AI Foundations and Engineered Systems (CAFE) Director, FAIR Lab Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA https://faculty.ist.psu.edu/hadi/

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Call for Papers - 13th ICAPS Workshop on Planning and Robotics (PlanRob 2025)
by Iman Awaad 10 Jun '25

10 Jun '25

Apologies for multiple copies Call for papers International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling 2025 Workshop on Planning and Robotics (PlanRob 2025) Melbourne, Australia November 10-11, 2025 *Description* AI Planning & Scheduling (P&S) methods are key to enabling intelligent robots to perform autonomous, flexible, and interactive behaviours. Researchers in the P&S community have continued to develop approaches and produce planners, representations, as well as heuristics that robotics researchers can make use of. However, there remain numerous challenges complicating the uptake, use and successful integration of P&S technology in robotics, many of which have been addressed by robotics researchers with novel solutions. Strong collaboration and synergy between researchers in both communities is vital to the continued growth of the fields in a way that provide mutual benefits to the two communities. To foster this, the PlanRob workshop aims to provide a stable, long-term forum (having been held annually at ICAPS since 2013) where researchers from both the P&S and Robotics communities can openly discuss relevant issues, research and development progress, future directions and open challenges related to P&S when applied to Robotics. In addition to the usual paper submissions, the workshop’s format naturally lends itself to preliminary results, position papers as well as to work focused on challenges in using and integrating planners in robotics systems. *Topics of interest* Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): - human-aware planning and execution in human-robot interaction, - real-world planning applications for autonomous and intelligent robots, - planning domain representations for robotics applications, - optimising behaviour in large scale automated or semi-automated systems, - integrated planning and execution in robot architectures, - learning methods for robot planning and scheduling, - P&S methods for optimisation and adaptation in robotics, - mission, path, and motion planning for robots, - formal methods for robot planning and control, - challenges and solutions in using P&S technology in robotics, - open problems for P&S in robotics, - coordination of multi-robot teams, - benchmark planning domains for robots, - adversarial action planning in competitive robot domains, - mixed-initiative planning and sliding autonomy for robotic systems. *Important Dates* Paper submission: June 30, 2025 Notification: July 20, 2025 Workshop: November 11, 2025 *Submission* There are two types of submissions: - short position papers (four pages) - regular papers (up to 10 pages) Papers may have an additional page containing references. Regular papers may be scheduled with more time in the final program. A poster session may be considered to provide a further presentation opportunity. The guidelines for formatting are the same as is used for ICAPS 2025 papers (typeset in the AAAI style as described at: http://www.aaai.org/Publications/Author/author.php), but with the AAAI copyright removed. The papers must be submitted in PDF format via the EasyChair system (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icapswsplanrob25). Please note that papers under review (e.g. which have been submitted to IJCAI-2025) are also welcome, however, in order to avoid potential conflicts, these manuscripts should be prepared as anonymous submissions for a double blind reviewing process. Accepted papers will be published on the workshop’s website. The organisers are investigating the availability of journal editors in order to invite a selection of accepted papers from the workshop to a special issue or post-proceedings volume. *Organizing Committee* Zlatan Ajanović, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands zlatan....(a)ml.rwth-aachen.de Iman Awaad, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Germany iman....(a)h-brs.de Alberto Finzi, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Italy albert...(a)unina.it AndreA Orlandini, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC-CNR), Italy andrea.o...(a)istc.cnr.it *Program Committee (To Be Completed)* - Zlatan Ajanovic, TU Delft - Iman Awaad, Bonn Rhein Sieg University of Applied Sciences - Roman Barták, Charles University - Ronen Brafman, Ben-Gurion University - Riccardo Caccavale, Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II - Magí Dalmau Moreno, Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Riccardo De Benedictis, CNR - National Research Council of Italy - Alberto Finzi, Universita' di Napoli Federico II - Nick Hawes, University of Oxford - Jane Jean Kiam, Universität der Bundeswehr München - Senka Krivic, University of Sarajevo - Oscar Lima, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence - DFKI - Tim Niemueller, Intrinsic Innovation GmbH - AndreA Orlandini, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISTC) - Ron Petrick, Heriot-Watt University - Sebastian Stock, German Research Center for Artificial Intellegence, DFKI - Elisa Tosello, Fondazione Bruno Kessler - Alessandro Umbrico, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISTC) - Pulkit Verma, Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- Researcher, Autonomous Systems Group Assistant director & Study advisor, Master's Program in Autonomous Systems www.h-brs.de/en/inf/studienangebot/master/autonomous-systems Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems www.h-brs.de/en/a2s Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences | Department of Computer Science Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany Phone +49 (0) 2241 865-295 www.h-brs.de/en/inf/iman-awaad Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it) Friedrich Hirzebruch-Allee 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany www.b-it-center.de

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[meetings] [news] Deadline Extension: Call for Demo Proposals - CoRL 2025 in Seoul, Korea
by Xuesu Xiao 09 Jun '25

09 Jun '25

Dear Colleagues, We are excited to invite demo proposals for the Conference on Robot Learning (CoRL) 2025, which will be held in Seoul, Korea! This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your latest advancements and systems in robot learning to a dedicated and engaged audience. We are seeking demonstrations that highlight: A new level of autonomy beyond existing systems. The performance of novel (recently published) robot learning methods integrated with real robots. Enablers for the robot learning community. Submission Guidelines: Proposals should be submitted via OpenReview: https://openreview.net/group?id=robot-learning.org/CoRL/2025/Demos. Submissions must include a 2-page proposal (excluding proposer bios and references), following the provided template. A video (less than 10 minutes) showcasing the demo and the hardware to be brought to the conference venue is also required. Submission Deadline: June 30, 2025 (11:59:59 AoE) For more details on the submission process and the proposal template, please visit the official Call for Demos page: https://www.corl.org/contributions/call-for-demos <https://www.corl.org/contributions/call-for-demos> We look forward to receiving your exciting demo proposals and seeing you in Seoul! Best regards, Tingnan Zhang and Daehyung Park CoRL 2025 Demo Chairs ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/ https://robotixx.cs.gmu.edu/

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Call for Demo Proposals - CoRL 2025 in Seoul, Korea
by Xuesu Xiao 04 Jun '25

04 Jun '25

Dear Colleagues, We are excited to invite demo proposals for the Conference on Robot Learning (CoRL) 2025, which will be held in Seoul, Korea! This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your latest advancements and systems in robot learning to a dedicated and engaged audience. We are seeking demonstrations that highlight: A new level of autonomy beyond existing systems. The performance of novel (recently published) robot learning methods integrated with real robots. Enablers for the robot learning community. Submission Guidelines: Proposals should be submitted via OpenReview: https://openreview.net/group?id=robot-learning.org/CoRL/2025/Demos. Submissions must include a 2-page proposal (excluding proposer bios and references), following the provided template. A video (less than 10 minutes) showcasing the demo and the hardware to be brought to the conference venue is also required. Submission Deadline: June 7, 2025 (11:59:59 AoE) For more details on the submission process and the proposal template, please visit the official Call for Demos page: https://www.corl.org/contributions/call-for-demos <https://www.corl.org/contributions/call-for-demos> We look forward to receiving your exciting demo proposals and seeing you in Seoul! Best regards, Tingnan Zhang and Daehyung Park CoRL 2025 Demo Chairs ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/ https://robotixx.cs.gmu.edu/

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[meetings][CFP][RO-MAN 2025] TRUST: Building Trust in Human-Robot Interaction Workshop
by alexarossi＠gmail.com 27 May '25

27 May '25

Dear Colleagues, We would like to announce the call for submissions for our workshop, "TRUST: Building Trust in Human-Robot Interaction."The workshop is the joint work of SCRITAand RTSS workshops. The TRUST workshop will be held as a full-day event at ROMAN 2025 on August 29, 2025, in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Please find below the call for paper! Do not hesitate to contact us for more info. We look forward to seeing you in Eindhoven! best regards Alessandra on behalf of the SCRITA and RTSS workshops organisers -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page:https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address:alessandra.rossi@unina.it e-mail address:a.rossi@herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81 Important dates Paper Submission Deadline:30 June 2025, Anywhere on Earth Notification of Acceptance: 21 July 2025 Camera-ready submission: 08 August 2025, Anywhere on Earth Workshop website:https://scrita.herts.ac.uk/2025/ <https://scrita.herts.ac.uk/2025/> Invited speakers * Kerstin Fischer, University of Southern Denmark * Roy Lindelauf, Tilburg University * Philip Brey, University of Twente * Minoru Asada, Osaka University & International Professional University of Technology in Osaka, Japan. Call for contributions and submission format We invite authors to submit position papers and four-page papers: * We invite authors to submit four pages long (excluding references), discussing novel worksin the scope of the workshop. * We invite authors to submit position papers,2 to 4 pages long (excluding references), discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We encourage the authors to present a video or demonstrate their works and achievements. All accepted papers will have short oral presentations. Submission Guidelines Authors should prepare papers formatted according to the IEEE two-column format <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/support.php>, which is also used for contributions to the main conference. Use the following templates to create the paper and generate or export a PDF file: LaTeX <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/tex.php>or MS-Word <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/word.php>. Please submit your paper(s) to: https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=scritartss2025 <https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=scritartss2025> Aim and scope The TRUST workshop is the result of a collaboration between two established workshops in the field of Human-Robot Interaction: SCRITA (Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction)and RTSS (Robot Trust for Symbiotic Societies).This joint initiative brings together the complementary goals of these workshops to advance research on trust from both the human and robot perspectives. TheRTSS componentaddresses a critical challenge in the development of future human-robot symbiotic societies: enabling robots to form trustworthy interactions with both human and robotic partners. While trust from the human perspective has been extensively studied, RTSS emphasizes the need to explore how autonomous agents assess and establish trust in heterogeneous peers. It promotes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and designing mechanisms for robot trust, with the aim of advancing technological, social, and ethical aspects of symbiotic interaction. On the other hand, SCRITA focuseson people’s trust and acceptance of robots in a wide range of social and collaborative contexts. Previous SCRITA workshops have highlighted progress in short-term and controlled interaction studies but also emphasized the need for robust, unambiguous metrics for evaluating human trust in more realistic and dynamic environments. SCRITA promotes cross-disciplinary dialogue to identify key factors affecting trust and to develop novel methodologies to measure and foster trust in long-term human-robot relationships. The TRUST workshop thus provides a unique forum for synthesizing these perspectives, bringing together researchers from robotics, psychology, AI, and HRI to explore how trust can be modelled, measured, and maintained in complex, real-world interactions. It aims to generate novel insights and guidelines for designing trustworthy robotic systems capable of adapting to and thriving in diverse human environments. Audience and topics:The workshop is open to a broad audience from academia and industry researching social robotics, machine learning, robot behavioural control, and user profiling. In particular, we aim to integrate expertise from roboticists with psychologists' and sociologists' insights and experiences to foster a multidisciplinary and human-focused discussion that can capture the multi-faceted nature of trust and acceptance. We will foster the exchange of views on past and ongoing research and contribute to the discussion of innovative ideas for tackling unresolved issues by providing new and inspirational directions for research. Organizers * Alessandra Rossi, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy * Patrick Holthaus, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) * Gabriella Lakatos, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) * Sílvia Moros, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) * Ali Fallahi, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) * Murat Kirtay, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands * Marie Postma, Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands * Erhan Oztop, Osaka University Symbiotic Intelligent Systems Research Center (SISReC), Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka, Japan; Ozyegin University, Computer Science Department, Istanbul, Turkey

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[meetings][CFP] Call for participation at the software @HOME competion of the International Conference of Social Robotics in Naples 2025
by alexarossi＠gmail.com 27 May '25

27 May '25

Dear RoboCuppers, we would like to invite you to participate in the software competition, where the task has been created in collaboration with HL@HOME Execs for the International Conference of Social Robotics 2025 which it will be held in Naples, Italy on 10-12 September. Below you can find the information and website for the conference and competition. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you need further information. best regards Alessandra -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page:https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address:alessandra.rossi@unina.it e-mail address:a.rossi@herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81 Robot Software and Design Competition International Conference of Social Robotics - ICSR 10-12 September, Naples, Italy Competitions full description https://icsr2025.eu/competition/ Submission deadline 20th June 2025 Submission competition(a)icsr2025.eu The design and development of different types of robots, along with their intelligence and behaviours, have been steadily advancing. However, the robotics industry is entering new challenges due to the emergence of innovative and intelligent robots designed for a wide range of applications. In particular, we are increasingly seeing the need for embodied AI agents that are able to engage, support and assist people with different needs, preferences and expectations across various aspects of life. To this extent, we want to invite students, young researchers and more experienced groups to participate in robot software and design competitions that will match today’s increasing demands. There are three categories: * Robot design Competition, where teams of students, young researchers can show their design innovative ideas * @HOME Competition, where teams of young and more experienced researchers can apply advanced techniques for solving real-world problems in a competition format. * @HOME Hackathon, where teams of students and young researchers can develop social behaviours for HRI in a hackathon format. The Competitions will be organised in two days: 1. A set-up day on 10/09 will serve for teams to test and adjust their solutions 2. A competition day on 11/09 where teams will show their robotic solutions. The Hackathon will be organised in two days: 1. A Workshop on 10/09 morning for illustrating the basic functionalities of the robot platforms and how to program them 2. Guided development on 10/09 afternoon with instructors following the teams in the development of some baseline tasks 3. Competition day on 11/09, where teams will develop their solutions and then show them for evaluation. For each category, we will select the winners. The winners of the challenges will be announced during the Closing Ceremony on September the 12th, 2025. Submissions Each submission should have a (maximum) 2-page summary. The template is flexible; however, it should include a concise abstract/synopsis of a maximum of 50 words, and enough details to judge the technical novelty of the proposed solution and/or innovative applications of robots. A single link of related video can be included. Video link is optional, and the maximum duration of the video should be 3 minutes. Please remember that it is not a scientific publication, but the description of a robotics innovation with potential to be developed as a project. Competition chairs, with the help from experts and reviewers, will select the finalists. Each finalist is supposed to register and present their entry at a dedicated session in the conference, which will be further evaluated by the Jury of peers. Email your submission to competition(a)icsr2025.eu <mailto:competition@icsr2025.eu>with the subject line including the competition you intend to participate into: * [ICSR 2025 Robot Design Competition] * [ICSR 2025 @HOME Competition] * [ICSR 2025 @HOME Hackathon]

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2025 Call for Nominations for Silvia Coradeschi and Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar Awards
by alexarossi＠gmail.com 21 May '25

21 May '25

Dear RoboCuppers, we have extended the deadline for nominates young females and other candidates for the Silvia Coradeschi and Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar Awards at *June 6, 2025*. For the Silvia Coradeschi Award, please candidate young female RoboCuppers who distinguished themselves in the scientific, engineering, and/or community aspects of RoboCup, and in RoboCup leadership, either within a team and/or in the broad RoboCup community. For the Gerhard Kraetzschmar Award, please candidate RoboCup members with an outstanding record of service in one or more of the RoboCup Leagues, including as Technical and Organizing Committees, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Trustees. Please see below the full call for nominations. Do not hesitate to get in touch for further information. Hope to see you all in Salvador! best regards Alessandra -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page:https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address:alessandra.rossi@unina.it e-mail address:a.rossi@herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81 *Prof. Silvia Coradeschi *(d. Feb 5, 2014) was a founding trustee of RoboCup and an early visionary in the RoboCup initiative. She served as General Chair of RoboCup 1999 in Stockholm, Sweden, was a frequent competition participant, and was an exemplar of the RoboCup ideal of engaging in cutting-edge AI and Robotics research. *Prof. Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar* (d. July 24, 2019) joined RoboCup since its beginning in 1997 and significantly contributed to the development of the RoboCup Federation (Trustee since 2004, Vice-President from 2008 to 2016). He was involved in the organization of many of the leagues, with major contributions to RoboCupJunior, RoboCup@Home, and RoboCup@Work. He was the General Chair of RoboCup 2016 in Leipzig, Germany. To honor their extraordinary contributions to RoboCup and to honor their memories, the RoboCup Federation created “*The Silvia Coradeschi RoboCup Award*” in 2014 (https://www.robocup.org/silvia_coradeschi), for a young female with distinguishing contributions to RoboCup, and the “*The Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award*” in 2021 (https://www.robocup.org/gkk_award), to recognize the outstanding contributions of an individual for his/her exceptional leadership, service, and dedication that benefit RoboCup in any of its leagues. We are now calling for candidates for the *2025 Awards*. The award recipients, to be named at RoboCup 2025 will receive: * a certificate * a US$1,000 honorarium *Nominations for the “Silvia Coradeschi Award”:* Eligible candidates for the “Silvia Coradeschi Award” are young female RoboCuppers that will register for RoboCup 2025 who has distinguished themselves: * in the scientific, engineering, and/or community aspects of RoboCup. * in RoboCup leadership, either within a team and/or in the broad RoboCup community. To nominate a female candidate for the “Silvia Coradeschi Award”, please fill out the nomination form (https://forms.gle/x7mxehq8oqW4CtR17) by June 6, 2025. The submission should include: ● A letter of recommendation that addresses both criteria. ● An additional letter of recommendation from a RoboCup community member not affiliated with the nominee’s team is recommended (but not required) to support the nomination. *Nominations for the “Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award”:* Eligible candidates for the “Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award” are RoboCup members with an outstanding record of service in one or more of the RoboCup Leagues, including as Technical and Organizing Committees, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Trustees. To nominate a RoboCup member for the “Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award”, a person nominating a candidate should fill out the nomination form (https://forms.gle/x7mxehq8oqW4CtR17) by June 6, 2025. The nomination must include ● a letter of recommendation that addresses the individual’s impact on service and contributions to RoboCup, including diversity, quality, and length of the work done for RoboCup. ● One or two additional letter(s) of recommendation from RoboCup community members to support the nomination. Please upload the letters to the form by the person nominating the candidate.

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Early registration to RoboCup extended to May 25
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 13 May '25

13 May '25

Dear RoboCup Community, As we had some delays with the registration process this year, the Trustees decided to extend the early registration deadline to May 25. You can only register for the RoboCup event as a team/team member if you have received an invite through the CVENT registration system. *Teams* If you are the leader of a team and have been notified by your league that you are qualified to participate, but you have not yet received an invite to register via CVENT, please first check if this invite may be in your spam folder. If you still can't find the invite, please reach out to registration(a)robocup.org (note that only the team leader receives the invite!) *TC/OC* If you are not traveling with a team but will participate as an organizer running your league, please reach out to a member of your Executive Committee. They have received instructions on how to pass on your name to us for registration. Note that it will still take a few more days before we start sending out registration invites to TC/OCs, so please be patient for a couple of more days. Please also note that the regular registration deadline remains to be June 13. After that date, only new team members can be registered for a late registration fee but no new teams can register to participate as the local organizers need to start finalizing the event details. Cheers Maike

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Spotlighting RoboCup-related ICRA papers on our social media channels
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 12 May '25

12 May '25

Hej RoboCuppers! Are you going to ICRA next week to present work that is related to RoboCup? Then let us know about it! We would like to spotlight RoboCup papers on our social media channels in this week leading up to ICRA and we still have some spots left for work to feature - so we would be happy to give your research some more outreach on our channels. Two ways to let us know about your work: ⁠(1) Ideally, you use the form in our RoboCup cloud: https://cloud.robocup.org/apps/forms/s/HM6eDxTS8sWzktSRayANt34x (you can use this form at any point to let us know about work or other RoboCup related news from your leagues or teams we should feature) (2) You can also just respond to this e-mail with the title and abstract of your work, as well as a couple of notes how this is related to your RoboCup research. Cheers Maike

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[CFP][ICSR+AI-2025] Extended Call for Papers - ICSR+AI-2025, 10-12 September 2025, Naples, Italy
by Mariacarla Staffa 03 May '25

03 May '25

* ***We apologize if you have received multiple copies of this message.**** Dear all, In light of the numerous requests received, we are pleased to announce that the deadline for the submission of contributions—both long and short papers, which will be included in the conference proceedings—for the *17th International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR 2025)* has been *extended to May 9*, and *June 18 2025* respectively. As you are aware, this year’s edition of *ICSR will take place in Naples, Italy, from September 10 to 12, 2025*. It would be both a great pleasure and a true honor for us to welcome the international scientific community to this event, offering a valuable opportunity for discussion on the latest advancements, perspectives, and innovations in the fields of social robotics and artificial intelligence. Further details and updated information can be found in the attached document and on the official conference website: *icsr2025.eu <http://icsr2025.eu> * *Submit your contribution here ➡️*: https://meteor.springer.com/ICSRAI2025 We sincerely hope to welcome many of you to Naples in September. With best regards, *Bruno Siciliano & Mariacarla Staffa* *Honorary Chair & General Chair* *17th International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR 2025)* Mariacarla Staffa, PhD Associate Professor Department of Science and Technology University of Naples Parthenope Address: Centro Direzionale Isola C4, 80143, Napoli, Italy Room 428, 4th Floor (North side) Email: mariacarla.staffa(a)uniparthenope.it Phone : +39 081 5476580 Regardless of the time I send this email, I do not expect you to read, take any action, or reply to this email outside of your usual working hours.

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2025 Call for Nominations for Silvia Coradeschi and Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar Awards
by h.okada 30 Apr '25

30 Apr '25

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[jobs] Postdoc opportunity - UT Austin
by Peter Stone 28 Apr '25

28 Apr '25

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, USA POSITION: Post-doctoral fellow on Robotics, Multiagent Systems, and Reinforcement Learning CONTACT: Prof. Peter Stone The University of Texas at Austin 2317 Speedway, Stop D9500 Austin, TX 78712 USA pstone(a)cs.utexas.edu www.cs.utexas.edu/~pstone Applications are invited for a postdoctoral fellow of one year, possibly renewable for additional years, in the Department of Computer Science in the Learning Agents Research Group headed by Prof. Peter Stone. Primary responsibilities include performing cutting-edge research in collaboration with faculty, Ph.D. students, and other researchers. The research will focus on developing and testing novel algorithms for in connection with a range of projects related to robotics and multiagent reinforcement learning. Motivating use cases include long-term autonomous service robots, robot soccer, and social navigation. QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Computer Science or related field. Experience with machine learning and intelligent robotics is essential. Experience in deep reinforcement learning, multiagent systems, and/or ROS is desired. TO APPLY: Applicants should send by email to pstone(a)cs.utexas.edu - a curriculum vitae - names of two references with contact information - a two-page summary of past research and relevant qualifications - a personal Web page, if available, where further details can be found This position is to start as early as June of 2025 or at any agreed upon later date. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

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short survey about hands-on robotics teaching
by Andreas Birk 26 Apr '25

26 Apr '25

Dear all, if you do hands-on teaching in robotics, e.g., labs, projects, theses, I would be very grateful if you participate in the following survey: https://forms.gle/4JoP7KJuww9pLbxaA It should just take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The purpose of this survey is to understand the current state of equipment use, i.e., the combination of equipment like hardware or a simulation with access forms like in-presence versus remote access over the web. This includes the question whether there are lasting effects on hands-on robotics teaching after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a follow-up of a study 5 years ago, which appeared in the IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine: A. Birk and D. Simunovic, "Robotics Labs and Other Hands-On Teaching During COVID-19: Change Is Here to Stay?," IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine (RAM), vol. 28, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1109/MRA.2021.3102979 (open access) Many thanks & kind regards, Andreas -- ========================================================================================== Prof. Dr. Andreas Birk ========================================================================================== Constructor University Robotics Group Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany https://robotics.constructor.university/ ========================================================================================== Commercial registry: Amtsgericht Bremen, HRB 18117 Chairs of the Executive Board (Vorsitzende der Geschäftsführung): Dr. Stanislav Protasov (President/Präsident), Turgut Tülü (Chancellor/Kanzler) Managing Directors (Geschäftsführung): Prof. Dr. Thomas Auf der Heyde & Serguei Kouzmine Chairwoman of the Board of Governors (Aufsichtsratsvorsitzende): Oznur Bell ==========================================================================================

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Introducing MiROS - Visual Programming Tool for ROS
by MiRobot Team 22 Apr '25

22 Apr '25

Dear Roboticists, We know that getting started with ROS can be challenging - especially for newcomers. Installing and configuring ROS on Ubuntu is time-consuming, and for Windows or Mac users, running a VM is often a hassle. That’s why we created MiROS, a browser-based, visual programming tool designed to simplify ROS development for everyone. MiROS makes it easier than ever to program ROS robots with drag-and-drop workflows, intuitive setup, and instant deployment - all without needing a virtual machine. Key Features: • Visual editor for creating ROS packages, nodes, topics, and services • Native support for Linux, Mac & Windows - no VM required • Quick 10~15 minute installation and setup • Start projects using prebuilt robot templates • Run Gazebo, Rviz, and RQT directly in your browser • Deploy and run packages wirelessly on real robots • Built-in Monaco Code Editor (core editor for VS Code) • Auto code generation in C/C++ and Python • GitHub integration for streamlined collaboration MiROS is completely free and designed to make ROS programming more accessible and efficient - for students, educators, and professionals alike. Get started now at: https://www.mirobot.ai/miros MiROS supports any ROS 2 robot with SSH access, and includes templates for over 10 robot platforms - with more being added regularly. MiROS is also bundled with our educational robot kits, making it a powerful tool for both research and teaching. Learn more about our hardware here: https://www.mirobot.ai/storeitems/p/codebot We’re always improving MiROS and would love to hear your feedback or questions. Reach out anytime - we’d love to connect! Best regards, The MiROS Team The Future is Now! W - www.mirobot.ai T - +61 1300991274 A - Level 15, Grosvenor Place, 225 George St, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

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RoboCup International Symposium 2025 call for papers - final deadline extension (corrected)
by Rudi Villing 18 Apr '25

18 Apr '25

In response to requests we have extended the submission deadline to 21 April 2025. This is the final deadline. Call for papers RoboCup International Symposium 2025 https://2025.robocup.org/symposium/ Monday 21 July 2025 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The 28th RoboCup International Symposium will be held on 21 July 2025, in conjunction with RoboCup 2025 (15 July to 20 July 2024), in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. We call for submissions of papers reporting innovative, original research with relevance to areas of robotics and artificial intelligence as listed below. Within the described scope of topics, we also encourage submissions of high-quality overview articles, papers describing real-world research, and papers reporting theoretical results. Researchers are invited to submit their work independently of whether they participate in the RoboCup competitions or have a RoboCup team. The symposium will be held in person at the Salvador Convention Center (CCS), Av. Octávio Mangabeira, 5.490 Boca do Rio - Salvador - Bahia - Brazil. In addition to the regular track with regular research papers, there is the development track encouraging reports on innovative hardware developments, software frameworks, and open-source releases of software components. A review of papers describing these contributions will be based on technical aspects and benefits to the practice of communities working in the above fields in general and RoboCup in particular. IMPORTANT DATES Submission of full papers: 21 April 2025 (final extended deadline) Notification to authors: 30 May 2025 Submission of camera-ready copies: 13 June 2025 RoboCup Symposium 2025: 21 July 2025 (RoboCup on 15-20 July 2025) SUBMISSION AND PROCEEDINGS All papers will be peer-reviewed and evaluated by members of the senior program committee. The proceedings of the RoboCup International Symposium will be published and archived within the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNCS/LNAI) series by Springer-Verlag after the conference. Papers should be formatted following the LNAI author guidelines (https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…) and must be electronically submitted through Springer’s Meteor electronic-submission system. To submit a paper, please visit https://meteor.springer.com/robocup2025, and follow the instructions to register (if you have not previously registered with Meteor), or login. Submissions are limited to 12 pages including references. The LNAI author guidelines site contains a Springer’s proceedings LaTeX template (v2.24), and a link to the template in Overleaf: (https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/springer-lecture-notes-in-computer…) TOPICS Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: * Robot Hardware and Software - mobile robotics - humanoid robotics - sensors and actuators - embedded and mobile devices - robot construction and new materials - robot system integration - robot software architectures - robot programming environments and languages - real-time and concurrent programming - robot simulators - sim2real learning * Perception and Action - 3D perception - distributed sensor integration - sensor noise filtering - real-time image processing and pattern recognition - motion and sensor models - sensory-motor control - robot kinematics and dynamics - high-dimensional motion control * Robot Cognition and Learning - world modelling and knowledge representation - learning from demonstration and imitation - localisation, navigation, and mapping - planning and reasoning - decision making under uncertainty - neural systems and deep learning - complex motor skill acquisition - reinforcement learning and optimisation - motion and sensor model learning * Human-Robot Interaction - robot social intelligence - fluency of interaction - speech synthesis and natural language generation - natural language recognition - explainable robot behaviours - emotion recognition and reaction - understanding human intent and behaviour - safety, security and dependability - enabling humans to predict robot behaviour * Multi-Robot Systems - team coordination methods - communication protocols - learning and adaptive systems - teamwork and heterogeneous agents - dynamic resource allocation - adjustable autonomy * Education and Edutainment - robotics and artificial intelligence education - educational robotics - robot kits and programming tools - robotic entertainment * Applications and Benchmarking - search and rescue robots - robot surveillance - service and social robots - robots at home, at work and in public spaces - robots in the real world - performance metrics - human-robot interaction DEVELOPMENT TRACK To encourage open-source release of hardware and software systems, the RoboCup International Symposium has included a development track in recent years. In 2025, the scope of this track includes datasets and benchmarks. We encourage the submission of papers describing open-source hardware and software, tools and frameworks that facilitate development of robotics hardware and software, datasets that enable new robotic capabilities, as well as benchmarks that establish reproducible test beds and performance metrics to advance research. If applicable, contributions to the special track should include evidence of the released system or dataset, and highlight past, ongoing, and/or potential future impacts on the RoboCup community. A review of these contributions will be based on technical merit and benefits to the RoboCup community, and the research topics listed above. PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS Ana Patrícia Fontes Magalhães Mascarenhas (UNEB, Brazil) Alexander Ferrein (FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Germany) Rudi Villing (Maynooth University, Ireland) LOCAL ORGANIZERS Marco Antônio Costa Simões (UNEB, Brazil) Reinaldo Bianchi (Centro Universitário FEI, Brazil) CONTACT You can contact via the PC chairs via the Meteor website VISA INFORMATION If you are a citizen of a country that needs a Visa for traveling to the Brazil, please start the VISA process as soon as possible. If you are not sure if you are eligible for a VISA-exemption, please consult the official website of the Brazilian government for information, at https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/assuntos/portal-consular/vistos/informacoes-so… (Information is in English below each paragraph in Portuguese).

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[Meetings] [CFP] Roboletics 2.0: Workshop on Athletic Robots and Dynamic Motor Skills at ICRA 2025 – Deadline Extension and Travel Support Announcement
by Alap Kshirsagar 10 Apr '25

10 Apr '25

Dear all, The submission deadline for *Roboletics 2.0: Workshop on Athletic Robots and Dynamic Motor Skills* at ICRA 2025 has been extended to *April 20*. We’re also excited to announce a *special session on RoboCup* as part of the workshop, along with a *"Best RoboCup-Themed Paper Award"* sponsored by the *IEEE RAS Technical Committee on RoboCup*. In addition, the RoboCup TC will offer *travel support for participants from underrepresented regions*. This workshop brings together researchers, engineers, and industry leaders to explore cutting-edge innovations in athletic robotics. The event aims to accelerate the transition of agile robots from controlled labs to complex, real-world environments. Workshop Website: https://sites.google.com/view/roboletics2 Workshop Date: May 23, 2025 Location: Atlanta, USA Submission Deadline: April 20, 2025 We invite researchers to submit their contributions to the workshop in the form of short papers (2 pages) accompanied by video demonstrations or standalone papers (4 pages). Accepted papers will be presented as posters, presentations, and videos, and with the authors' permission, they will be published on the workshop website. All papers must be submitted in PDF and must follow the IEEE Conference format. All papers will be peer-reviewed (single-blind). Both unpublished original contributions and previously published work may be submitted. Topics of Interest include: - Systems design enabling athletic behaviors in robots - Real-time controllers and planners for athletic movements - Safety frameworks for athletic robots - Sensing and state estimation under time and compute constraints with incomplete and imperfect knowledge of the world - Communication systems for robotic team sports - Synthesizing strategies for sports-playing robots - Human-robot collaboration for athletic and agile robots We encourage submissions related to the leagues of RoboCup ( https://www.robocup.org/). We look forward to receiving your submissions and engaging in fruitful discussions at the workshop. Organizing Committee: Matthew Gombolay, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA Zulfiqar Zaidi, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA Alap Kshirsagar, TU Darmstadt, Germany Kin Man Lee, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA Kai Ploeger, TU Darmstadt, Germany Zixuan Wu, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA Qingyu Xiao, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

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2nd CfP: KI 2025: German AI Conference, 16–19 September, Potsdam (Germany)
by Frieder Stolzenburg 04 Apr '25

04 Apr '25

================================= Call for Contributions KI 2025 <https://ki2025.gi.de> Potsdam, September 16-19, 2025 ================================= On September 16-19, 2025, the German AI conference KI2025 will take place. We cordially invite you to join! In 2025, KI and INFORMATIK will be co-located, so that we can exchange with computer science society. To make KI2025 a resounding success, we call for your papers and doctoral consortium contributions. The deadlines are: 18.04.25 Abstract Submission 25.04.25 Full Paper Submission 16.05.25 Doctoral Consortium Submission For more detailed info on each call, please refer to: Call for Papers (Long, Short, Extended Abstracts): <https://ki2025.gi.de/calls/call-for-papers> Call for Doctoral Consortium Contributions: <https://ki2025.gi.de/calls/call-for-doctoral-consortium-contributions> Submissions are possible via EasyChair: <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ki2025> We are very much looking forward to your contributions and the scientific exchange! Last, but not least, we would like to announce our excellent keynote speakers for KI2025: Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider, Federal Data Protection Officer, Germany Rineke Verbrugge, U Groningen, Netherlands Barbara Hammer, U Bielefeld, Germany Check out also for the KI workshop and tutorial program: <https://ki2025.gi.de/program/workshops-and-tutorials> Best regards Program Chairs Tanya Braun (Uni Münster) Benjamin Paaßen (Uni Bielefeld) Frieder Stolzenburg (HS Harz) Tutorial/Workshop Chairs Magda Gregorova (TH Würzburg-Schweinfurt) Philipp Väth (TH Würzburg-Schweinfurt) Tamara Bergerhoff (TH Würzburg-Schweinfurt) Doctoral Consortium Chair Gesina Schwalbe (Uni Lübeck)

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[Call for Participation] IEEE RAS ICRA 2025 LA@Chile Satellite
by Javier Ruiz-del-Solar 25 Mar '25

25 Mar '25

IEEE RAS ICRA 2025 LA@Chile Satellite Santiago (Chile) in person, 20-22 May 2025 http://icra25lasat.ieeechile.cl We are pleased to announce the IEEE RAS ICRA 2025 LA@Chile Satellite, a satellite event of the ICRA 2025 conference sponsored by IEEE RAS. The primary objective of this event is to provide remote participation opportunities in Chile for researchers and students from Latin America to ICRA 2025, along with access to on-site keynote and plenary talks, young researchers & Ph.D. sessions, an undergraduate & graduate poster competition, and hands-on courses. The IEEE RAS ICRA 2025 LA@Chile Satellite will not charge registration fees and will provide travel grants for Latin American students. Our long-term goals are as follows: - to build a sustainable community of students and researchers in Robotics and Automation in Latin America, - to make cutting-edge scientific topics accessible to Latin American researchers and students, and - to foster intercultural student collaboration within and outside Latin America. Summary of Main Activities Streaming of plenary and keynote sessions from ICRA 2025 On-site International Plenary Sessions and Local Keynotes Young Researchers and Ph.D. Sessions Student Poster Session (graduate and undergraduate) Hands-on course Program The program will be finalized after the ICRA 2025 program is confirmed and the applications for participation in the Young & Ph.D. Researchers Sessions are received. Registration This is a free event. Click here <https://forms.gle/Xzs5cfJ9Ru2zqcjq9> to register. Travel Grant Application If you want to apply for a travel grant, select the travel grant option when you register. The travel grants will be awarded based on the quality of the poster contribution as well as diversity criteria (gender, origin, etc.). Ph.D. & Young Researchers Sessions If you are a young researcher (with a Ph.D. from the last five years) or a Ph.D. student finishing your thesis, you are invited to present your research in our Young Researchers & Ph.D. Sessions. To apply to present in these sessions, please email our program chairs (jugodoy(a)udec.cl & rodrigo.verschae(a)uoh.cl) and send: a copy of your CV, a link to your Google Scholar profile, and the title of your presentation. Hands-on Course Information about the hands-on courses will be published on our website within the next few weeks. Confirmed Speakers We are currently confirming the speakers for the plenary and keynote sessions. For now, the confirmed speakers are: Jan Peters (TU Darmstadt), Martin Adams (Universidad de Chile), Stefan Escaida (Universidad de O’Higgins) Rodrigo Verschae (Universidad de O’Higgins). The latest list of confirmed speakers will be available on the website. Timeline 2025/03/19: ICRA RAS 2025 LA@Chile Satellite website goes live 2025/03/25: Registration opens 2025/03/25: Travel grants application opens 2025/03/25: Application for the Ph.D. & Young Researchers Sessions opens 2025/04/22: Travel grants application closes 2025/04/22: Application for the Ph.D. & Young Researchers Sessions closes 2025/04/25: Poster acceptance notification, Travel Grant notification 2025/05/13: Registration closes Venue: IEEE RAS ICRA 2025 LA@Chile Satellite will be hosted at the Faculty of Engineering & Sciences, Universidad de Chile (Beauchef 851, Santiago, Chile). We would like to highlight that there are limited spots for this event. They will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis as registrations are completed. Please visit our website, where you can find more information regarding travel, travel grants, and lodging: http://icra25lasat.ieeechile.cl/index.html If you have any questions about the school or the application process, please contact the organizing committee: icra25lasat(a)ieeechile.cl Best regards from the organizing committee,

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RoboCup International Symposium 2025 first call for papers
by Rudi Villing 18 Mar '25

18 Mar '25

Call for papers RoboCup International Symposium 2025 https://2025.robocup.org/symposium/ Monday 21 July 2025 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The 28th RoboCup International Symposium will be held on 21 July 2025, in conjunction with RoboCup 2025 (15 July to 20 July 2024), in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. We call for submissions of papers reporting innovative, original research with relevance to areas of robotics and artificial intelligence as listed below. Within the described scope of topics, we also encourage submissions of high-quality overview articles, papers describing real-world research, and papers reporting theoretical results. Researchers are invited to submit their work independently of whether they participate in the RoboCup competitions or have a RoboCup team. The symposium will be held in person at the Salvador Convention Center (CCS), Av. Octávio Mangabeira, 5.490 Boca do Rio - Salvador - Bahia - Brazil. In addition to the regular track with regular research papers, there is the development track encouraging reports on innovative hardware developments, software frameworks, and open-source releases of software components. A review of papers describing these contributions will be based on technical aspects and benefits to the practice of communities working in the above fields in general and RoboCup in particular. IMPORTANT DATES Submission of full papers: 7 April 2025 Notification to authors: 16 May 2025 Submission of camera-ready copies: 30 May 2025 RoboCup Symposium 2025: 21 July 2025 (RoboCup on 15-20 July 2025) SUBMISSION AND PROCEEDINGS All papers will be peer-reviewed and evaluated by members of the senior program committee. The proceedings of the RoboCup International Symposium will be published and archived within the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNCS/LNAI) series by Springer-Verlag after the conference. Papers should be formatted following the LNAI author guidelines (https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…) and must be electronically submitted through Springer’s electronic-submission system EquinOCS. (The link to submit papers will be provided in the second call for papers email). Submissions are limited to 12 pages including references. The LNAI author guidelines site contains a Springer’s proceedings LaTeX template (v2.24), and a link to the template in Overleaf: (https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/springer-lecture-notes-in-computer…) TOPICS Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: * Robot Hardware and Software - mobile robotics - humanoid robotics - sensors and actuators - embedded and mobile devices - robot construction and new materials - robot system integration - robot software architectures - robot programming environments and languages - real-time and concurrent programming - robot simulators - sim2real learning * Perception and Action - 3D perception - distributed sensor integration - sensor noise filtering - real-time image processing and pattern recognition - motion and sensor models - sensory-motor control - robot kinematics and dynamics - high-dimensional motion control * Robot Cognition and Learning - world modelling and knowledge representation - learning from demonstration and imitation - localisation, navigation, and mapping - planning and reasoning - decision making under uncertainty - neural systems and deep learning - complex motor skill acquisition - reinforcement learning and optimisation - motion and sensor model learning * Human-Robot Interaction - robot social intelligence - fluency of interaction - speech synthesis and natural language generation - natural language recognition - explainable robot behaviours - emotion recognition and reaction - understanding human intent and behaviour - safety, security and dependability - enabling humans to predict robot behaviour * Multi-Robot Systems - team coordination methods - communication protocols - learning and adaptive systems - teamwork and heterogeneous agents - dynamic resource allocation - adjustable autonomy * Education and Edutainment - robotics and artificial intelligence education - educational robotics - robot kits and programming tools - robotic entertainment * Applications and Benchmarking - search and rescue robots - robot surveillance - service and social robots - robots at home, at work and in public spaces - robots in the real world - performance metrics - human-robot interaction DEVELOPMENT TRACK To encourage open-source release of hardware and software systems, the RoboCup International Symposium has included a development track in recent years. In 2025, the scope of this track includes datasets and benchmarks. We encourage the submission of papers describing open-source hardware and software, tools and frameworks that facilitate development of robotics hardware and software, datasets that enable new robotic capabilities, as well as benchmarks that establish reproducible test beds and performance metrics to advance research. If applicable, contributions to the special track should include evidence of the released system or dataset, and highlight past, ongoing, and/or potential future impacts on the RoboCup community. A review of these contributions will be based on technical merit and benefits to the RoboCup community, and the research topics listed above. PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS Ana Patrícia Fontes Magalhães Mascarenhas (UNEB, Brazil) Alexander Ferrein (FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Germany) Rudi Villing (Maynooth University, Ireland) LOCAL ORGANIZERS Marco Antônio Costa Simões (UNEB, Brazil) Reinaldo Bianchi (Centro Universitário FEI, Brazil) CONTACT You can contact via the PC chairs via the contact button in EquinOCS VISA INFORMATION If you are a citizen of a country that needs a Visa for traveling to the Brazil, please start the VISA process as soon as possible. If you are not sure if you are eligible for a VISA-exemption, please consult the official website of the Brazilian government for information, at https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/assuntos/portal-consular/vistos/informacoes-so… (Information is in English below each paragraph in Portuguese).

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MATLAB Update for RoboCup
by Jose Avendano Arbelaez 17 Mar '25

17 Mar '25

Dear RoboCup Teams and Mentors, Here is a quick update from MathWorks for all RoboCup competition participants: 1. MATLAB/Simulink Licenses for all RoboCup Teams can be requested here<https://www.mathworks.com/academia/student-competitions/robocup.html>. 2. The RoboCup ARM Challenge<https://arm.robocup.org/> in partnership with MathWorks is accepting registrations until April 11th. 3. MathWorks Call for Research Proposals<https://www.mathworks.com/academia/research/call-for-research-proposals.html> is open until May 30th. 4. Here are links to new features in MATLAB and Simulink for Robotics and Autonomous Systems for R2024b (R2025a is coming soon): * Robotics Systems Toolbox<https://www.mathworks.com/help/robotics/release-notes.html> * Navigation Toolbox<https://www.mathworks.com/help/nav/release-notes.html> * UAV Toolbox<https://www.mathworks.com/help/uav/release-notes.html> * ROS Toolbox<https://www.mathworks.com/help/ros/release-notes.html> 5. Contact me, Jose Avendano josea(a)mathworks.com<mailto:josea@mathworks.com> if your team has questions or would like help with MATLAB and Simulink for robotics. Best of luck for the rest of the season! Looking forward to all your amazing projects. Sincerely, Jose Avendano Robotics and Autonomous Systems The MathWorks

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[meetings] [news] 2nd CfP: The 4th Benchmark for Autonomous Robot Navigation (BARN) Challenge -- ICRA 2025 Competition
by Xuesu Xiao 14 Mar '25

14 Mar '25

IROS 2025 deadline is behind us. So it’s time to work on The BARN Challenge at ICRA 2025! Submission Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYFw_BVg-7lpXNVxQIX_xQKpFrU2m4jrX… Competition Website: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge25.html Participation Instructions: https://github.com/Daffan/nav-competition-icra2022 Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2024: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn24_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2023: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn23_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2022: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn22_report.pdf Dear roboticists, are you interested in agile robot navigation in highly constrained spaces with a lot of obstacles around, e.g., cluttered households or after-disaster scenarios? Do you think mobile robot navigation is mostly a solved problem? Are you looking for a hands-on project for your robotics class, but may not have (sufficient) robot platforms for your students? If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, we sincerely invite you to participate in The 4th BARN Challenge at ICRA 2025 (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge25.html)! The BARN Challenge aims at evaluating state-of-the-art autonomous navigation systems to move robots through highly constrained environments in a safe and efficient manner. The task is to navigate a standardized Clearpath Jackal robot from a predefined start to a goal location as quickly as possible without any collision. The challenge will take place both in the simulated BARN dataset and in physical obstacle courses at ICRA 2025. 1. The competition task is designing ground navigation systems to navigate through all 300 BARN environments (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN/BARN.html) and physical obstacle courses constructed at ICRA 2025 as fast as possible without collision. 2. The 300 BARN environments can be the training set for learning-based methods, or to design classical approaches in. During the simulation competition, we will generate another 50 unseen environments unavailable to the participants before the competition. 3. We will standardize a Jackal robot in the Gazebo simulation, including a Hokuyo 2D LiDAR, motor controller of 2m/s max speed, etc. 4. Participants can use any approaches to tackle the navigation problem, such as using classical sampling-based or optimization-based planners, end-to-end learning, or hybrid approaches. We will provide baselines for reference. 5. A standardized scoring system is provided on the website. 6. We will invite the top teams in simulation to compete in the real world. The team who achieves the fastest collision-free navigation in the physical obstacle courses wins. If you are interested in participating, please submit your navigation system at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYFw_BVg-7lpXNVxQIX_xQKpFrU2m4jrX… Co-Organizers: Xuesu Xiao (George Mason University) Zifan Xu (UT Austin) Aniket Datar (George Mason University) Saad Abdul Ghani (George Mason University) Peter Stone (UT Austin / Sony AI) Sponsor: Clearpath Robotics, https://clearpathrobotics.com/ Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/ https://robotixx.cs.gmu.edu/

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[meetings][cfp] Extended deadline for RO-MAN 2025 Special Session on Theory of Mind
by alexarossi＠gmail.com 14 Mar '25

14 Mar '25

Dear everyone, It is my pleasure to invite you to submit your work at our special session on "*Theory of Mind in Human-Robot Interaction*" at the 34th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication 2025 (IEEE RO-MAN 2025), which will take place in Eindhoven, Netherlands, from 25 to 29 August 2025. Please note that the deadline for submissions has been extended at *March 20th, 2025*. You can submit your works at our special sessions via https://ras.papercept.net/ by using the special session category and *code 'g19y9'*. Do not hesitate to get in touch with us for further information! Below you can also find the CFP. best regards Alessandra Dr Patrick Holthaus, University of Hertfordshire (UK), p.holthaus(a)herts.ac.uk Dr Alessandra Rossi, University of Naples Federico II (IT), alessandra.rossi(a)unina.it -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page:https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address:alessandra.rossi@unina.it e-mail address:a.rossi@herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81 *SPECIAL SESSION @ RO-MAN 2025 * *Theory of Mind in Human-Robot Interaction* The ability to understand and acknowledge others' mental states is known as the Theory of Mind (ToM). Theory of Mind is a multi-modal system people use to communicate and understand each other naturally. A growing group of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) research focuses on investigating whether people form ToM towards robots, and what level of ToM a robot should have to communicate transparently with the humans in their shared environment in a sociable and accepted way. Robots that encounter humans should be able to perform transparent motions and behaviours, and, at the same time, be able to clearly recognise the humans’ intentions and behaviours. In this session, we want to explore which cognitive skills a robot needs and how ToM affects communications in all aspects of human-robot interaction. We further want to investigate the principal components that can contribute to this research direction. In particular, we aim to define and explore the needed level of shared mental models between people and robots for effectively planning, navigating, manipulating objects and the environment, and transparently communicating. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): Theory of Mind in HRI Cognitive robotics Mental models in HRI Robot etiquette Explainable AI in HRI Cooperation and collaboration in human-robot teams Detection and understanding of human activity Monitoring of behaviour and internal states of humans Motion planning and navigation in human-centred environments Multi-modal situation awareness and spatial cognition Social intelligence for robots in interactive and non-interactive tasks PDF Submissions will be possible via https://ras.papercept.net/ using the special session category and code 'g19y9'. Accepted papers will be included in the conference proceedings and submissions should follow the guidelines for regular paper submissions (https://www.ro-man2025.org/contributing/regularpaper), i.e. 6 (+2 paid extra) pages in the required IEEE US Letter format. Authors will have to declare that the research presented in the submitted papers complies with the IEEE Code of Ethics. *Read more at https://www.ro-man2025.org/paper-submission-qa.*

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IEEE-RAS TC on RoboCup Call for Student Representatives
by Raymond Sheh 13 Mar '25

13 Mar '25

Hi All! The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE-RAS) Technical Committee on RoboCup is looking for a Student Representative volunteer! In summary, we're looking for a Ph.D. or M.S. research student who is active in RoboCup (as a team and/or committee member), is an IEEE-RAS student member, and would like to help us to further collaboration between RoboCup and the IEEE-RAS, particularly when it comes to student activities. Applications close March 25th. Please see https://robocup.org/news/178 for details. Cheers! - Raymond Sheh On behalf of the Co-Chairs of the IEEE-RAS TC on RoboCup -- https://raymondsheh.org

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Help us share your RoboCup News on Social Media!
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 02 Mar '25

02 Mar '25

Dear RoboCuppers, One of the initiatives of the RoboCup Federation for 2025 is to expand our presence on social media. We aim to inform the general public about robotics and AI research and strengthen our connections with the broader scientific community beyond RoboCup. And of course, we would also like to help your team and league to expand their reach. To make this happen, we need your help! We want to showcase what's happening in the RoboCup community. Has your team recently published a paper? Did you organize a scientific workshop related to RoboCup? Has a local newspaper featured your team? We're always looking for great RoboCup-related content to share on our social media channels! Here are two easy ways to submit your content: (1) Fill out this form: https://cloud.robocup.org/apps/forms/s/HM6eDxTS8sWzktSRayANt34x (2) Use the #post-suggestions channel on the RoboCup Federation Discord server. You can suggest posts you've already shared on your own channels (in case we missed them) or submit ideas for original content. You don't need to write a full post yourself — just a few key details are enough. And if you have a picture to go with it, even better! You can upload images via Discord or in the form linked above. Thank you for helping us spread the word about RoboCup! Cheers Maike (for the RoboCup Federation)

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CfP for Studica Smart Farming Challenge at RoboCup German Open 2025
by Oskar von Stryk 28 Feb '25

28 Feb '25

🌱🤖 Premiere of the Studica Smart Farming Challenge! 🚜💡 The future of agriculture needs intelligent, autonomous robots - and this is exactly where the new Studica Smart Farming Challenge comes in during the RoboCup German Open 2025 in Nuremberg! For the first time, teams will have the chance to demonstrate their skills in developing innovative intelligent robotics solutions for the needs of modern agriculture. 🌾 👉 What can you expect? ✅ Each team will receive a Studica Smart Farming Robot Kit - and can keep it after the competition! ✅ Attractive prizes for the best teams: 1st place: EUR1000, 2nd place: EUR500, 3rd place: EUR250 🏆 ✅ An exciting challenge: recognising artificial plants, determining the degree of ripeness and harvesting carefully - on uneven terrain! 🍅🥒 Limited number of teams - it pays to be quick! Both new teams and teams registered for the RoboCupMajor leagues can take part in the challenge. 📅 Date: 12-16 March 2025 during the RoboCup German Open 2025 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre, parallel to the Freizeit Messe and the 1st German Robotics Conference of the Robotic Institute Germany. Registration deadline: 9 March 2025 🌐 Info & registration: https://robocup.de/sfc Join in and become part of the future of smart agriculture! 💚 Best regards, Oskar von Stryk (General Chair RoboCup German Open 2025)

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Call for participation: RoboCup JapanOpen2025
by Wataru UEMURA 23 Feb '25

23 Feb '25

Dear RoboCuppers, We are pleased to announce that RoboCup JapanOpen 2025 will be held at SHIGA Daihatsu Arena on May 2nd - 5th, 2025 as follows: RoboCup JapanOpen 2025 -- Call for Participations -- https://www.robocup.or.jp/JapanOpen2025/english.html We plan to have the following leagues: - RoboCup Soccer - small size (wheel) - RoboCup Soccer - small size (humanoid challenge) - RoboCup Soccer - simulation (2D) - RoboCup Rescue - robot - RoboCup Rescue - simulation - RoboCup @Home - open platform - RoboCup @Home - domestic standard platform - RoboCup @Home - bridge competition - RoboCup @Home - simulation open platform - RoboCup Industrial - logistics = Event dates Team setup day: 2, May, 2025 Competition days: 3-5, May, 2025 Organizer: RoboCup Japan Regional Committee More details will be announced by each league organizer. = Important dates Team registration deadline: 4 April, 2025 Member registration deadline: 11, April, 2025 = Registration Fees * faculty or ordinary participants : 28,000 yen * students who are >=18 years old : 13,000 yen * students who are <18 years old : 10,000 yen = Contact Secretary office of The Robocup Japanese Regional Committee office[at]robocup.or.jp = League Organizers Soccer small size - wheel: Yuzuru Ohba Soccer small size - humanoid challenge: Yasuhiro Masutani Soccer simulation (2D): Tomoharu Nakashima Rescue robot: Noritaka Sato Rescue simulation: Nobuhiro Ito @home open platform and domestic standard platform: Hakaru Tamukoh @Home simulation open platform: Tatsunari Inamura Industrial logistics: Wataru Uemura --- Best regards, Wataru. ==================== Wataru UEMURA, Dr. Eng. Associate Professor, Ryukoku University Executive Director, RoboCup Japanese Regional Committee http://friede.elec.ryukoku.ac.jp/~wataru ====================

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[News]Call for Participation 2025 RoboCup Logistics League (RCLL)
by 安田尚平Yasuda Shohei 18 Feb '25

18 Feb '25

Dear RoboCupper, Call for Participation 2025 RoboCup Logistics League (RCLL) Salvador, Brazil July 15th-21st, 2025 https://2025.robocup.org/ https://ll.robocup.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Important Deadlines * Pre-Registration: March 21, 2025 * TDP Submission: March 21, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT RCLL With both competitive and research aspects, the RoboCup Logistics League aims to demonstrate the possibilites of a future Smart Factory. With the concept of „Industry 4.0“ in mind, production steps have to be divided into actions executable by robots, thus making their automation possible. These actions have to be planned and coordinated fully autonomously by the robots. The RCLL strives to promote research and development on the intralogistic challenges of future production processes. For this purpose the competition is held in an exemplary factory setting where an abstract product consisting of bases, rings and caps can be produced. There are 3 separate competitions in the RCLL: * Main Track * Challenge Track * Open Challenge The Main Track is a competition similar to prior years, with games that replicate a full production scenario. The Challenge Track focuses on the individual skills that are required to succeed in the RCLL and thus is a great opportunity for newcomers to gradually progress in the domain. The Open Challenge is an invitation for teams to shine with their own innovative ideas on how to tackle the challenges arising in a Smart Factory. The rulebook is below: https://github.com/robocup-logistics/rcll-rulebook QUALIFICATION All interested teams must submit a Team description paper (TDP) in order to qualify. The TDP is limited to 8 pages and must be formatted according to the LNCS format: http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0 Deadline for Submission is March 21, 2025. Optional Qualification Materials include a Team Video and a Team Poster to encourage exchange between teams. SUBMISSION AND REGISTRATION Registration must be done via Email to: rc-logistics-oc(a)lists.robocup.org and must not include the Qualification Material, but a link to access the qualification material. The registration must include: 1. Team Name 2. Country 3. Affiliation 4. Team Leader Name 5. Team Contact Info (Email) 6. Team Website address The subject of the Email should be: /[RoboCupLogisticsLeague2025-Participation] (YourTeamName)/ We hope to see you around, the RoboCup Logistics League Organizing and Technical Committee -- 安田尚平 Shohei Yasuda 龍谷大学大学院先端理工学研究科電子情報通信コース Ryukoku University Graduate School of Advanced Science and Technology Electronics, Information and Communication Engineering Course shohei(a)vega.elec.ryukoku.ac.jp y24m037(a)mail.ryukoku.ac.jp

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Call for two post doc positions in Smart Agriculture
by Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi 14 Feb '25

14 Feb '25

********************************************************** FAPESP Post-doctoral Fellowship #1 - Call for applications ********************************************************** The FAPESP project "SMART: Sustainable Management of Agriculture with the Intelligent Computing Continuum" (bv.fapesp.br/en/auxilios/116446<http://bv.fapesp.br/en/auxilios/116446>) has an open Post-Doctoral position to work at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC). The research theme is "Smart Application Deployment for the IoT Computing Continuum", dealing with the challenges of deploying smart agriculture applications over the IoT Computing Continuum (IoTinuum), considering the inherent distribution of the end-to-end path between devices and the cloud and the need for individual services to run in multiple stages in-between. The SMART project aims to develop and deploy a trustworthy platform for smart agriculture across the IoTinuum, from field sensors to the cloud. It will utilize various sensors, data sources, networking technologies, data management, and machine learning to ensure reliable dataflow and trustworthiness. The deployment of smart applications for the IoTinuum requires the efficient orchestration of resources allocated to the services to provide the intended quality levels. Orchestration involves fulfilling the application needs by carefully matching services, resources, and workloads, including microservice placement, deployment, and migration. In the IoTinuum context, it means being aware of and monitoring the resources available in each stage, understanding the application QoS requirements (such as maximum delay), and deploying the services in the most appropriate stage, i.e., in Mist, Fog, or Cloud. An IoT smart application comprises various services (i.e., microservices), which may be deployed in different stages for distinct installations. Using a certain node within the continuum stage involves deploying services. If this stage is not used in a given installation, this service must be deployed elsewhere in another stage. Current deployment strategies cannot handle varying configurations for IoT efficient and scalable application deployment within the continuum. The general objective of this postdoc fellowship is to design and implement an application deployment methodology for the IoTinuum that takes as input a model (such as a directed acyclic graph) representing the application and generates a deployment strategy as output. The main challenges in this proposal involve: 1. A Deployment Triggering strategy, which identifies the need for a new deployment to be executed over the IoTinuum 2. A Deployment Biding strategy, which means that that abstract graph representing the application will be mapped to specific nodes (with IP addresses and ports) located in different stages of the continuum, such as Thing, Mist, Fog, or Cloud 3. A Deployment Distribution and installation strategy for transferring services to where they will be executed (e.g., cloud or fog) 4. A preliminary version of the application deployment methodology A highly motivated candidate is expected to show background in the following concepts: - IoT, cloud, fog, edge, and the computing continuum - Application deployment and DevOps strategies - Performance analysis with experimentation techniques - Advanced programming language skills - Advanced English language skills - Strong publication record The candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related areas (less than 7 years since graduation). The fellowship's duration is 30 months, and the monthly stipend is R$12.000,00 plus 10% for research expenses. The term for this scholarship is expected to start as soon as possible, ideally in April 2025. Candidates should fill out the online form at: https://forms.gle/AxC47yMXqFi9fP9K8<https://cas5-0-urlprotect.trendmicro.com/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=https%3…> Deadline: March, 14, 2025 Inquiries can be sent to carlos.kamienski(a)ufabc.edu.br<mailto:carlos.kamienski@ufabc.edu.br> ********************************************************** FAPESP Post-doctoral Fellowship #2 - Call for applications ********************************************************** The FAPESP project "SMART: Sustainable Management of Agriculture with the Intelligent Computing Continuum" (bv.fapesp.br/en/auxilios/116446<http://bv.fapesp.br/en/auxilios/116446>) has an open Post-Doctoral position to work at the FEI Univerity Center (FEI). The research theme is "Developing the Intelligent IoT Continuum for Precision Agriculture: Task Allocation, Forecasting, Resource Management, and Data Analytics", dealing with the challenges of deploying smart agriculture applications over the IoT Computing Continuum (IoTinuum). This project aims to develop an intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) system focused on precision agriculture. The aim is to create an interconnected network of devices capable of collecting and analyzing data on crop conditions, such as soil moisture, temperature, and weather conditions. Using artificial intelligence techniques, the system should be able to optimize the allocation of tasks between the different devices in the network, manage resources efficiently, and carry out predictive analyses of agricultural production. The system will train machine learning and deep learning models collaboratively through federated learning, using data from different devices without centralizing the information. Based on the data collected and analyzed, the system should predict the production of a given crop, optimize irrigation and fertilizer application, and identify possible crop problems in advance. In short, this project aims to create an innovative solution for agriculture, combining the Internet of Things with artificial intelligence to improve productivity, reduce costs, and promote sustainability. The general objective of this postdoc fellowship is to develop an intelligent Internet of Things system for precision agriculture that can collect, analyze, and utilize data on crop conditions. The main challenges in this proposal involve: 1. To design an intelligent IoT system for precision agriculture. 2. To optimize the allocation of tasks and resources within the IoT network using artificial intelligence techniques. 3. To perform predictive analyses of agricultural production through machine learning and deep learning models trained collaboratively using federated learning. 4. To predict crop production, optimize irrigation and fertilizer application, and identify potential crop problems. A highly motivated candidate is expected to show background in the following concepts: - Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Neural Network Architectures, time series and their application to agricultural problems. Federated Learning is a plus - Data Analytics, Model Evaluation and Deployment - IoT, cloud, fog, edge, and the computing continuum - Advanced programming language skills - Advanced English language skills - Strong publication record The candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or related areas (less than 7 years since graduation). The fellowship's duration is 30 months, and the monthly stipend is R$12.000,00 plus 10% for research expenses. The term for this scholarship is expected to start as soon as possible, ideally in April 2025. Candidates should fill out the online form at: https://forms.gle/oftX3orZz478Gne17<https://cas5-0-urlprotect.trendmicro.com/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=https%3…> Deadline: March, 14, 2025 Inquiries can be sent to rbianchi(a)fei.edu.br<mailto:rbianchi@fei.edu.br> Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informa??o anexada, ? confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinat?rios est?o autorizados a us?-la. Se voc? n?o for o destinat?rio, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que n?o h? autoriza??o para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer a??o baseada no seu conte?do.

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[NEW LEAGUE] RoboCup 2025 Flying Robots - Call for Participation
by Marco Antonio C. Simões 10 Feb '25

10 Feb '25

Call for Participation RoboCup 2025 Flying Robots League July 15 – July 21, 2025, Salvador (Brazil) https://2025.robocup.org/robocup-flying-robots/ The Flying Robot League (FRL) aims to stimulate the study and development of autonomous and intelligent flying robots for different tasks applied to the industrial and logistics sector. The Challenge is a reduced and playful model that tries to emulate logistical problems in an arena with two suspended bases for landings and takeoffs, a takeoff base, and three mobile land bases. Among the research challenges still existing on autonomous and intelligent robots, the Flying Robot League aims to stimulate the development of aerial robotic systems and robust flight controllers (trajectory, altitude, and pose) with embedded, precise, and independent camera tracking and localization systems; high-capacity embedded processing; and devices for manipulating and loading objects. We invite you to participate in the RoboCup 2025 Flying Robot League competition in Salvador, Brazil. If you are interested in participating, please register your team and follow the procedure outlined below. This league is promoted in partnership with RoboCup Rescue Robot League. Important Dates April 10, 2025 (23:59 AoE): Team Qualification Materials Submission Deadline (TDP and Video) April 15, 2025: Qualified Teams Announcement July 15 – 20, 2025: Competition Waiver of the team fee for 2025 Qualified Teams The RoboCup Federation is pleased to announce a waiver of the team registration fee for the RoboCup competition for QUALIFIED teams in this new league. This fee applies only to the team fee but not to the members’ registration fee. A QUALIFIED team is one in which the TDP paper and TDP Challenge video were accepted as performing the required points. The waiver concerns only the team fee and does not imply any waiver of fees for team members. Qualification Qualification is based on a team’s current performance, previous achievements in RoboCup, and scientific contributions in relevant areas in past years. In RoboCup 2025, up to 11 (eleven) teams will participate in the Flying Robots League. The top three teams from RoboCup Brazil Open 2024 (Capybots, Atena, and RoboCIn) are automatically qualified after submitting an appropriate Team Description Paper (TDP) without needing the TDP challenge video. The team from Salvador (BahiaRT), home of the 2025 event, is also automatically qualified after submitting an appropriate Team Description Paper (TDP) without needing the TDP challenge video. The other seven teams will be selected through the qualification process involving the proper Team Description Paper (TDP) and the TDP Challenge video. Qualification material consists of: 1. Team Description Paper (TDP) The TDP should describe your research focus and ideas implemented by the team. It should clearly describe your work and your contributions and specify what you have used from others’ efforts (including, but not limited to, any source code released by other teams or their scientific work). In qualification, teams must be judged based on their work, so failing to acknowledge the work of others could result in immediate disqualification. The length of the TDP must be at least eight (8) pages and should not exceed ten (10) pages in Springer LNCS Style. Please do not send TDPs that you submitted to RoboCup in previous years. Please submit the TDP as a PDF document with your team's name in the filename, i.e., Teamname_TDP.pdf. The TDP needs to be done using the Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science template, with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 8 pages containing the following information: * Title: must be the name of the team; * Authors: must be the names of the team members (full name); * Affiliation: * University where the team comes from; * Link to the team, group, or lab’s webpage; * Phone number of 2 contacts for Whatsapp Group; * The e-mail of the captain of the team; * Just below the Keywords, there should be a link to the execution of the TDP challenge performed by the team’s UAV; * As for the article itself, the TDP must contain: * 0.5 page maximum for the title, author's names, affiliation, abstract, keywords, and video link. * 1.5 pages maximum describing the used UAV (mechanics, electronics, sensors, etc); * 2 pages maximum describing with details the Navigation System (software, with open git-hub); * 3 pages describing how the team solved the TDP task, describing the proposed architecture and development, as well as presenting the obtained results and discussing them; * 1 page maximum for References. 2. TDP Challenge: To be classified to participate in the RoboCup Flying Robot Trial League, the team must perform a TDP challenge and submit the video of the drone performing the desired task along with the written TDP. The task consists of one flying robot performing 2 (two) different plight paths (Position and Transverse) autonomously around a desired target. More details about the challenge can be found within the Rulebook<https://2025.robocup.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Flying-Robots-League-Ro…>. The video should be sent in a mp4 file with your team's name in the filename, i.e., Teamname_TDP.mp4. Please put all qualification material in a folder with your team name, create a tarball named teamname.tar.gz, and upload it to the registration form. https://forms.gle/TsWg7FCuURRz41w77 You should upload only one file, including all your qualification materials. If everything works fine, you will receive a confirmation. If you do not receive any confirmation within two (2) days, please contact the Organizing Committee. If you encounter any problem sending your qualification materials, please don’t hesitate to contact the OC. Best Regards, RoboCup 2025 Flying Robot League Organizing Committee Dr. Marco Antonio Costa Simões Centro de Pesquisa em Arquitetura de Computadores, Sistemas Inteligentes e Robótica - ACSO - http://www.acso.uneb.br<http://www.acso.uneb.br/> Bahia Robotics Team - http://www.acso.uneb.br/bahiart Universidade do Estado da Bahia - UNEB Ciência da Computação, Ph.D.

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Call for Papers: The 7th Games, Agents, and Incentives Workshop (GAIW)@AAMAS 2025
by Nicholas Mattei 07 Feb '25

07 Feb '25

Call for Papers: The 7th Games, Agents, and Incentives Workshop (GAIW)@AAMAS 2025 TL;DR:GAIW submission deadline is extended to Monday, February 18, Anytime on Earth Webpage: https://preflib.github.io/gaiw2025 - Submission Deadline: February 11 18, 2025 (AoE). - Acceptance Notification: March 10, 2025. - Camera Ready: April 4, 2025 (AoE). - Workshop: May 19 or 20, 2025 (TBA). Call for Papers: We invite submissions to the 7th iteration of the Games, Agents and Incentives Workshop, co-located with AAMAS 2025 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Games, Agents and Incentives is a confederated workshop which focuses on agents and incentives in AI. In particular, it promotes approaches that deal with game theory (cooperative and non-cooperative), social choice, and agent-mediated e-commerce aspects of AI systems. The confederated workshop merges multiple workshops that have been associated with AAMAS in the past, which considered different aspects of the general interplay between AI and economics: • CoopMAS: Cooperative Games in Multi-agent Systems • AMEC: Agent-Mediated Electronic Commerce • EXPLORE: Exploring Beyond the Worst Case in Computational Social Choice Over the past two decades, the focus of agent incentives in decentralised and centralised AI systems has increased dramatically. These issues come up when designing preference aggregation mechanisms and markets; computing equilibria and bidding strategies; facilitating cooperation among agents; and fairly dividing resources. ********************************************************** PAPER SUBMISSION ********************************************************** Authors should submit full papers electronically in PDF format at < Open review link TBA. See website for updates > Formatting Guidelines: Please format papers according to the AAMAS 2025 format (author kit <https://aamas2025.org/index.php/conference/calls/submission-instructions-ma…>). Optionally, one may submit in LNCS format as well (LaTeX template). Paper Length: Papers can be at most 8 pages long in AAMAS format, or 12 pages long in LNCS format. Additional pages may be used for references. Supplemental material can be appended at the end of the paper. However, reviewers are instructed to make their evaluations based on the main submission, and are not obligated to consult the supplemental material. Multiple Submissions: To widen participation and encourage discussion, there will be no formal publication of workshop proceedings. We will, however, post the accepted papers online to the benefit of the participants to the workshop. Therefore, submission of preliminary work and papers to be submitted or in preparation for submission to other major venues in the field are encouraged. Past Submissions: In order to strike a balance between new work and work that may have been presented, but not widely seen, we ask that if authors want to submit published work they do so non-anonymously and clearly indicate when and where the work was published. We will only accept work which has been published in the last calendar year (e.g., IJCAI 2024, NeurIPS 2024, AAAI 2024, AAAI 2025 and any conference held strictly after February 2024). We invite papers on topics of game theory, mechanism design, fair allocation, computational social choice, and their applications to multi-agent systems: - Algorithmic mechanism design - Auctions - Behavioral Game Theory - Bounded rationality - Cooperative Games - Computational advertising - Computational aspects of equilibria - Computational social choice - Coalitions, coordination, collective action, and cooperation - Economic aspects of security and privacy - Economic aspects of distributed and network computing - Equilibrium computation - Empirical approaches to e-market - Fairness (in ML & elsewhere) - Fair Division - Incentives in machine learning - Information and attention economics - Learning in games (e.g., solution concepts and equilibria) - Matching and Matching Markets - Negotiation - Price differentiation and price dynamics - Social networks - Trading agent design and analysis - Uncertainty in AI and economics Best Presentation Award: The organizing committee of GAIW will be giving two awards (first-place and runner up) for best paper presentations. The award criteria include the clarity of presentation, the level of engagement, the content, and discussion handline. Inquiries: If you have any questions, direct them to alan.tsang(a)carleton.ca. ********************************************************** IMPORTANT DATES ********************************************************** - Submission Deadline: February 11, 2025 (AoE). - Acceptance Notification: March 10, 2025. - Camera Ready: April 4, 2025 (AoE). - Workshop: May 19 or 20, 2025 (TBA). ********************************************************** ORGANIZATION ********************************************************** Program Chairs Ben Abramowitz, Tulane University Haris Aziz, UNSW Sydney and Data61 John P. Dickerson, University of Maryland Hadi Hosseini, Penn State University Nicholas Mattei, Tulane University Svetlana Obraztsova, Carleton University Zinovi Rabinovich, Carleton University Alan Tsang, Carleton University Tomasz Wąs, Penn State University Michael Curry, University of Illinois Chicago -- *Nicholas Mattei* Associate Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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CFP:World Robot Summit Harsh Environment F-REI Challenge (WRS F-REI Challenge)
by Tetsuya Kimura 04 Feb '25

04 Feb '25

Dear Robocuppers, CFP:World Robot Summit Harsh Environment F-REI Challenge (WRS F-REI Challenge) Event Details: Dates: October 10–12, 2025 Venue: Fukushima Robot Test Field Host: Fukushima Institute for Research, Education, and Innovation (F-REI) Co-Host: Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), Japan Application Information: Application Guidelines: https://wrs.f-rei.go.jp/en/guideline/ Entry Form: https://wrs.f-rei.go.jp/en/entry/ Application Deadline: May 12, 2025 Team Qualification Announcement: May 30, 2025 Challenge Categories: The WRS F-REI Challenge will feature the following four categories: 1.Harsh Environment Drone Challenge 2.Plant Disaster Challenge 3.Simulation Disaster Challenge 4.Standard Disaster Robotics Drone Challenge Travel Support and Award Money will be provided. Performance in competitions such as the RoboCup Rescue Robot League or similar events will be considered as supporting evidence during the selection process. Tetsuya Kimura, WRS F-REI Challenge OC RRRL-WC Former Executive Committee Members ---- Tetsuya KIMURA, Dr. of Eng., Professor. Dept. of System Safety Engineering, Nagaoka Univ. of Tech. Trustee, Internat. Rescue System Inst. kimura(a)mech.nagaokaut.ac.jp Tel.+81-258-47-9708, Fax.+81-258-47-9770

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CfP KI 2025 - German AI Conference , Potsdam, September 2025
by Frieder Stolzenburg 31 Jan '25

31 Jan '25

================================= Call for Contributions KI 2025 <https://ki2025.gi.de> Potsdam, September 16-19, 2025 ================================= On September 16-19, 2025, the German AI conference KI2025 will take place. We cordially invite you to join! In 2025, KI and INFORMATIK will be co-located, so that we can exchange with computer science society. To make KI2025 a resounding success, we call for your papers, workshop and tutorial proposals, and doctoral consortium contributions. The deadlines are: 28.02.25 Workshop & Tutorial Proposal Submission 18.04.25 Abstract Submission 25.04.25 Full Paper Submission 16.05.25 Doctoral Consortium Submission For more detailed info on each call, please refer to: Call for Papers (Long, Short, Extended Abstracts): <https://ki2025.gi.de/calls/call-for-papers> Call for Workshops and Tutorials: <https://ki2025.gi.de/calls/call-for-workshops-and-tutorials> Call for Doctoral Consortium Contributions: <https://ki2025.gi.de/calls/call-for-doctoral-consortium-contributions> Submissions are possible via EasyChair: <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=ki2025> We are very much looking forward to your contributions and the scientific exchange! Last, but not least, we would like to announce our excellent keynote speakers for KI2025: Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider, Federal Data Protection Officer, Germany Rineke Verbrugge, U Groningen, Netherlands Barbara Hammer, U Bielefeld, Germany Best regards Program Chairs Tanya Braun (Uni Münster) Benjamin Paaßen (Uni Bielefeld) Frieder Stolzenburg (HS Harz) Tutorial/Workshop Chairs Magda Gregorova (TH Würzburg-Schweinfurt) Philipp Väth (TH Würzburg-Schweinfurt) Doctoral Consortium Chair Gesina Schwalbe (Uni Lübeck)

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[CFP] 2nd Call for Papers for the 19th International Conference on Intelligent Autonomous Systems (IAS-19)
by Arnoud Visser 29 Jan '25

29 Jan '25

IAS-19 Call for Papers We are all invited to contribute to the 19th International Conference on Intelligent Autonomous Systems (IAS-19), which will be held in Genoa, Italy, from June 30 to July 4, 2025. Since the first edition in 1985, IAS has been a venue for original, novel, and innovative papers with a theoretical or experimental flavor. For IAS-19, we look for papers centered around the theme "Ethical, Responsible, and Inclusive Robotics". Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): Mobile Robots Collaborative Robots/Cobots Robots for Industry 4.0 Household Robots Humanoid Robots Climbing Robots Outdoor and Field Robots Autonomous Vehicles Healthcare Robots Flying Robots On-Water/Underwater Robots Robot Swarms Biomimetic Robots Long-Term Autonomous Systems Intelligent Machines Cognitive Architectures for Robots Human-Robot-Interaction Software Architectures for Robots Cloud Robotics Robot Vision Tactile Sensing Intelligent Sensors and Systems Neuromorphic Sensing Semantic Modelling Data Fusion and Machine Learning Obstacle Avoidance Localization and SLAM Knowledge Representation and Reasoning Planning Task-Motion Planning Robot Foundation Models Vision and Language Models Robot Simulations Mechatronics for Intelligent Systems All contributed papers will go through a rigorous peer-review process, which will be managed by Editors, Associated Editors, and Reviewers. Each manuscript will be reviewed by at least two reviewers. If a paper will be accepted, the authors should submit a revised final version reflecting reviewers' comments and present their paper orally and in presence. All accepted and presented papers will be published in the conference proceedings, and a post-proceedings book will be published by Springer, as is customary for IAS conferences. A limited number of authors will be invited to submit an extended version of their papers for a special issue of Robotics and Autonomous Systems, published by Elsevier. Proposals for special sessions, workshops, and tutorials are strongly encouraged. Workshops and tutorials will be scheduled on 30/6/2025. Updates on www.ias-19.org<http://www.ias-19.org/>. Important dates 20/9/2024 > First call for papers 30/11/2024 > Deadline for proposals for special sessions 7/12/2024 > Notification for proposals for special sessions 15/12/2024 > Deadline for proposals for workshops, and tutorials 15/1/2025 > Notification for proposals for workshops and tutorials 15/2/2025 > Deadline for papers submission 15/4/2025 > Papers acceptance notification 15/5/2025 > Papers final submission 30/6/2025 - 4/7/2025 > IAS-19 in Genoa, Italy CONFIRMED: Plenary speakers Tomaso A. Poggio, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Yoshihiko Nakamura, Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence CONFIRMED: Keynote speakers Arash Ajoudani, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Perla Maiolino, University of Oxford HIGHLIGHTS: Call for Workshops and tutorials We look for proposals for workshops and tutorials on a broad set of topics in intelligent and autonomous systems. A workshop or tutorial can be half or full day. Please send proposals for workshops or tutorials by email at contact(a)ias-19.org<mailto:contact@ias-19.org>. Each proposal must include (a) the workshop or tutorial title, (b) the list of organizers with contact information, (c) a brief statement of purpose for the workshop or tutorial, and (d) a list of potential contributors. Workshops and tutorials chairs will review the submitted proposals. The management of the related Call for Papers will be managed autonomously by the workshop or tutorial organisers. IAS-19 Workshops and Tutorials Chairs Ivan Petrovic, University of Zagreb, Croatia Nak Young Chong, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Japan Monica Reggiani, University of Padua, Italy STILL OPEN: Call for Special Sessions Methods and technologies to design and develop intelligent and autonomous systems have advanced remarkably in the past few years, with the rapid development of critical and foundational approaches in robotics and artificial intelligence. Intelligent and autonomous systems are being deployed in various scenarios, such as nuclear power plants, defense, agriculture, industrial safety, aerospace, construction, and unmanned vehicles. Special sessions are the ideal venues to highlight selected topics, spark debates, and narrow down applications of intelligent and autonomous systems, especially connected to innovative emerging areas of interest related to the main conference topics. We look for proposals for special sessions featuring emerging topics in intelligent and autonomous systems. We welcome submissions of proposals considering the conference theme, that is, "Ethical, Responsible, and Inclusive Robotics", along with scientific, methodological, and technological advances. A special session will consist of 4 papers. Please send proposals for special sessions by email at contact(a)ias-19.org<mailto:contact@ias-19.org>. Each proposal must include (a) the special session title, (b) the list of organizers with contact information, (c) a brief statement of purpose for the session, and (d) a list of potential contributors. Special Sessions Chairs will review the submitted proposals. Papers addressed to approved special sessions will be provided with a session code and will undergo the same review process as regular papers. Special session organizers can be involved in the review process and in the final decisions. Also, they will be offered a gift voucher as a sign of gratitude. IAS-19 Special Session Chairs Alessandra Sciutti, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy Jun Ota, The University of Tokyo, Japan Stefano Carpin, University of California Merced, CA, USA ===== On behalf of the General & Program Chair Francesco Amigoni, Politecnico di Milano, Italy Fulvio Mastrogiovanni, University of Genua, Italy

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[robotics-worldwide] [Meetings][News] RoboCup 2025 Virtual Robot Competition - Call for Participation
by Reyhaneh 28 Jan '25

28 Jan '25

*RoboCup Rescue Simulation Virtual Robot Competitions 2025* *Salvador, Brazil**July 15-21, 2025* https://robocup-rsvrl.github.io/ <https://www.robocup.org/leagues/27>https://2025.robocup.org *IMPORTANT DATES* Team Qualification Materials Submission Deadline..: Feb 21st, 2025 (23:55 GMT) Filling the intent letter form is mandatory. Qualified Teams Announcement…………....................…: Rolling basis till March 14th, 2025 Camera-ready TDP submission………....................….….: June 6th, 2025 If you are interested or considering participating please take the time to fill the RoboCup 2025 Virtual Robot Competition - intent letter form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvXrsia1IbEk6lMGCfF1z_x6mk66zJ4hD…> as soon as possible, so that we can inform you about the latest developments and updates. *(1) RoboCup Rescue Simulation League and Virtual Robot Competition* ——————— The Virtual Robot Simulation competition aims to raise awareness about the complexities involved in search and rescue applications. It provides an objective platform for evaluating robotic implementations in environments that mimic real-world disaster scenarios. This competition also fosters collaboration among researchers, promoting the exchange of ideas and advancements in the field. In this competition, a generic urban disaster simulation environment is created on network computers. This virtual world is populated by robots who carry out search and rescue operations. These robots are designed to mimic the roles and responsibilities of the rescue team in the real-world to work together with the rescue team to reduce the disaster effects. Participating in the RoboCup Virtual Robot Competition offers a multitude of benefits. This competition is part of the RoboCup Rescue Simulation League, provides a unique platform for participants to apply and enhance their skills in AI and robotics within a simulated disaster environment. The Virtual Robot Competition is based on ROS/Gazebo, a sophisticated robot simulator. This platform allows participants to simulate multiple robots with capabilities that closely mirror those of real robots. It provides an opportunity to work with a variety of sensors and actuators, and to develop UAV and UGV robots using standard modules. The competition also addresses a wide range of research topics, including human-robot interfaces, autonomous navigation, sensor fusion, image processing, speech processing, 2D and 3D mapping, distributed planning, and distributed learning. By participating in the competition, individuals can gain hands-on experience in these areas, contributing to their professional development and potentially leading to advancements in the field of AI and robotics. In 2025, we will hold the competition in hybrid mode, so both remote and in-person options would be available for the teams. *(2) Intention of participation* ——————- If you are interested or considering participating please take the time to fill the RoboCup 2025 Virtual Robot Competition - intent letter form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvXrsia1IbEk6lMGCfF1z_x6mk66zJ4hD…> as soon as possible, so that we can inform you about the latest developments and updates. *(3) Qualification material* ————————- Besides sending the intention of participation, please prepare before Feb 21, 2025, a Team Description Paper describing the most innovative contributions or scientific results your team is intended to provide. The TDP is limited to 8 pages and must be formatted according to the LNCS format: http://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gui… <https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/ln…> And the tex template file of the TDP can be found on the overleaf: https://www.overleaf.com/read/nrcfnpygskyx <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.overleaf.com/read/nrcfnpygskyx&sa=…> The Team Description Paper is an overview of the methodologies you use or intend to use to control your robots inside the Virtual Robot Competition. If applicable, include a reference to your latest publications. The qualification material should be placed on a dedicated web page on the team’s home page. Please include the link to the qualification material on the intention of participation information. *(5) Useful links* ———– - Virtual Robot Competition 2025 Rule (draft) <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z2XkqSYPFblGC6BFMBvZXZ9plrQCwEfiXETrjV0…> - Virtual Robot Competition Wiki <https://robocup-rsvrl.github.io/> - Virtual Robot Competition Server <https://github.com/RoboCup-RSVRL/RoboCup2022RVRL_Demo> - Official RoboCup Rescue Simulation website <https://rescuesim.robocup.org/> Kind regards, Reyhaneh Pahlevan on behalf of RoboCup Rescue Simulation Executive, Technical, and Organizing Committees

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RoboCup@Work 2025: Call for Participation
by Asad Norouzi 22 Jan '25

22 Jan '25

Call for Applications for Participation RoboCup 2025 – RoboCup at Work https://2025.robocup.org Venue: Salvador, Brazil Tuesday, July 15th through Monday, July 21st, 2025 RoboCup at Work: Competing for the Factory of the Future RoboCup at Work is a league of the RoboCup competition that replicates the use of robots in autonomous, industrial scenarios. It aims to promote research and development that enables the use of innovative mobile robots with advanced manipulators for cutting-edge industrial applications. Such applications include complex tasks ranging from manufacturing, automation, and parts handling to general logistics, as well as interaction with human workers. The RoboCup at Work league is characterized by an industrial environment. This consists of manipulation objects including nuts and bolts, arena elements such as shelves, bins, and platforms of different sizes, and networked automation devices like conveyor belts and drilling machines. The actual competition tasks to be performed in the environment are defined in a set of so-called tests. Each test addresses various mobile manipulation capabilities such as grasping, transportation, precision placement, and visual serving. The complete rules of RoboCup@Work as well as further technical details are (will be) posted on the RoboCup@Work website (https://atwork.robocup.org). Participation in the Competition All teams that intend to participate in the competition have to perform the following steps: 1. Submission of qualification materials including a Team Description Paper and a video of their robot performance. Details are below. 2. Final registration (qualified teams only) Qualification The qualification process serves a dual purpose: It should allow the Technical Committee (aka TC) to assess the safety of the robots a team intends to bring to the competition, and it should allow ranking teams according to a set of evaluation criteria in order to select the most promising teams for a competition, if not all interested teams can be permitted. The TC will select the qualified teams according to the qualification materials provided by the teams. The evaluation criteria will include: - Team description paper - Relevant scientific contributions/publications - The professional quality of the robot and software - Novelty of approach - Relevance to industry - Performance in previous competitions - Contribution to RoboCup at Work league, e.g. by Organization of events and/or provision and sharing of knowledge - The quality of the robot's performance of a task (selected by the team) shown in a video - Team website Team Description Paper The Team Description Paper (TDP) is a central element of the qualification process and has to be provided by each team as part of the qualification process. The TDP should at least contain the following information in the author/title section of the paper: - Name of the team (title) - Team members (authors), including the team leader - Link to the team website - Contact information The body of the TDP should contain information on the following: - the focus of research/research interest - a description of the hardware, including an image of the robot(s) - a description of the software, esp. the functional and software architectures - innovative technology (if any) - reusability of the system or parts thereof - applicability and relevance to industrial tasks - usage of components (software or hardware) developed by other RoboCup at Work teams The team description paper should cover the technical and scientific approach in detail, while the team website should be designed for a broader audience. Both the website and the TDP have to be in English. All TDPs must be written using the following template: https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/springer-lecture-notes-in-computer… Submission and Evaluation All applications with the qualification material must be submitted by February 23rd, 2025 through the following online form: https://forms.gle/hWNyHRHbzAZJbJgHA Qualified teams will be tentatively announced by March 10th, 2025. Important Links of RoboCup@Work League Official Website: https://atwork.robocup.org Discord: https://discord.gg/WaBHRdZq LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14158849/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/communities/1606361981937754115 Mailing List: https://lists.robocup.org/mm/lists/rc-work.lists.robocup.org/ Regards, RoboCup@Work EC/TC/OC

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[meetings] [news] 2nd CfP: The 4th Benchmark for Autonomous Robot Navigation (BARN) Challenge -- ICRA 2025 Competition
by Xuesu Xiao 22 Jan '25

22 Jan '25

Submission Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYFw_BVg-7lpXNVxQIX_xQKpFrU2m4jrX… Competition Website: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge25.html Participation Instructions: https://github.com/Daffan/nav-competition-icra2022 Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2024: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn24_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2023: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn23_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2022: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn22_report.pdf Dear roboticists, are you interested in agile robot navigation in highly constrained spaces with a lot of obstacles around, e.g., cluttered households or after-disaster scenarios? Do you think mobile robot navigation is mostly a solved problem? Are you looking for a hands-on project for your robotics class, but may not have (sufficient) robot platforms for your students? If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, we sincerely invite you to participate in The 4th BARN Challenge at ICRA 2025 (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge25.html)! The BARN Challenge aims at evaluating state-of-the-art autonomous navigation systems to move robots through highly constrained environments in a safe and efficient manner. The task is to navigate a standardized Clearpath Jackal robot from a predefined start to a goal location as quickly as possible without any collision. The challenge will take place both in the simulated BARN dataset and in physical obstacle courses at ICRA 2025. 1. The competition task is designing ground navigation systems to navigate through all 300 BARN environments (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN/BARN.html) and physical obstacle courses constructed at ICRA 2025 as fast as possible without collision. 2. The 300 BARN environments can be the training set for learning-based methods, or to design classical approaches in. During the simulation competition, we will generate another 50 unseen environments unavailable to the participants before the competition. 3. We will standardize a Jackal robot in the Gazebo simulation, including a Hokuyo 2D LiDAR, motor controller of 2m/s max speed, etc. 4. Participants can use any approaches to tackle the navigation problem, such as using classical sampling-based or optimization-based planners, end-to-end learning, or hybrid approaches. We will provide baselines for reference. 5. A standardized scoring system is provided on the website. 6. We will invite the top teams in simulation to compete in the real world. The team who achieves the fastest collision-free navigation in the physical obstacle courses wins. If you are interested in participating, please submit your navigation system at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYFw_BVg-7lpXNVxQIX_xQKpFrU2m4jrX… Co-Organizers: Xuesu Xiao (George Mason University) Zifan Xu (UT Austin) Aniket Datar (George Mason University) Saad Abdul Ghani (George Mason University) Peter Stone (UT Austin / Sony AI) Sponsor: Clearpath Robotics, https://clearpathrobotics.com/ Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu <mailto:xiao@gmu.edu> https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/ https://robotixx.cs.gmu.edu/

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RoboCup SPL Call for Participation 2025 - Deadline Reminder
by Tom Ellis 16 Jan '25

16 Jan '25

Call for Participation Reminder RoboCup 2025 Standard Platform League Hi RoboCuppers, Just a quick reminder that all applications for the 2025 RoboCup SPL Competition, with the relevant qualification material, must be submitted by 17th of February 2025, just over 1 month from now! Full Application Details can be found at spl.robocup.org/call-for-participation-2025<https://spl.robocup.org/call-for-participation-2025/> Tom Ellis, on behalf of the RoboCup 2025 Standard Platform League Technical and Organizing Committees

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Offer of Support for RoboCup-related community-building workshops
by alexarossi＠gmail.com 14 Jan '25

14 Jan '25

Dear RoboCuppers, The RoboCup Board of Trustees would like to encourage the RoboCup community to organize community-building workshops, and robot competitions, at major conferences, on topics of common interest to multiple RoboCup leagues that are also of high interest to people outside the RoboCup community. The objectives are to 1. foster cross-league interaction among RoboCuppers; and 2. increase the exposure of the RoboCup community, with the possible side effect of drawing in new participants. Many large academic conferences (e.g. ICRA, IROS, AAAI, IJCAI, ICML, NeurIPS, and many others) have established workshop sessions programs and competition tracks that would be fine targets for this endeavour such a workshop. Some organizations also run standalone workshop/symposium series (e.g. AAAI Fall/Spring symposia). And smaller, more specialized conferences with a focussed audience related to RoboCup could also be good targets. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, send a short proposal to [RoboCup Sponsored Projects...] with the following information: * Workshop/Competition topic * Workshop/Competition venue * Workshop/Competition organizers, including the RoboCup leagues they represent (not all organizers need to be from the RoboCup community) * Brief description which RoboCup league(s) the research topic would benefit, and how * Brief description of how researchers from the broader scientific community will be encouraged to participate Due to budget constraints, a limited number of proposals will be approved for support. If your proposal is approved for support and is accepted by the venue, RCF will provide a discretionary budget to be used in support of the workshop for purposes such as (but not necessarily limited to): * Best paper/Best student paper awards (workshops) OR Best team award (competitions) * Travel support for invited speakers/organizers/participants * Workshop/tutorial logistics and materials (e.g., competition small arena builds, shipping of robots, etc.) The proposal can be submitted as a single PDF at the following link: https://cloud.robocup.org/s/ELJrf379yXTa6nM <https://cloud.robocup.org/s/ELJrf379yXTa6nM> Any further questions and information should be emailed to Alessandra Rossi [alexarossi(a)gmail.com <mailto:alexarossi@gmail.com>] best regards Alessandra -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page:https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address:alessandra.rossi@unina.it e-mail address:a.rossi@herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81

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Call for Nominations: 2025 ACM/SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award
by Nicholas Mattei 08 Jan '25

08 Jan '25

[Apologies for Multiple Postings] Nominations are solicited for the 2025 ACM SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award. This award is made for excellence in research in the area of autonomous agents. It is intended to recognize researchers in autonomous agents whose current work is an important influence on the field. The award is an official ACM award, funded by an endowment created by ACM SIGAI from the proceeds of previous Autonomous Agents conferences. The recipient of the award will receive a monetary prize and a certificate, and will be invited to present a plenary talk at the AAMAS 2025 conference. How to Nominate Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations should be made by filling out the below google form, and should consist of a short (< 1 page) statement that emphasizes not only the research contributions that the individual has made that merit the award but also how the individual’s current work is an important influence on the field. NOTE: a candidate can only be considered for the award if they are explicitly nominated. If you believe that someone deserves the award, then NOMINATE THEM — don’t assume that somebody else will! For any questions please contact Edith Elkind (Award Chair, <eelkind(a)gmail.com>edith.elkind(a)northwestern.edu) or Nicholas Mattei (SIGAI Vice Chair, nsmattei(a)gmail.com). Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/jud5hniSWtkrENqZ7 <https://forms.gle/jud5hniSWtkrENqZ7> Important Dates - 15 January 2025 — Deadline for nominations - 15 February 2025 — Announcement of winner - 19-23 May 2025 — AAMAS-2025 conference in Detroit, Michigan, USA -- *Nicholas Mattei* Associate Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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Call for Participation: RoboCup2025 Middle Size League
by 刘斐 02 Jan '25

02 Jan '25

Call for Participation  RoboCup 2025 Middle Size League July 15 to 21, 2025 (Salvador, Brazil) https://2025.robocup.org We would like to invite all MSL teams to participate in the 2025 RoboCup MSL World Championships. If you are interested to participate, please take the time to pre-register your team for the RoboCup 2025 MSL competitions.  1)    Pre-registration  For the pre-registration please send an e-mail to rc-msl-oc(a)lists.robocup.org and liufei(a)caa.org.cn containing the following data: ·   Team name ·   URL of the team’s home page ·   Name of the team leader ·   E-mail address of team or team leader ·   Affiliation ·   Country ·   Link to the qualification materials  Please send more information about teams to introduce them better on MSL website(https://msl.robocup.org/teams). Sending following information would be optional: ·   Logo ·   Profile (Describe team with at most 150 words). ·   Most research topics (up to 6 topics)   2)    Qualification materials  Please note that, according to the rules, the evaluation of some parts of the qualification materials will contribute to the scientific challenge final result.  By the time of pre-registration, please have ready the following qualification materials:  a)    A Team Description Paper describing the most innovative contributions or scientific results (the TDP is limited to 8 pages and must be formatted according to the LNCS format: http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0). b)    A list of 5 scientiﬁc papers published during the last 5 years of the team which are related to RoboCup. Abstracts of these papers and a complete reference to each paper must also be submitted. When more papers are submitted, only the first 5 will be considered. c)    A list of results and awards obtained by the team in the last 3 years. d)    A video showing the capabilities of the team’s robots (the maximum duration of the video is 60 seconds; if the submitted video is longer than 60 seconds, only the first 60 seconds will be considered for evaluation). e)    A list of contributions of the team to the RoboCup MSL community. f)     Declaration if the team will be part of a mixed team. g)    A mechanical and electrical description together with a software flow chart. h)   List of MAC Addresses used by the team, with explicit indication of those that will be used for wireless communication and their type: robots or development computers. All other MAC addresses will be blocked. (Modifications are allowed before the competition, no later than July 8, 2025.) i)    List of size and weight of the robots (If there are many different robots, please give the data for each type separately. Modifications are allowed before the competition, no later than July 8, 2025.): Dimensions: Length*Width*Height(cm) Weight: (kg)  For being able to participate in the RoboCup competition, teams have to ensure, at least, the minimum cumulative following criteria: ·   Demonstrate in the video that they are able to perform the basic actions to be able to play. ·   Produce a Team Description Paper (TDP) according to the above definition. ·   Obtain a minimum of 50 points in the overall qualification procedure.  The details regarding the qualification materials are contained in the rules and regulations document available at https://msl.robocup.org. Please read it thoroughly.  The qualification materials should be placed in a dedicated page of the team's web page. Please include the link to the qualification materials in the pre-registration information. 3)    Important dates  ·   Deadline for pre-registration and submission of the qualification materials: February 28, 2025 ·   Announcement of qualified teams: March 15, 2025  4)    Rules  The rules and regulations for the RoboCup 2025 Middle Size League had been published at: https://msl.robocup.org/rules  The updated rules and regulations had been released by December 31, 2024   5)    Publication  Please note that after the announcement of the qualified teams the qualification materials of the qualified teams will be made publicly available. Therefore, teams applying for participation, grant the right of publication of their qualification materials to the MSL league(MAC addresses are an exception and should remain private).   6)    Plagiarism  Plagiarism, loosely the unattributed use of other peoples' words, code and ideas (see “https://www.ieee.org/publications/rights/plagiarism/plagiarism.html” for a more detailed description) is not tolerated in the RoboCup community.  The teams and team members that plagiarize other peoples' work and present it as their own will be disqualified. For a first offense, the team and team members will be banned from RoboCup competition for two years (usually the current and next year). Harsher penalties will be applied to repeat offenders or extremely serious cases of plagiarism. A team may be disqualified at any time for plagiarism, even after the competition has started. RoboCup will not reimburse teams for any expenses related to their disqualification.   7)   Waiver of the team fee for NEW Teams  For the 2025 International RoboCup competition, NEW major teams can apply for team fee waiver. A NEW team is defined as a team all of whose team members have never participated in an annual international RoboCup competition. The waiver concerns only the team fee and does not imply any waiver of fees for team members.   The 2025 MSL Organizing and Technical Committees Fei Liu OC Chair, Middle Size League, RoboCup 2025  

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Last Call for Early-Bird Registration: Robotics Developer Masterclass – Spring Batch 2025
by Sonia W 30 Dec '24

30 Dec '24

Greetings all, This is a kind reminder that early bird registration for the Robotics Developer Masterclass <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worldwid…>Spring Batch - 2025 is coming to a close on December 31st, 2024. - Name: Robotics Developer Masterclass - Class: Spring Batch - Program Start Date: March 3rd, 2025 - Registration link: roboticsdeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worldwid…> - Program Fee: €1000/month, with an *early. bird registration discount of €900/month* available until December 31st, 2024. The Robotics Developer Masterclass is a comprehensive online learning program designed to provide individuals starting from zero with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in robotics development. Below are some key details of the Masterclass: *Program Highlights:* - 6-Month Training Period: Divided into 6 phases, each focusing on developing specific, in-demand robotics skills through hands-on projects. - 3-Month Internship: Gain real-world experience with leading robotics companies, applying your skills in industry settings. - 3-Month Job Hunting Program: Receive step-by-step guidance, from resume building to interview preparation, to help you land your new career in robotics. - Hands-on Learning: Engage with both simulated and real robots to develop practical, actionable robotics skills. - Comprehensive Curriculum: Covers everything from fundamental programming techniques to advanced planning and control algorithms. - Robotics Portfolio: Showcase your work through a professional online portfolio, integrating all projects and code for potential employers to view. - LinkedIn Certificate: Earn a certificate to enhance your professional profile and demonstrate your newly acquired robotics expertise. *What you will learn:* - ROS1 and ROS 2 - C++ for Robotics - Python for Robotics - Linux for Robotics - Math for Robotics - Collaborative Software Development with Git - Robot Modeling with URDF - Robot Frame Transformations with TF ROS 2 - Create robot simulations with Gazebo (Ignition) - Robot Navigation with ROS 2 (Nav2) - Robot Perception - Object Manipulation - Build Robot Controllers (ros2_control) - Kinematics of Mobile Robots and Arm Robots - Robot Dynamics - Kalman Filters - Path Planning Algorithms - Program web interfaces for Robot Ap - Docker for Robotics - Automate Development Tasks with Jenkins - Continuous Integration (CI) - Design, Develop, and Present, from Zero, a Complete Robotics Project For more details please check roboticsdeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worldwid…> . If you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at info(a)theconstruct.ai. -- [image: Logo] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/> [image: Logo] Sonia Wang Masterclass Success Advisor | The Construct E: rjun(a)theconstruct.ai | theconstruct.ai [image: Banner] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=email&utm_medium…>

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RoboCup official social media channels
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 27 Dec '24

27 Dec '24

Hej RoboCuppers, one of the goals of the RoboCup Federation for 2025 is to increase our public outreach on social media. We would both like to get information out to the general public and inform them about robotics and AI research, but we would also like to connect with the scientific community outside of RoboCup more. To grow our social media presence, we need your help! Follow our accounts, like & share our posts with your own network. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robocup.org/ Instagram (new): https://www.instagram.com/robocup.official/ X: https://x.com/robocup_org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robocup-org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@robocupFederation (new content planned for 2025!) We have just gotten started to revive the accounts and created new ones, and we have more content planned for 2025. So stay tuned, and thanks for following, liking and sharing our posts already - any engagement helps! Cheers Maike

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RoboCup SPL Call for Participation 2025
by Tom Ellis 17 Dec '24

17 Dec '24

Call for Applications for Participation RoboCup 2025 Standard Platform League spl.robocup.org<https://spl.robocup.org/> Tuesday 15th July through Monday 21th July 2025 Salvador, Brazil 2025.robocup.org<https://2025.robocup.org/> RoboCup<https://www.robocup.org/> is an international initiative that fosters research and education in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence through a variety of competitions (RoboCupSoccer, RoboCupRescue, RoboCup@Home, RoboCupIndustrial, RoboCupJunior) involving mostly multi-robot systems. RoboCupSoccer currently includes a number of different robot soccer leagues that focus on different research challenges. The Standard Platform League (SPL) is characterized by all the teams using an identical robot platform. Participating researchers focus on algorithmic development for fully autonomous robots in the main competition while developing individual skills measured in various technical challenges. The SPL robot soccer team competition games at RoboCup 2025 will be played between teams of fully autonomous NAO robots. Participating teams may use V6, V5 or older versions of the NAO humanoid robot manufactured by Aldebaran<https://www.aldebaran.com/en/nao>. Teams should be able to play on a randomly assigned field within one hour. The RoboCup 2025 SPL will host a soccer team competition, several technical challenges and introduce longterm leaderboards, detailed below. The soccer team competition will consist of a number of games that is similar to recent years for most teams. The draft rule book for 2025 is available on on the downloads page<https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2025>. The league operates two divisions: Champions Cup (CC) and Challenge Shield (CS). Teams in the Champions Cup division will compete in matches with up to 7 robots per team. Teams in the Challenge Shield division will compete in matches with up to 5 robots per team. All teams are encouraged to compete in one or more challenges in addition to the main soccer competition. There will be several challenges in 2025 in addition to the main soccer team competition: · The ’KICKin & Rollin’ Challenge, a standard out-of-game technical challenge designed to encourage teams to develop the best way to kick a rolling ball. · An open research challenge will be held to showcase innovations that contribute to the growth, development, and improvement of the league, beyond the core competition objectives. · There is a planned cross-league challenge to be conducted with the cooperation of the humanoid-league, similar to the 2021 passing challenge, additional details to follow as they are finalised. · Starting in 2025, several long-term leaderboards will be introduced to track and compare team performances across key skills over multiple years. These leaderboards aim to motivate teams to improve in specific areas deemed valuable by the league and to compile a record of the top-performing components and skills. More details regarding the challenges are given in the rule book<https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2025> Joining the League The league is always ready to welcome new teams. If you are considering joining: the league has prepared information for you<https://spl.robocup.org/joining-robocup-spl/> to support you in your first steps. We encourage you to contact the organizing committees and other teams if you have questions. To assist in adoption of NAO V6 robots, source code examples and documentation regarding V6 robots were published on the SPL website<https://spl.robocup.org/v6-support/>. One can also find example code for V6 robots in the code released by participating teams. If you need access to the RoboCup NAOqi Image and the specific documentation, please write an email (mentioning your team affiliation and plans) to rc-spl-tc(a)lists.robocup.org<mailto:rc-spl-tc@lists.robocup.org>. Qualification All interested teams that are not pre-qualified must apply by sending an email to the Technical Committee (see below). A valid application must contain: 1. Team Description Paper: See below. The TDP must be attached as PDF file to the email. 2. Preference to compete in the Champions Cup or Challenge Shield: State whether you prefer to compete in CC or CS. If you prefer to compete in CS, please state if you would accept an assignment to CC to balance the competition. 3. Video presentation: Include a link to a video (maximum 5 minutes long, uploaded on the team’s web site or on some video server) that demonstrates the status of the team. The organizing committees use the video to determine the readiness of the team to compete effectively, and hence should focus on the team’s ability to play soccer. Teams who did not participate in the team competition at RoboCup 2024 must include footage of at least one robot attempting to kick off and score (this footage must be captured as a single wide shot with no cuts). If robots from multiple teams are active in the footage (e.g., game footage), please include a textual overlay or additional document denoting which robots belong to the applying team for every scene. Videos of simulation contributions will also be accepted, but only when a real robot is unavailable. Preference will be given to teams that use real robots to show soccer skills in their video. 4. Robot purchase plans: State how many NAO robots your team plans to buy this year. Pre-Qualification Teams that finished in the top 3 of either the Champions Cup or Challenge Shield divisions or finished in the top 5 of the technical challenge at RoboCup 2024 are pre-qualified for RoboCup 2025, if they submit a valid application as detailed below. The following teams can make use of pre-qualification: · Bembelbots · B-Human · HTWK Robots · Nao Devils · RedbackBots · RoboEireann · R-ZWEI KICKERS · SPQR Team · WisTex United A valid application for pre-qualified teams must contain all of the content mentioned above, without the need to provide a video presentation. If a joint 2024 team splits, only one team can be pre-qualified for 2025 (please indicate which one). Team Description Paper Both regular and pre-qualified teams must submit a team description paper (TDP) attached as PDF file to their application email. For the TDP to be considered, it must: · be named according to the pattern SPL_2025_TDP_<TeamName>.pdf · be formatted according to the Springer LNCS author guidelines <https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…> . · be no longer than 8 pages (including references). · be structured in the following sections with the specified headings: 1. Team Information: · team name (the one true spelling, considering capitalization, spaces, hyphens, etc.) · team leader(s) · team contact email address · team website URL (if available) · country of origin · university/company affiliation(s) of the team 2. Code Usage: Acknowledge the team’s use of any other team’s code (1) previously from 2020 to present and (2) anticipated at RoboCup 2025. If code is used from other teams, is this code integrated into a code base that is mainly designed by the applying team? If the applying team does not use any other team’s code, state so. For further details, please have a look into the rule book, section A.1<https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2025>. 3. Own Contribution: Describe in detail the ‘research publishable’ significant advancements the applying team has made and is going to use at RoboCup 2025, in accordance with the rule book, section A.1<https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2025>. 4. Unpublished Results: Provide game results in RoboCup Regional Open competitions as well as main RoboCup competitions from 2020 onward that are not already published on the SPL website<https://spl.robocup.org/>. Include opponents and game scores from each competition in a table. State if the team plans to participate in any RoboCup Open competitions or friendlies prior to RoboCup 2025. 5. Impact: What is the impact of the team’s participation and research in RoboCup on (1) the SPL, (2) the team’s university/community? 6. Other: Present any other information that you believe supports your application. Please note that the TDP is not a peer-reviewed publication and will not appear in any collection apart from the RoboCup TDP archive<https://tdp.robocup.org/>. Qualification for Regional Opens Only Teams may also submit a short intent to participate in a regional open if they do not wish to participate in the 2025 RoboCup competition. Although teams may participate in regional opens without submitting this intent to participate, teams who submit an intent to participate and become qualified may be eligible for future special robot pricing. Special robot pricing for teams competing in RoboCup Events are still being discussed. Updates about special prices will be announced as soon as offers and conditions are finalized. Teams must submit the following information by 17th of February 2025: (1) The team name, leader(s), and the university/company affiliation(s) of the team and (2) a short statement describing the status/progress of the team. A link to a short video showing robot soccer behaviours and/or game play (using robots or in simulation) may be included if available. Submission and Evaluation All applications with the (pre-)qualification material must be submitted by 17th of February 2025, by email to rc-spl-tc(a)lists.robocup.org<mailto:rc-spl-tc@lists.robocup.org>. Please use a subject matching the pattern RoboCup 2025 Application <team name>. Applications must not be sent to personal SPL TC/OC email addresses and must not contain video attachments. By submitting your application, you grant the SPL committees the rights to publish the TDP and application video / code release link. Note that applying serves as a statement of commitment to participate in the RoboCup 2025 SPL. If you have doubts regarding the ability of your team to participate (due to funding, visas, etc.), please apply by the deadline but note this in your application email. Declining to participate in any competition after the official early registration period has opened may negatively affect future applications (the later you decline, the worse it will affect future applications). Teams are encouraged to consider joint participation. Joint proposals will be judged on combined merit. Applications will be evaluated by criteria which include: 1. Potential to play competitive games at RoboCup 2025 (demonstrated ability to play soccer, previous results, etc.) 2. Contributions (and potential contributions) to league (code releases/papers, active in organization, developing own code, etc.) 3. Diversity (region, team make-up, unique characteristics, etc.) Since 2023 the competition rules require all teams to release the source code for novel contributions. This ensures that all teams can learn from good solutions and all teams are driven to make improvements each year. More details regarding code releases are given in the rule book<https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2025>. All teams can expect to be required to publish a contribution. As part of the application phase teams will be assigned into the CC and CS divisions. Assignments will be judged based on previous performance and application material. The organizing committees will do their best to honor teams’ preferences. However, the necessity might arise to assign teams into divisions against their preference. All teams applying for CC are expected to be able to compete in CS. Teams will be notified during the application phase if they are assigned into a division against their preference Qualification decisions, including alternate lists, will be announced by 3rd of March 2025. Robot Acquisition Teams who submit an intent to participate and become qualified will be eligible for potential future special robot pricing. Special robot pricing for team competing in RoboCup Events are still being discussed. Updates about special prices will be announced if offers and conditions are finalized. Tom Ellis, On behalf of the RoboCup 2025 Standard Platform League Technical and Organizing Committees

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RoboCup 2025 Small Size League Call for Participation
by Carla Cosenza 16 Dec '24

16 Dec '24

Hello! The Small Size League committee is glad to invite you to participate in the RoboCup 2025! Below you can find important information about the competition and qualification. Location and dates RoboCup Brazil 2025 Small Size League July 15-21, 2025 https://2025.robocup.org/ About RoboCup RoboCup is an international scientific initiative with the goal to advance the state of the art of autonomous robots. When established in 1997, the original mission was to field a team of robots capable of winning against the human soccer World Cup champions by 2050. About the Small Size League The RoboCup Small Size League is a part of the RoboCup Research Federation focused on multi-agent coordination and control. Teams currently compete in 11 vs. 11 soccer matches (6 vs. 6 in Div. B). The robots must fit within an 18 cm diameter circle and must be no higher than 15 cm. The robots play soccer with an orange golf ball on a green carpeted field that is about 12 m long by 9 m wide. About the qualification To qualify for the competition, each team must submit a Team Description Paper and a video by February 11, 2025. More information on the qualification requirements and processes are located on the website<https://ssl.robocup.org/robocup-2025-qualification/>. Please direct all inquiries to the Small Size League Organizing Committee: rc-ssl-oc(a)lists.robocup.org<mailto:rc-ssl-oc@lists.robocup.org> Thank you! Carla Cosenza RoboCup Small Size League | Organizing Committee

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RoboCup Federation agreements with Booster Robotics, Fourier Robotics, and Unitree Robotics
by Flavio Tonidandel 16 Dec '24

16 Dec '24

The RoboCup Federation (RCF) is pleased to announce the signing of three-year agreements with Booster Robotics, Fourier Robotics, and Unitree Robotics, designating all three companies as official "RoboCup League Sponsors." The companies will provide special offers for teams to lease or purchase their cutting-edge humanoid robot platforms to participate in the RoboCup International event or major Super-Regional or official RoboCup Regional Competitions. For more information and the manifestation of interest in purchasing humanoid robots from these companies, please check the following website: http://robotprogram.robocup.org/ We are looking forward to having our best teams competing with cutting-edge humanoid robots in the next RoboCup 2025, to be held in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. RoboCup Federation Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informa??o anexada, ? confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinat?rios est?o autorizados a us?-la. Se voc? n?o for o destinat?rio, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que n?o h? autoriza??o para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer a??o baseada no seu conte?do.

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Call for Participation: ARM Challenge 2025
by Jose Avendano Arbelaez 16 Dec '24

16 Dec '24

Call for Participation 2025 RoboCup Autonomous Robot Manipulation (ARM) Challenge https://arm.robocup.org/<https://arm.robocup.org/> The RoboCup Autonomous Manipulation Challenge is accepting registrations for the 2025 season. This is a great opportunity to learn about robot manipulation, get a certificate to demonstrate your skills, and win a chance to attend RoboCup 2025 in Brazil! This year the challenge has new objects and environments. Prizes Certificate of Achievement for demonstrating skills in programming, control, simulation, and perception of robotic pick-and-place and grasping applications in dynamic environments. Travel Support for Top 4 International Teams 2025 (Up to 1250 USD) Important Dates November 2024 - Registration Opens January 10th - New game environment revealed. February 12th - Live Technical Support and Q&A session April 27th - Submission deadline for the qualification round May 5th - Announcement of teams qualified for finals July 15-21 - In-person finals with UR5e Robot (RoboCup 2025 Brasil) Registration All teams must pre-register using the online form on the website. Submission Participating teams will complete a submission form providing links to their code/files and a video of their algorithm in action. Questions? roboticsarena(a)mathworks.com<mailto:roboticsarena@mathworks.com> Jose Avendano Senior Robotics Engineer The MathWorks

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[jobs] faculty positions at Constructor University
by Andreas Birk 16 Dec '24

16 Dec '24

Dear all, Constructor University (previously Jacobs University) in Bremen, Germany [1] is expanding its activities in Computer Science and related areas including in Machine Intelligence. In addition to being very reseach active in this are, the School of Computer Science and Engineering has among others a study program "Robotics and Intelligent Systems (RIS)". There are at the moment multiple open positions that can be of interest for candidates with a background that includes aspects of robotics and intelligent systems: (a) Professor of Computer Science (Software Engineering) [2] areas of interest include continuous integration and continues delivery for intelligent systems and robotics; cyber-physical systems (b) Assistant Professor of Computer Science (Data Science and Machine Learning) [3] areas of interest include neural networks and cognitive computing; data mining and predictive modeling (c) Assistant Professor of Computer Science (Scalable Data Processing Systems) [4] areas of interest include remote access and edge computing; spatial-temporal data management, e.g., Geo-Information-Systems (GIS) (d) Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Modern Electrical Engineering) [5] areas of interest include automation and control systems Please use the links provided below to find out more about the positions. Also, applications must be submitted via the links provided below. Best regards, Andreas Birk [1] <https://constructor.university/> [2] <https://constructoruniversity.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Careers/job/Bre…> [3] <https://constructoruniversity.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Careers/job/Bre…> [4] <https://constructoruniversity.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Careers/job/Bre…> [5] <https://constructoruniversity.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Careers/job/Bre…> -- ================================================================================ Prof. Dr. Andreas Birk ================================================================================ Constructor University Robotics Group Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany https://robotics.constructor.university/ ================================================================================ Commercial registry: Amtsgericht Bremen, HRB 18117 Chairs of the Executive Board (Vorsitzende der Geschäftsführung): Dr. Stanislav Protasov (President/Präsident), Oznur Bell (Chancellor/Kanzlerin) Managing Director (Geschäftsführung): Prof. Dr. Thomas Auf der Heyde Chairman of the Board of Governors (Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender): Dr. Serg Bell ================================================================================

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Re: [PlanetKR] Call for Nominations: 2025 ACM/SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award
by Sean McWillie 14 Dec '24

14 Dec '24

First I'm gone stack my flo' (And then what?) Then I'm gone stack some mo' (And then what?) Close shop then I do my count Hide the rest of the yams at my auntie house(And then what?) Get fresh and jump in one of dem cars (Yeah) Hit the club and get one of dem broads (And then what?) It's a wrap, we on the way to the house; by 3:45 I be kickin' her out Patty cake, patty cake, microwave Suckas make a square, goddamn I'm paid (ha ha) I'm so cool, but I'm so hot, and I'm, I'm so fly, and you, you're so not (nope) Show me what you're workin' with just like that (like that) Turn around, bend over, bring it back (bring it back) Snowman and Mannie Fresh bring it back (bring it back) It's Mannie Fresh and Snowman, it's a wrap Strapped up in the club, yeah I'm so crazy These other rappers actors like Patrick Swayze (ha ha) I tried to tell 'em but these niggas ain't hearin' me Mossberg pump I'm ridin' shotgun literally (daaamn) Live from the projects, you know what it is Ay, Snowman, (what up), can I get a ad lib? (yeahhhhhhh) Get the club crunk, can't take that from me Ain't dropped yet, still got Lil' Jon money I see you lookin', with you lookin' ass Catch Snowman in the kitchen with his cookin' ass (cheaa) I'm so clean, but I'm, I'm so grimey (alright) So dirty but yet, I'm so shiny My nigga Kinky B told me finish my meal Def Jam, seven figures, we can finish the deal (yeaaah) Some say I lucked up; I call it perfect timing (yeah) Nigga I can't lose; the whole city's behind me I got million dollar dreams and federal nightmares (ay) We pop Cris' my nigga, and still drink beers (dat's riiight) What did you expect man, I came from nothin' (nothin) Real street nigga and wouldn't change for nothin' (nah) Got my niggas out the hood, it's such a wonderful feeling (chea) Three car garage with the twelve foot ceilings (ay) It oughta be a crime just to feel this good I swear it oughta be a crime just to be this hood (ayy) First I'm gone stack my flo'(And then what?) Then I'm gone stack some mo' (And then what?) Close shop then I do my count Hide the rest of the yams at my auntie house (And then what?) Get fresh and jump in one of dem cars (Yeah) Hit the club and get one of dem broads (And then what?) It's a wrap, we on the way to the house; by 3:45 I be kickin' her out --- Sean McWillie Engineer sean(a)seanmcwillie.com Need an _urgent_ consult? just call.seanmcwillie.com > On Dec 14, 2024, at 14:16, Nicholas Mattei via PlanetKR <planetkr(a)kr.org> wrote: > > [Apologies for Multiple Postings] > > Nominations are solicited for the 2025 ACM SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award. This award is made for excellence in research in the area of autonomous agents. It is intended to recognize researchers in autonomous agents whose current work is an important influence on the field. The award is an official ACM award, funded by an endowment created by ACM SIGAI from the proceeds of previous Autonomous Agents conferences. The recipient of the award will receive a monetary prize and a certificate, and will be invited to present a plenary talk at the AAMAS 2025 conference. > How to Nominate > Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations should be made by filling out the below google form, and should consist of a short (< 1 page) statement that emphasizes not only the research contributions that the individual has made that merit the award but also how the individual’s current work is an important influence on the field. > NOTE: a candidate can only be considered for the award if they are explicitly nominated. If you believe that someone deserves the award, then NOMINATE THEM — don’t assume that somebody else will! > For any questions please contact Edith Elkind (Award Chair, <mailto:eelkind@gmail.com>edith.elkind(a)northwestern.edu <mailto:edith.elkind@northwestern.edu>) or Nicholas Mattei (SIGAI Vice Chair, nsmattei(a)gmail.com <mailto:nsmattei@gmail.com>). > Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/jud5hniSWtkrENqZ7 <https://forms.gle/jud5hniSWtkrENqZ7> > Important Dates > 15 January 2025 — Deadline for nominations > 15 February 2025 — Announcement of winner > 19-23 May 2025 — AAMAS-2025 conference in Detroit, Michigan, USA > > -- > Nicholas Mattei > Associate Professor, Tulane University > nsmattei(a)tulane.edu <mailto:nsmattei@tulane.edu> | www.nickmattei.net <http://www.nickmattei.net/> > Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B > +1 504 865 5782 > Department of Computer Science > Tulane University > 6823 St Charles Ave > New Orleans, LA 70118 > > _______________________________________________ > PlanetKR mailing list > PlanetKR(a)kr.org > https://kr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/planetkr

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Call for Nominations: 2025 ACM/SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award
by Nicholas Mattei 13 Dec '24

13 Dec '24

[Apologies for Multiple Postings] Nominations are solicited for the 2025 ACM SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award. This award is made for excellence in research in the area of autonomous agents. It is intended to recognize researchers in autonomous agents whose current work is an important influence on the field. The award is an official ACM award, funded by an endowment created by ACM SIGAI from the proceeds of previous Autonomous Agents conferences. The recipient of the award will receive a monetary prize and a certificate, and will be invited to present a plenary talk at the AAMAS 2025 conference. How to Nominate Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations should be made by filling out the below google form, and should consist of a short (< 1 page) statement that emphasizes not only the research contributions that the individual has made that merit the award but also how the individual’s current work is an important influence on the field. NOTE: a candidate can only be considered for the award if they are explicitly nominated. If you believe that someone deserves the award, then NOMINATE THEM — don’t assume that somebody else will! For any questions please contact Edith Elkind (Award Chair, <eelkind(a)gmail.com>edith.elkind(a)northwestern.edu) or Nicholas Mattei (SIGAI Vice Chair, nsmattei(a)gmail.com). Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/jud5hniSWtkrENqZ7 <https://forms.gle/jud5hniSWtkrENqZ7> Important Dates - 15 January 2025 — Deadline for nominations - 15 February 2025 — Announcement of winner - 19-23 May 2025 — AAMAS-2025 conference in Detroit, Michigan, USA -- *Nicholas Mattei* Associate Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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2nd Call for Participation for RoboCup Humanoid League – New Submission Deadline
by Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi 11 Dec '24

11 Dec '24

* 2nd Call for Participation – New Submission Deadlines * RoboCup 2025 Humanoid Soccer Competition https://humanoid.robocup.org/ July 15 - 21, 2025, Salvador, Brazil =========================================================== The RoboCup Humanoid League invites teams to apply for participation at the RoboCup 2025 Humanoid Soccer Competition in Salvador, Brazil. The Humanoid League will host competitions in the following categories: * KidSize: 40 - 100cm robot height (FIFA size 1 ball) * AdultSize: 100 - 200cm robot height (FIFA size 5 ball) For more detailed class definitions, please refer to the humanoid league home page at https://humanoid.robocup.org/ Teams do not need to provide a full robot team to apply for competing in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The qualifying round of Drop-In games will be played with only one robot per team. Teams that cannot provide a full team of robots (four robots in KidSize and two in AdultSize) will be grouped to form a playable team for the main tournament games. Teams are also encouraged to form and apply as joint teams. Joint proposals will be judged on their combined merit. In case of a sufficient number of qualified teams, the sub-leagues (KidSize and/or AdultSize) will be divided into League A and League B. Teams are seeded into the leagues based on the results of an initial round of Drop-In games. For the qualification process, teams must provide the following material: 1) Robot Video --------------------------------------- Teams need to provide a video of their robot demonstrating the robots' autonomous soccer playing skills. The recommended skills needed for qualification are: * localization of unknown ball position, * walking ability towards the ball, * robot positioning at the ball for kicking, * kicking the ball towards the goal, * ability of getting up autonomously from a fall (KidSize only) We encourage teams to include in the video more complex and intelligent behavior such as demonstrating localization, and robots playing in a game, recordings from actual soccer matches are admissible. If possible, please provide footage that demonstrates the robot behavior without wires attached. The qualification video must be supplied as a link via YouTube. The maximum duration of the video must not exceed 5 minutes. The qualifying team is responsible to ensure that the video adheres to YouTube's TOS (especially in regard to music copyright) to prevent the video from being blocked for the reviewers. Teams that do not provide a qualification video or a viewable video will not be qualified! 2) Software Description --------------------------------------- During the registration process, a form will be provided to submit details about the algorithms used or anticipated to be used for the participation in the 2025 competition. Algorithms shall be described in such detail that they can be reproduced by other teams. If software from other teams or standard algorithms are used, references need to be included. If the algorithm has been adapted to be used in the competition, those deviations need to be described in appropriate details. The form will include questions in the following areas: * Walking * Vision * Localization * Team Communication * Behavior * Contributions to the RoboCup community, e.g. software releases, paper publications, provision of league infrastructure or data sets Responses to the questions are expected to reflect the current or anticipated status of the software during the RoboCup 2025 competition. If the software has not changed or no changes are anticipated to be made until the competition, teams may copy & paste a response from previously submitted material. 3) Extended Abstract --------------------------------------- A two-page extended abstract must be submitted. For teams which have previously participated in the Humanoid League, the extended abstract needs to: * include lessons learned from the participation in previous RoboCup competitions * highlight major problems that the team is trying to solve for the upcoming competition * outline the plans for the major changes that the teams anticipate to have implemented by the RoboCup 2025 competition * describe the implementation status of the changes planned by the time of submitting the application For teams which have never participated in the RoboCup Humanoid League, the Extended Abstract needs to pitch the scientific aspects of their humanoid robotic system and highlight their research interests. The Extended Abstract is limited to 2 pages maximum and must be submitted in PDF format. Extended Abstracts are designed to highlight the changes and scientific developments since the last RoboCup. Thus, we expect the usage of material from previous TDPs or Extended Abstracts to be minimal. If used, they need to be cited appropriately. Submissions of last year's Extended Abstract will be desk-rejected. The Extended Abstract must follow the LNCS format which can be downloaded from https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…. Teams that do to follow the LNCS formatting and style guidelines will not be qualified. No exceptions to this rule will be made. 4) Robot Specification --------------------------------------- Regardless of the kid or adult size competition, a one-page specification (PDF) must be provided for each different type of humanoid robot used by the team that includes the following: * Robot picture * Robot name * Height of the robot * Weight of the robot * Walking speed in cm/s * Number of degrees of freedom and type of motors on each kinematic chain of the robot * Type of sensors used (incl. type of camera(s) and specific manufacturer part number (e.g. “6-DoF IMU” is NOT an acceptable description)) * Computing unit(s) * Materials (e.g. Torso aluminum, legs and arms CFRP) * Electronics (e.g. CM730 for communicating with servos) * Battery (e.g. 3S1P 2200mAh LiPo) * Open Source link if applicable * Other specs 5) Letter of Commitment --------------------------------------- A one-page letter addressed to the RoboCup Humanoid League Technical Committee including the following: * a statement committing to participate in the RoboCup 2025 Humanoid League competition, * a statement committing to make a person with sufficient knowledge of the rules available as referee during the competition. The letter must be signed (by hand or using a digital signature software as Adobe or DocuSign) by the team leader and submitted either as a JPG, PNG or PDF file. The TC may include the fulfillment of the statement of commitment of participation as well as the performance of the team's referee in previous RoboCup competitions into consideration for qualification. Each application to the Humanoid Soccer Competition will be reviewed by two members of the Technical Committee and two other teams applying to the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The combined reviewing score will decide whether a team qualifies for participation. Reviewing other team's material is mandatory for teams that want to participate in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. Failing to provide an adequate review by the provided deadline will have consequences for the team’s own qualification status. 6) Rules --------------------------------------- The current version of the rules may be found here at the Humanoid League website: https://humanoid.robocup.org/materials/rules/. We expect the final version of the 2025 rules to be published in early spring 2025. 7) Registration --------------------------------------- The following information is required for registration: * Team name * URL of the team's home page * Name of team leader or team contact person * E-mail address of team leader or contact person * Postal address of the team, team leader or contact person * Competition category: Humanoid Soccer Competition KidSize or AdultSize Please note that teams applying for participation in several categories must submit individual application material for each class, and pay the appropriate registration fee for each category. At least one team member must register on each team. Furthermore, teams in different categories must be able to compete, and guarantee to have members acting as referees available independently and at the same time. 8) Plagiarism --------------------------------------- Plagiarism, loosely the unattributed use of other peoples' words, code, and ideas is not tolerated in the RoboCup community. See the point "Publishing Ethics" at https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… for a more detailed description. The teams and team members that plagiarize another peoples' work and present it as their own will be disqualified. For a first offense, the team and team members will be banned from RoboCup competition for two years (usually the current and next year). Harsher penalties will be applied to repeat offenders or extremely serious cases of plagiarism. A team may be disqualified at any time for plagiarism, even after the competition has started. RoboCup will not reimburse teams for any expenses related to their disqualification. 9) Online Submission --------------------------------------- All qualification material must be submitted online at: https://submission.robocuphumanoid.com/login Please be informed that the submission system has been updated and migrated to a new server. Consequently, the system has been reset, and all account information has been deleted. Therefore, it is necessary for all users to create new accounts on the system. 10) Important Dates --------------------------------------- Humanoid Soccer Competition * Submission system open: December 10th, 2024 * Submission deadline: January 31th, 2025 * Team Review Period: February 3rd - 7th, 2025 * Announcement of qualified teams: February 21th, 2025 11) Publication --------------------------------------- Please note that after the announcement of the qualified teams the qualified teams submitted material will be made publicly available on the Humanoid League website. Teams applying for participation, therefore, implicitly grant the right of publication of their qualification material to the Humanoid League. 12) Visa Process --------------------------------------- If you are a citizen of a country that needs a Visa for traveling to the Brazil, please start the VISA process as soon as you receive your notification of qualification. If you are not sure if you're eligible for a VISA-exempt, please consult the official website of the Brazilian government for information, at https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/assuntos/portal-consular/vistos/informacoes-so… (Information is in English below each paragraph in Portuguese). For more information about the humanoid league, please refer to the humanoid league home page at https://humanoid.robocup.org/ and join the humanoid league mailing list at: https://lists.robocup.org/listinfo/robocup-humanoid With best regards, Technical Committee of RoboCup Humanoid League 2025 Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informação anexada, é confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinatários estão autorizados a usá-la. Se você não for o destinatário, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que não há autorização para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer ação baseada no seu conteúdo.

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Invite to official RoboCup Discord server
by Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann 09 Dec '24

09 Dec '24

Dear RoboCup Community, we have set up an official RoboCup Discord server for our community now! Here is the invite link: https://discord.gg/dcFgqFTeCy The aim of the server is not to replace the individual Discord servers and messaging boards that the different leagues created - the idea is to complement them and create an easier possibility to communicate and build bridges between the leagues going forward. It should be a place for you to share your publications, discuss questions related to the next RoboCup events, and get connected with RoboCuppers across leagues. Anyone who is currently participating or interested in RoboCup, is planning to participate in the future or is a RoboCup alumni is welcome to join. Once on the server, please read the rules in the #rules channel and use the "Channels & Roles" on top of the channel list to assign yourself your roles related to the league(s) and region you participate in to see relevant content. Cheers Maike

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[meetings] [news] The 2nd Earth Rover Challenge -- ICRA 2025 Competition
by Xuesu Xiao 07 Dec '24

07 Dec '24

Dear roboticists, do you want to compete with human gamers and AI agents in an around-the-world real life Mario Kart game? The Earth Rover Challenge is back at ICRA 2025!!! It is a first of its kind "AI vs Humans" distributed robotics competition where human gamers and AI models compete to solve real-world navigation challenges across the world, where your policies will be deployed in realistic goal-oriented navigation scenarios, potentially without known maps. As a participant, team, you'll get: -- standardized training data (>7k hours of real-world teleop driving data collected from 20+ cities) -- sponsored robot hardware, (2 x Earth Rover Mini (https://shop.frodobots.com/) for your own testing) -- access to global fleet of sidewalk robots for real-world evaluation of your models (in 20+ cities across 6 continents) -- compute resources assistance (8x H100s shared among teams) -- well-tested SDK (https://github.com/frodobots-org/earth-rovers-sdk) to connect your model to the robots In addition: -- no requirement to physically attend ICRA in Atlanta to compete (as your models will be hosted in the cloud while remotely controlling robots in various cities) -- anonymous entry allowed (i.e., only competition co-organizers will know your team's identity - mainly needed to coordinate testing trials before competition) For more context, this is what happened at the 1st Earth Rover Challenge held at IROS 2024 in Abu Dhabi (https://x.com/frodobots/status/1850426432142573937). Please fill out this form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfu6HbS1-ppK5FVARtwDwTYs7FcH5SRL4x…) by January 10 2025 to express your interest in participating, and we'll be in touch with more info. Thanks, ERC2025 Organizing Committee -------- Competition Website: https://sites.google.com/view/the-earth-rover-challenge/ Organizing Committee Email: erc2025-organizers(a)googlegroups.com Organizing Team: FrodoBots (Michael Cho, Niresh Dravin, Santiago Pravisani), Google DeepMind (Jie Tan, Dhruv Shah, Ted Xiao, Wenhao Yu, Tingnan Zhang, Zhuo Xu), National University of Singapore (David Hsu), Georgia Tech (Naoki Yokoyama), George Mason University (Xuesu Xiao), Meta (Joanne Truong) --------- Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/ https://robotixx.cs.gmu.edu/

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RoboCup German Open 2025 - Call for participation - Major Leagues
by Ferrein, Alexander Antoine 04 Dec '24

04 Dec '24

RoboCup German Open 2025 Call for Participation - Major Leagues https://robocup.de/german-open NürnbergMesse, Frankenhalle, Germany The 22nd RoboCup German Open 2025 will take place from March 12-16 in Nuremberg. Nuremberg, the second largest city in Bavaria, combines medieval charm with modern vitality. The city is known for its iconic castle, half-timbered houses and old city walls and has great historical significance. The city flourishes as a cultural and innovative centre where history and modern life coexist in a wonderful way. Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to take part in the event. ---------------------------- RoboCup Major Leagues (international teams) ———————————-------------- After the team setup on March 12th, the competitions will take place from 13 to 16 March 2025 in the following main leagues: • RoboCupSoccer Standard Platform League • RoboCupSoccer Humanoid League (KidSize and AdultSize) • RoboCupSoccer Small Size League • RoboCupRescue Robot League • RoboCupIndustrial Logistics League • RoboCupIndustrial @Work League • RoboCup@Home Open Platform League Registration opens *** December 15, 2024 *** Registration deadline *** January 31st, 2025 *** Late registration deadline (team members only) *** February 28th, 2025 *** When registration opens, visit https://register.robocup.de to register your RoboCup Major League team. Details on the registration (fee, rules, travel) are available on the website. Teams are advised to make their own accommodation arrangements as early as possible, as places are limited before March 13. ---------------------------- RoboCup Junior (German teams) —————————————————----------------------- From March 13-16, 2025 the final event of the German RoboCupJunior Championship will be held at RoboCup German Open 2025 in Nuremberg. The best teams that have qualified in the eight previous German qualifying tournaments will take part. The best German Junior teams in the 2025 German Junior Final will qualify for RoboCup 2025 in Brazil and for the European RoboCupJunior Competition 2025 in Italy. ----------------------------- Organization Committee ———————————————————————------------------------ • Oskar von Stryk (General Chair) • Stefan May (Local Chair) • Alexander Ferrein (German RoboCup Committee, Spokesperson Major) The Major Leagues Organizing Committee: • Heinrich Mellmann (Standard Platform League) • Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann (Humanoid League) • Nicolai Ommer (Small Size League) • Johannes Pellenz, Stefan May, Thomas Sander (Rescue Robot League & RMRC) • Sven Wachsmuth (@Home League) • Alexander Ferrein (Logistics League) • Christoph Steup (@Work League) ---------------------------- Co-located Events ———————————————————————————--------------------------- Parallel to the RoboCup German Open 2025 the first German Robotics Conference organized by the newly established Robotics Institute Germany (RIG) will take place. The conference will bring together the leading German researchers in AI-based robotics. Also in parallel, the Freizeit Messe will take place, which is one of Germany's largest leisure and lifestyle fairs. It attracts about 70.000 visitors each year. Many participants from both events are expected to visit RoboCup German Open 2025. ---------------------------- Important dates -------------------------------------------------------- • 2024-12-15 Major teams early registration starts • 2025-01-31 Major teams registration deadline, team member registration deadline • 2025-02-28 Late registration deadline (team members only) • 2025-03-12 Set-up day Major League teams • 2025-03-13 to 16 Competition days • 2025-03-16 Major and Junior finals The event is open to the public during all days from 9 am to 5 pm ----------------------------- Contact --------------------------------------------------------------- Please contact germanopen(a)robocup.de for any questions. See you all at the 22nd RoboCup German Open 2025! Best regards, German RoboCup Committee ---------------------------------- Acknowledgment -------------------------------------------------- The RoboCup German Open 2025 are supported by the German Federal Ministry for Research and Education (BMBF) within the Robotics Institute Germany under grant number 16ME1001.

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[meetings] [news] The 4th Benchmark for Autonomous Robot Navigation (BARN) Challenge -- ICRA 2025 Competition
by Xuesu Xiao 03 Dec '24

03 Dec '24

Submission Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYFw_BVg-7lpXNVxQIX_xQKpFrU2m4jrX… Competition Website: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge25.html Participation Instructions: https://github.com/Daffan/nav-competition-icra2022 Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2024: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn24_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2023: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn23_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2022: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn22_report.pdf Dear roboticists, are you interested in agile robot navigation in highly constrained spaces with a lot of obstacles around, e.g., cluttered households or after-disaster scenarios? Do you think mobile robot navigation is mostly a solved problem? Are you looking for a hands-on project for your robotics class, but may not have (sufficient) robot platforms for your students? If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, we sincerely invite you to participate in The 4th BARN Challenge at ICRA 2025 (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge25.html)! The BARN Challenge aims at evaluating state-of-the-art autonomous navigation systems to move robots through highly constrained environments in a safe and efficient manner. The task is to navigate a standardized Clearpath Jackal robot from a predefined start to a goal location as quickly as possible without any collision. The challenge will take place both in the simulated BARN dataset and in physical obstacle courses at ICRA 2025. 1. The competition task is designing ground navigation systems to navigate through all 300 BARN environments (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN/BARN.html) and physical obstacle courses constructed at ICRA 2025 as fast as possible without collision. 2. The 300 BARN environments can be the training set for learning-based methods, or to design classical approaches in. During the simulation competition, we will generate another 50 unseen environments unavailable to the participants before the competition. 3. We will standardize a Jackal robot in the Gazebo simulation, including a Hokuyo 2D LiDAR, motor controller of 2m/s max speed, etc. 4. Participants can use any approaches to tackle the navigation problem, such as using classical sampling-based or optimization-based planners, end-to-end learning, or hybrid approaches. We will provide baselines for reference. 5. A standardized scoring system is provided on the website. 6. We will invite the top teams in simulation to compete in the real world. The team who achieves the fastest collision-free navigation in the physical obstacle courses wins. If you are interested in participating, please submit your navigation system at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYFw_BVg-7lpXNVxQIX_xQKpFrU2m4jrX… Co-Organizers: Xuesu Xiao (George Mason University) Zifan Xu (UT Austin) Aniket Datar (George Mason University) Saad Abdul Ghani (George Mason University) Peter Stone (UT Austin / Sony AI) Sponsor: Clearpath Robotics, https://clearpathrobotics.com/ Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/ https://robotixx.cs.gmu.edu/

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[jobs] robotics technician (software oriented) at Constructor University Bremen
by Andreas Birk 18 Nov '24

18 Nov '24

Dear all, there is an opening for a robotics technician at Constructor University Bremen, Germany: https://constructoruniversity.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Careers/details… The position is software oriented, i.e., good knowledge of ROS, ideally ROS2 is essential. The position gives you the opportunity to support and engage in research and education with a wide range of devices including robot arms, service robots, marine robots, and even high-velocity autonomous driving with a full-sized race-car. Constructor University Bremen is an international, research oriented institution. The language of education and interaction on campus is English. Applications must be submitted via the link provided above. Kind regards, Andreas Birk -- ================================================================================ Prof. Dr. Andreas Birk ================================================================================ Constructor University Robotics Group Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany https://robotics.constructor.university/ ================================================================================ Commercial registry: Amtsgericht Bremen, HRB 18117 Chairs of the Executive Board (Vorsitzende der Geschäftsführung): Dr. Stanislav Protasov (President/Präsident), Oznur Bell (Chancellor/Kanzlerin) Managing Director (Geschäftsführung): Prof. Dr. Thomas Auf der Heyde Chairman of the Board of Governors (Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender): Dr. Serg Bell ================================================================================

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PhD Position in Field Robotics
by Gerald Steinbauer-Wagner 11 Nov '24

11 Nov '24

My team is looking for a skilled and motivated PhD student for the development and implementation of navigation methods with passive sensor technology for trucks in challenging off-road environments. Your Responsibilities: * further development and implementation of navigation methods with passive sensor technology for trucks in challenging off-road environments * conducting and analyzing field tests * writing scientific publications Contributing to current and future project proposals * coordination with project partners Support in writing project reports * supervision of Bachelor's or Master's theses Your Profile Completed Master's or Diploma Degree in Robotics, Control Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or completion of an equivalent degree from a university or college. Desired Qualification * Experience with Autonomous Mobile Robots * Experience with Automated Navigation/Automated Driving in Off-road Environments * Experience with Vehicle Control Systems * Experience with Machine Learning in the Field of Perception and Control * Experience with Software Development for Robotic Systems (especially with ROS) * Social, Communication, and Didactic Competence * Team Player * Very good written and spoken English If you are interested don't hesitate to get in touch with Prof. Gerald Steinbauer-Wagner (steinbauer(a)ist.tugraz.at) or have a look at the job portal of the Graz University of Technology. Please note that applications can only be submitted via the job portal. Job Portal: https://jobs.tugraz.at/en/jobs/51844faf-17db-e156-1919-6727a99d092f

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[jobs] The RobotiXX lab at GMU is hiring postdoctoral researchers
by Xuesu Xiao 08 Nov '24

08 Nov '24

Dear roboticists, the RobotiXX lab (https://robotixx.cs.gmu.edu/) at the Department of Computer Science, George Mason University in the Washington D.C. area (https://www.gmu.edu/) is looking for postdoctoral researchers. The positions can start anytime from now and are expected to last one year, with possible renewal pending funding availability. At RobotiXX lab, we perform robotics research at the intersection of motion planning and machine learning, with a specific focus on deployable field robotics. A few of our recent focuses include, but are not limited to, off-road mobility and autonomy, social robot navigation, multi-robot coordination, vision-based navigation, self-supervised learning for robotics, task and motion planning, as well as human robot interaction. Candidates with relevant experience in robotics, motion planning, and machine learning are encouraged to apply. Hands-on knowledge in robotics hardware, field experience, and a good publication record is strongly preferred. The selected candidates will conduct independent research to develop highly capable and intelligent mobile robots that are robustly deployable in the real world with minimal human supervision, publish papers in top-tier robotics conferences and journals, and advise graduate and undergraduate students in the RobotiXX lab. To apply, please send a single PDF of the following documents to Dr. Xuesu Xiao, Assistant Professor (xiao(a)gmu.edu): 1. cover letter, 2. curriculum vitae, 3. three references, 4. relevant publications, 5. other relevant materials, with the subject line “[postdoc] YOUR AFFILIATION - YOUR NAME”. For more information, please see the lab’s website (https://robotixx.cs.gmu.edu/), research statement (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/xuesu_website_files/Research_Statement.pdf), and YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCePdJzWg35eml4WRGkX3GQ). Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/

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Call for Participation - RoboCup Humanoide Competition 2025 @ Salvador, Brazil.
by Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi 04 Nov '24

04 Nov '24

* Call for Participation * RoboCup 2025 Humanoid Soccer Competition https://humanoid.robocup.org/ July 15 - 21, 2025, Salvador, Brazil =========================================================== The RoboCup Humanoid League invites teams to apply for participation at the RoboCup 2025 Humanoid Soccer Competition in Salvador, Brazil. The Humanoid League will host competitions in the following categories: * KidSize: 40 - 100cm robot height (FIFA size 1 ball) * AdultSize: 100 - 200cm robot height (FIFA size 5 ball) For more detailed class definitions, please refer to the humanoid league home page at https://humanoid.robocup.org/. Teams do not need to provide a full robot team to apply for competing in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The qualifying round of Drop-In games will be played with only one robot per team. Teams that cannot provide a full team of robots (four robots in KidSize and two in AdultSize) will be grouped to form a playable team for the main tournament games. Teams are also encouraged to form and apply as joint teams. Joint proposals will be judged on their combined merit. In case of a sufficient number of qualified teams, the sub-leagues (KidSize and/or AdultSize) will be divided into League A and League B. Teams are seeded into the leagues based on the results of an initial round of Drop-In games. For the qualification process, teams must provide the following material: 1) Robot Video --------------------------------------- Teams need to provide a video of their robot demonstrating the robots' autonomous soccer playing skills. The recommended skills needed for qualification are: * localization of unknown ball position, * walking ability towards the ball, * robot positioning at the ball for kicking, * kicking the ball towards the goal, * ability of getting up autonomously from a fall (KidSize only) We encourage teams to include in the video more complex and intelligent behavior such as demonstrating localization, and robots playing in a game, recordings from actual soccer matches are admissible. If possible, please provide footage that demonstrates the robot behavior without wires attached. The qualification video must be supplied as a link via YouTube. The maximum duration of the video must not exceed 5 minutes. The qualifying team is responsible to ensure that the video adheres to YouTube's TOS (especially in regard to music copyright) to prevent the video from being blocked for the reviewers. Teams that do not provide a qualification video or a viewable video will not be qualified! 2) Software Description --------------------------------------- During the registration process, a form will be provided to submit details about the algorithms used or anticipated to be used for the participation in the 2025 competition. Algorithms shall be described in such detail that they can be reproduced by other teams. If software from other teams or standard algorithms are used, references need to be included. If the algorithm has been adapted to be used in the competition, those deviations need to be described in appropriate details. The form will include questions in the following areas: * Walking * Vision * Localization * Team Communication * Behavior * Contributions to the RoboCup community, e.g. software releases, paper publications, provision of league infrastructure or data sets Responses to the questions are expected to reflect the current or anticipated status of the software during the RoboCup 2025 competition. If the software has not changed or no changes are anticipated to be made until the competition, teams may copy & paste a response from previously submitted material. 3) Extended Abstract --------------------------------------- A two-page extended abstract must be submitted. For teams which have previously participated in the Humanoid League, the extended abstract needs to: * include lessons learned from the participation in previous RoboCup competitions * highlight major problems that the team is trying to solve for the upcoming competition * outline the plans for the major changes that the teams anticipate to have implemented by the RoboCup 2025 competition * describe the implementation status of the changes planned by the time of submitting the application For teams which have never participated in the RoboCup Humanoid League, the Extended Abstract needs to pitch the scientific aspects of their humanoid robotic system and highlight their research interests. The Extended Abstract is limited to 2 pages maximum and must be submitted in PDF format. Extended Abstracts are designed to highlight the changes and scientific developments since the last RoboCup. Thus, we expect the usage of material from previous TDPs or Extended Abstracts to be minimal. If used, they need to be cited appropriately. Submissions of last year's Extended Abstract will be desk-rejected. The Extended Abstract must follow the LNCS format which can be downloaded from https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…. Teams that do to follow the LNCS formatting and style guidelines will not be qualified. No exceptions to this rule will be made. 4) Robot Specification --------------------------------------- Regardless of the kid or adult size competition, a one-page specification (PDF) must be provided for each different type of humanoid robot used by the team that includes the following: * Robot picture * Robot name * Height of the robot * Weight of the robot * Walking speed in cm/s * Number of degrees of freedom and type of motors on each kinematic chain of the robot * Type of sensors used (incl. type of camera(s) and specific manufacturer part number (e.g. “6-DoF IMU” is NOT an acceptable description)) * Computing unit(s) * Materials (e.g. Torso aluminum, legs and arms CFRP) * Electronics (e.g. CM730 for communicating with servos) * Battery (e.g. 3S1P 2200mAh LiPo) * Open Source link if applicable * Other specs 5) Letter of Commitment --------------------------------------- A one-page letter addressed to the RoboCup Humanoid League Technical Committee including the following: * a statement committing to participate in the RoboCup 2025 Humanoid League competition, * a statement committing to make a person with sufficient knowledge of the rules available as referee during the competition. The letter must be signed (by hand or using a digital signature software as Adobe or DocuSign) by the team leader and submitted either as a JPG, PNG or PDF file. The TC may include the fulfillment of the statement of commitment of participation as well as the performance of the team's referee in previous RoboCup competitions into consideration for qualification. Each application to the Humanoid Soccer Competition will be reviewed by two members of the Technical Committee and two other teams applying to the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The combined reviewing score will decide whether a team qualifies for participation. Reviewing other team's material is mandatory for teams that want to participate in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. Failing to provide an adequate review by the provided deadline will have consequences for the team’s own qualification status. 6) Rules --------------------------------------- The current version of the rules may be found here at the Humanoid League website: https://humanoid.robocup.org/materials/rules/. We expect the final version of the 2025 rules to be published in early spring 2025. 7) Registration --------------------------------------- The following information is required for registration: * Team name * URL of the team's home page * Name of team leader or team contact person * E-mail address of team leader or contact person * Postal address of the team, team leader or contact person * Competition category: Humanoid Soccer Competition KidSize or AdultSize Please note that teams applying for participation in several categories must submit individual application material for each class, and pay the appropriate registration fee for each category. At least one team member must register on each team. Furthermore, teams in different categories must be able to compete, and guarantee to have members acting as referees available independently and at the same time. 8) Plagiarism ======================================= Plagiarism, loosely the unattributed use of other peoples' words, code, and ideas is not tolerated in the RoboCup community. See the point "Publishing Ethics" at https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… for a more detailed description. The teams and team members that plagiarize another peoples' work and present it as their own will be disqualified. For a first offense, the team and team members will be banned from RoboCup competition for two years (usually the current and next year). Harsher penalties will be applied to repeat offenders or extremely serious cases of plagiarism. A team may be disqualified at any time for plagiarism, even after the competition has started. RoboCup will not reimburse teams for any expenses related to their disqualification. 9) Online Submission ======================================= All qualification material must be submitted online. The submission site is still under development and will be made available on the next days. 10) Important Dates ======================================= Humanoid Soccer Competition * Submission system open: November 17th, 2024 * Submission deadline: December 13th, 2024 * Team Review Period: December 16th - December 20th, 2024 * Announcement of qualified teams: January 17th, 2025 11) Publication ======================================= Please note that after the announcement of the qualified teams the qualified teams submitted material will be made publicly available on the Humanoid League website. Teams applying for participation, therefore, implicitly grant the right of publication of their qualification material to the Humanoid League. 12) Visa Process ======================================= If you are a citizen of a country that needs a Visa for traveling to the Netherlands, please start the VISA process as soon as you receive your notification of qualification. If you are not sure if you're eligible for a VISA-exempt, please consult the official website of the Brazilian government for information, at https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/assuntos/portal-consular/vistos/informacoes-so…. For more information about the humanoid league, please refer to the humanoid league home page at https://humanoid.robocup.org/ and join the humanoid league mailing list at: https://lists.robocup.org/listinfo/robocup-humanoid With best regards, Technical Committee of RoboCup Humanoid League 2025 Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informação anexada, é confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinatários estão autorizados a usá-la. Se você não for o destinatário, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que não há autorização para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer ação baseada no seu conteúdo.

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[jobs] Robotics Faculty Position - The University of Texas at Austin
by Peter Stone 13 Oct '24

13 Oct '24

Dear Colleagues, Texas Robotics at the University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor with a tenure home in the Mechanical Engineering depatment. Outstanding candidates in all areas of Robotics will be considered, with emphasis on novel hardware and control techniques. Tenure-track positions require a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in a relevant area at the time of employment. Successful candidates are expected to pursue an active research program, to teach both graduate and undergraduate courses, and to supervise students in research. The University is fully committed to building a world-class faculty and we welcome candidates who resonate with our core values of learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Candidates who are committed to broadening participation in robotics, at all levels, are strongly encouraged. The current robotics faculty includes representatives from several departments who work to advance fundamental scientific and engineering knowledge in areas such as intelligent navigation and manipulation, robot learning, multi-robot systems, and human-robot interaction, as well as on numerous applications including social, rehabilitation, surgery, autonomous vehicles, manufacturing, space, nuclear, and defense. Full details on our program are available at http://robotics.utexas.edu. The group recently moved into a custom-renovated historic building at the center of campus. To be considered for a position, please apply to the Mechanical Engineering department: - https://me.utexas.edu/people/faculty-jobs In addition, to ensure that your application is connected with the robotics search, please send your cover letter and CV, along with an indication of the position you applied for to: faculty_jobs_robotics(a)utlists.utexas.edu Please note, this list is used for data collection purposes; inquires may not be actively monitored. Complete applications that are submitted by November 15th will be considered. Robotics applications will be reviewed as they are received. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible for full consideration. ___ Professor Peter Stone Truchard Foundation Chair in Computer Science University Distinguished Teaching Professor Director, Texas Robotics Associate Chair, Department of Computer Science office: 512-471-9796 The University of Texas at Austin mobile: 512-810-3373 2317 Speedway, Stop D9500 pstone(a)cs.utexas.edu Austin, Texas 78712-1757 USA http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~pstone

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[Meetings] IROS workshop on Benchmarking Autonomous Service Robotics in Real Life
by Katarzyna Pasternak 09 Oct '24

09 Oct '24

=========================================================== Workshop on Benchmarking Autonomous Service Robotics in Real Life =========================================================== 2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems October 15th 2024, Abu Dhabi, UAE https://sites.google.com/view/iros-2024-benchmarking-asr ______________________________________________________________ Dear RoboCup Community, We are pleased to invite you to participate in the IROS workshop on *Benchmarking Autonomous Service Robotics in Real Life* that will take place on *Tuesday, October 15th 2024 in ADNEC, Abu Dhabi, UAE. *The workshop will be located in conference *room 8 *from *8:00am till 12:00pm*. We will be hosting talks by invited speakers, break-out discussion sessions as well as a poster session. You can find more details in the abstract below as well as at our website <https://sites.google.com/view/iros-2024-benchmarking-asr>. We are looking forward to meeting you there! Best regards, The Organizers - Justin Hart, University of Texas - Austin, USA - Matteo Leonetti, King's College London, UK - Katarzyna Pasternak, University of Miami, USA - Komei Sugiura, Keio University, Japan - Ubbo Visser, University of Miami, USA - Sven Wachsmuth, University of Bielefeld, Germany ------------------------------------ Abstract: Autonomous service robots are increasingly prevalent in real-world settings, assuming various roles to supplement human capabilities. Mobile platforms such as Walker, H1, Cobiot, TIAGo, and Figure-01 have captured the interest of non-expert users, eager to integrate robots into everyday environments. With this growing presence, researchers must consider various aspects of integrating robots within inhabited spaces, including factors such as verbal and nonverbal communication, social behavior and navigation, or robot morphologies. The expansion of research in this domain poses the challenge of developing new benchmarks to assess performance realistically beyond the confines of research laboratories. This workshop aims to foster dialogue surrounding the future of research and its benchmarking in autonomous service robotics. Using keynotes, participants, and organizers’ experiences of real-world robotic competitions, we plan to steer the conversation to address core components of recent advancements and put forth a set of voluntary draft guidelines for autonomous service roboticists concerning test procedures and benchmarking. The sessions' results will be synthesized into a set of draft frameworks for setting realistic testing scenarios and utilizing them in testing and benchmarking. This workshop seeks to enhance the reporting standards within real-world autonomous robotics research and propel the field toward more structured research practices.

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[CFP] IAS-19 Preliminary Call for Papers and Call for Special Sessions
by Arnoud Visser 01 Oct '24

01 Oct '24

(See below for the call for special sessions.) IAS-19 Preliminary Call for Papers We are pleased to invite you to contribute to the 19th International Conference on Intelligent Autonomous Systems (IAS-19, www.ias-19.org<http://www.ias-19.org/>), which will be held in Genoa, Italy, from June 30 to July 4, 2025. Since the first edition in 1985, IAS has been a venue for original, novel, and innovative papers with a theoretical or experimental flavor. For IAS-19, we look for papers centered around the theme "Ethical, Responsible, and Inclusive Robotics". Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): Mobile Robots Collaborative Robots/Cobots Robots for Industry 4.0 Household Robots Humanoid Robots Climbing Robots Outdoor and Field Robots Autonomous Vehicles Healthcare Robots Flying Robots On-Water/Underwater Robots Robot Swarms Biomimetic Robots Long-Term Autonomous Systems Intelligent Machines Cognitive Architectures for Robots Human-Robot-Interaction Software Architectures for Robots Cloud Robotics Robot Vision Tactile Sensing Intelligent Sensors and Systems Neuromorphic Sensing Semantic Modeling Data Fusion and Machine Learning Obstacle Avoidance Localization and SLAM Knowledge Representation and Reasoning Planning Task-Motion Planning Robot Foundation Models Vision and Language Models Robot Simulations Mechatronics for Intelligent Systems All contributed papers will go through a rigorous peer-review process, which will be managed by Editors, Associated Editors, and Reviewers. Each manuscript will be reviewed by at least two reviewers. If a paper will be accepted, the authors should submit a revised final version reflecting reviewers' comments, and present their paper orally and in presence. All accepted and presented papers will be published in the conference proceedings, and a post-proceedings book will be published by Springer, as is customary for IAS conferences. A limited number of authors will be invited to submit an extended version of their papers for a special issue of Robotics and Autonomous Systems, published by Elsevier. Proposals for special sessions, workshops, and tutorials are strongly encouraged. Workshops and tutorials will be scheduled on 30/6/2025. Important dates 15/12/2024 > Deadline for proposals for workshops, and tutorials 15/1/2025 > Notification for proposals for workshops and tutorials 15/2/2025 > Deadline for papers submission 15/4/2025 > Papers acceptance notification 15/5/2025 > Papers final submission 30/6/2025 - 4/7/2025 > IAS-19 in Genoa, Italy A call made on behalf of all IAS-19 General and Program Chairs Fulvio Mastrogiovanni, University of Genoa, Italy Francesco Amigoni, Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy Takahashi Masaki, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan Jing Xiao, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA Arnoud Visser, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands HIGHLIGHTS: IAS-19 Call for Special Sessions Methods and technologies to design and develop intelligent and autonomous systems have advanced remarkably in the past few years, with the rapid development of critical and foundational approaches in robotics and artificial intelligence. Intelligent and autonomous systems are being deployed in various scenarios, such as nuclear power plants, defense, agriculture, industrial safety, aerospace, construction, and unmanned vehicles. Special sessions are the ideal venues to highlight selected topics, spark debates, and narrow down applications of intelligent and autonomous systems, especially connected to innovative emerging areas of interest related to the main conference topics. We look for proposals for special sessions featuring emerging topics in intelligent and autonomous systems. In particular, we welcome submissions of proposals taking into account the conference theme, that is, "Ethical, Responsible, and Inclusive Robotics", along with scientific, methodological, and technological advances. A special session will consist of 4 papers. Please send proposals for special sessions by email at contact(a)ias-19.org<mailto:contact@ias-19.org>. Each proposal must include (a) the special session title, (b) the list of organizers with contact information, (c) a brief statement of purpose for the session, and (d) a list of potential contributors. Special Sessions Chairs will review the submitted proposals. Papers addressed to approved special sessions will be provided with a session code and will undergo the same review process as regular papers. Special session organizers can be involved in the review process and in the final decisions. Also, they will be offered a gift voucher as a sign of gratitude. Important dates 15/11/2024 > Deadline for proposals for special sessions 30/11/2024 > Notification for proposals for special sessions IAS-19 Special Session Chairs Alessandra Sciutti, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy Jun Ota, The University of Tokyo, Japan Stefano Carpin, University of California Merced, CA, USA

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Call For Participation: HCOMP 2024 for the PACE Workshop: Participatory AI for Community Engagement
by Nicholas Mattei 24 Sep '24

24 Sep '24

🚀 Join us at HCOMP 2024 for the PACE Workshop: Participatory AI for Community Engagement! We are happy to announce the upcoming PACE Workshop and invite researchers from all fields working on participatory approaches for public sector responsible AI. 📅 Date: October 16–19, 2024 (Exact day will be announced soon) 📍 Venue: HCOMP 2024 at Pittsburgh, PA 💡 Submission Categories: - Work-in-progress papers: Present initial research findings or innovative ideas in the early stages of development. - Position papers: Offer literature reviews, reveal systematic shortcomings, or propose new Responsible AI solutions for the public sector. - Artifact papers: Include software, prototypes, pictorials, etc., described in an accompanying short paper. All submissions should be 5000 words or less (excluding references and appendices). 🔍 Workshop Highlights: - Keynote by a leading community organization in public sector AI - Paper sessions presenting cutting-edge research - Interactive discussion activities on auditing and accessibility in AI 📢 Submission Deadline: Oct 4, 2024 For more details and to submit your work, visit our website: https://tulanecs.github.io/PACE/. Submissions can be made through CMT portal: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/PACE2024/Submission/Index -- *Nicholas Mattei* Associate Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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[ICFNDS 2024-CFP] The 8th International Conference on Future Networks & Distributed Systems
by samir ouchani 16 Sep '24

16 Sep '24

*************************************************************************** CALL FOR PAPERS *************************************************************************** (Apologies if you receive multiple copies of this CFP) The 8th International Conference on Future Networks & Distributed Systems (ICFNDS 2024) https://icfnds.org/ Dec 11-12, 2024, Marrakech, Morocco ICFNDS proceedings will be submitted for publication as part of ACM's International Conference Proceedings Series (ICPS) IMPORTANT DATES ---------------------------- Final Paper Submission due: Oct 20, 2024 Notification of Acceptance: Nov 1, 2024 Camera Ready Paper due: Nov 10, 2024 Authors Registration Deadline: December 1, 2024 Conference: December 11 - 12, 2024 In the last decade, the growth of the Internet and other web technologies have driven fast developments of various networking technologies that are becoming primary parts of our daily lives. The wealth of existing algorithms and architectures for parallel and distributed computing combined with the proliferation of future wireless technologies and electronic devices resulted in a fast-growing adoption of future networks and highly decentralized systems. Future networks and distributed systems research is an interdisciplinary research field involving academic researchers in computer science, communication engineering, physics and social and behavioral studies, as well as information technology industry consultants and practitioners to support multiservice, multimedia services convergence, service ubiquity and context awareness, mobility, fixed-mobile convergence, variable connectivity, quality of service, spontaneous and autonomic networking and other capabilities. The 2024 International Conference on Future Networks and Distributed Systems (ICFNDS 2024) aims at addressing advances in research on distributed systems and future networks, covering topics ranging from enabling technologies to emerging applications and industrial experiences. ICFNDS aims to encourage both researchers and practitioners to exchange and share their experiences and recent studies in an interactive atmosphere. The 2023 ICFNDS meeting was held in Dubai, UAE. The 2022 ICFNDS meeting was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The 2021 ICFNDS meeting was held online due to the pandemic. The 2020 ICFNDS meeting was held in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 2019 ICFNDS meeting was held at The University of Paris Sud, France. The 2018 ICFNDS meeting was held at The Middle East University, Amman, Jordan. The 2017 ICFNDS meeting was held at The Møller Centre, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Authors are solicited to contribute original, unpublished contributions in all aspects of future networking and distributed systems. Submitted articles must not be concurrently considered elsewhere for publication. TOPICS ----------- Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Future Networks - Artificial Intelligence-enabled communications - Machine/deep Learning for communication networks - Future Internet - Future generation communication networks - Future warehousing - Multi-Cores, virtualization - Clusters and grid computing - Web-services and SOA - 6G, 5G, LTE, LTE-Advanced, WLAN, WPAN - Small cell networks - Cognitive radio network - QoE, QoS, SLA, and GoS - Heterogeneous networks - Wireless, VLC and LED communication - CCN/CDN/ICN/Delay-tolerant networks - Software-Defined Networking (SDN) - Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) - Future network platforms, software and services - Network theory and network science - Intelligent Internet communication - Mobile computing - Peer-to-peer, optical and Interconnection networks - Network routing and communication algorithms - Security, reliability and fault-tolerance - Network security 2. Cloud, Distributed and Parallel systems - Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and blockchains - Parallel and distributed architectures - Theory of parallel and distributed computing - Parallel algorithms and their implementation - Resource allocation and management - Task mapping and job scheduling - Distributed data and knowledge-based systems - Database applications and data mining - Web technologies - Performance evaluation and measurements - Wireless networks and Protocols - Optimization - Language, compilers and operating systems - Reusability and scheduling - Formal methods and programming languages - Modelling and simulation - Crowdsourcing and cloud computing - Big data networks and data center architecture 3. Internet of Things - Data collection, deep learning, reality mining, and prediction methods - Real-time decision-making and information extraction - Methods for seamless human-to-object and object-to-object interactions - Advanced manufacturing and logistics with IoT - Evaluation of challenges of real-world deployments of Industrial Internet and GS1 - Information architecture design on field device, edge device and servers in cloud - Transitioning functional and processing allocation across system entities - Advanced data capturing and networking technology - Object identification and access - Interoperability of IoT systems - Service and device discovery - Synchronization of distributed directory systems. - Semantic data description frameworks - Data sharing and acceptance of IoT Systems - Data security, authentication and authorization - Privacy protection, data sharing technologies, tampering protection and detection - Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) - Smart cities and services - Case studies in the deployment of IoT applications/services in the area of accessibility - Wearable technology for independent living - Pervasive platforms and applications for assisted living 4. General Conference Track Future networks and distributed systems papers that do not fit the above tracks can be submitted to the general conference track. Subjects of interest include, but not limited to: - Cybersecurity and darknet - Artificial intelligence - Smart infrastructure - Vehicular Networks - Digital Twins PAPER SUBMISSION ----------------------------- The online submission is now open. All submissions must be made online from the hosted by Microsoft CMT. Email submissions will NOT be accepted. You need to have a CMT account to submit your papers. If you need to edit any author information or resubmit your paper, it may be done up until the submission deadline. Use the author account you created during the initial submission, to edit or resubmit. Please read the Submission Instructions before submitting your paper to the system. You can submit your paper through the following link: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/ICFNDS2024 Make sure to read the detailed author guidelines (http://www.acm.org/publications/proceedings-template) BEFORE you create your submission. All paper submissions (5 - 12 pages including references) should be written in English. The ACM Word submission template is available to all ACM authors from here: World Submission Template (https://www.acm.org/publications/taps/word-template-workflow) The ACM LaTeX template on the Overleaf platform is available to all ACM authors at (remember to remove ",authordraft" from "\documentclass[sigconf,authordraft]{acmart}"): https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/association-for-computing-machiner… The current ACM proceedings templates in Word and LaTeX formats can be downloaded from (http://www.acm.org/publications/proceedings-template). If you have any problems with the templates, please contact ACM’s TeX support team at Aptara (acmtexsupport(a)aptaracorp.com<mailto:acmtexsupport@aptaracorp.com>). The TPC chairs may immediately reject submissions that violate the formatting requirements. The submission system can report some formatting violations in papers that you upload. You can also visually inspect a page-by-page report of your paper format using this online tool. Please note that ICFNDS 2023 proceedings will be published by ACM ICPS and therefore all the policies and regulations of ACM ICPS will be applied as detailed in the (ACM Publication Policies: http://www.acm.org/publications/policies/toc). Each paper must deal with original and unpublished work, not submitted for publication elsewhere (copyright problems fall entirely under the responsibility of the authors). Each paper will be reviewed by at least three experts in the relevant field based on its originality, timeliness, significance, relevance, and clarity of presentation ensuring the publication of only top-quality contributions. When a paper is accepted at least one of the authors has to register for the conference and deliver the related talk. GENERAL CHAIRS -------------------------- - Prof. Abderrahim Ait Wakrime, Mohammed V University, Morocco - Prof. Akram Idani, Grenoble Alpes University, France PROGRAM COMMITTEE CHAIRS ---------------------------------------------- - Dr. Samir OUCHANI, CESI LINEACT UR 7527, France - Dr. Nigel Houlden, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK PUBLICITY CHAIRS ---------------------------- - Dr. Farag Azzedin, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia ORGANIZING COMMITTEE -------------------------------------- - Prof. Yassine Ouhammou, LIAS/ISAE-ENSMA, France - Prof. Khaoula Boukir, Ibn Tofaïl University, Morocco

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Final Call for Participation: ADT 2024 -- The 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory
by Nicholas Mattei 12 Sep '24

12 Sep '24

All [Apologies for multiple postings] The 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory (ADT 2024; https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/) will take place October 14 - 16, at the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) at Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ. *Registration:* A link to the registration portal is available at the conference website: https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/attending/. The early registration deadline is September 13, after which fees will increase. *Aims and Scope:* The 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory (ADT 2024) focuses on algorithmic decision theory broadly defined, seeking to bring together researchers and practitioners coming from diverse areas of Computer Science, Economics, and Operations Research in order to improve the theory and practice of modern decision support. The conference topics include research in: preference modeling and elicitation, voting, preference aggregation, fair division and resource allocation, coalition formation, game theory, and matching. *Invited Talks: *We have three great invited speakers lined up - Tracy Liu, Jenn Wortman Vaughan, and Hervé Moulin. *Program: *A schedule overview is available at the conference website: https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/program/. A detailed program will be available soon. *Call for Posters: *ADT 2024 will hold a poster session on the evening of October 14th, along with the welcome reception for the conference. To submit a poster, please complete the following short form by September 13th : https://forms.gle/3aq7E5VS4oPKHzXD7. -- *Nicholas Mattei* Associate Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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Call for Participation: Falcon Monitoring Challenge (FMC) at IROS 2024
by Tiago Caldeira 07 Sep '24

07 Sep '24

*Call for Participation: Falcon Monitoring Challenge (FMC) at IROS 2024* We are excited to announce the Falcon Monitoring Challenge (FMC), an innovative demonstration challenge aimed at advancing the field of wildlife conservation through cutting-edge, non-invasive falcon tracking technologies. This competition will be held as part of the prestigious IROS 2024 in Abu Dhabi, and participants will design systems to track and analyze falcon movements in dynamic environments. Event Highlights: When: *October 15-18, 2024*Where: *Abu Dhabi, IROS 2024 Conference* *Final Registration Deadline: September 15, 2024* *Key Details:*Participants are invited to compete either individually or in groups, developing full systems or proposing software solutions to track falcons in a purpose-built enclosure. This challenge provides a unique platform to merge expertise from computer vision, robotics, AI, and wildlife biology to tackle a real-world problem in environmental conservation. *Prizes:*A total prize pool of $5,000 USD will be awarded to top teams, including special recognition for the most innovative, low-cost, and best software-only solutions. For more details visit: https://www.iros2024-abudhabi.org/wildlife and for direct registration, visit https://forms.gle/Z4AsabbZALvoR1DM8 Join us to contribute to technological innovation for wildlife conservation! Tiago Caldeira, Instituto Superior Técnico Portugal

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CFP- ICICIP2025, Muscat, Oman, February 6-11, 2025
by Pub Conference 31 Aug '24

31 Aug '24

*Call for Papers* Conference website: https://conference.cs.cityu.edu.hk/icicip/ The 13th International Conference on Intelligent Control and Information Processing (ICICIP2025) will be held in Muscat, Oman, February 6-11, 2025, following the successes of previous events. As the capital of Oman, Muscat is Oman's largest city with a population of over four million people and numerous tourist attractions. ICICIP2025 aims to provide a high-level international forum for scientists, engineers, and educators to present the state of the art of research and applications in related fields. The conference will feature plenary speeches given by world-renowned scholars, regular sessions with broad coverage, special sessions focusing on popular topics, and post-conference workshops/tutorials in the region. Prospective authors are invited to contribute high-quality papers to ICICIP2025. In addition, proposals for special sessions within the technical scopes of the symposium are solicited. Special sessions, to be organized by internationally recognized experts, aim to bring together researchers in special focused topics. Papers submitted for special sessions are to be peer-reviewed with the same criteria used for the contributed papers. Researchers interested in organizing special sessions are invited to submit formal proposals to ICICIP2025. A special session proposal should include the session title, a brief description of the scope and motivation, names, contact information, and brief biographical information on the organizers. Authors are invited to submit full-length papers (8 pages maximum) by the submission deadline through the online submission system. Potential organizers are also invited to enlist five or more papers with cohesive topics to form special sessions. The submission of a paper implies that the paper is original and has not been submitted under review or is not copyright-protected elsewhere and will be presented by an author if accepted. All submitted papers will be refereed by experts in the field based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality, and clarity. The authors of accepted papers will have an opportunity to revise their papers and take consideration of the referees' comments and suggestions. All accepted papers will be submitted for inclusion into IEEE Xplore subject to meeting IEEE Xplore's scope and quality requirements. Selected high-quality papers will be included in several journal special issues. The paper submission system is now open. Submission link: https://openreview.net/group?id=IEEE.org/ICICIP/2025/Conference&referrer=%5… *Submission deadline: November 1, 2024*

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[Meetings] Deadline extended: Call for Contributions for IROS 2024 Workshop: Benchmarking Autonomous Service Robotics in Real Life
by Katarzyna Pasternak 30 Aug '24

30 Aug '24

Dear RoboCuppers, We have extended the submission deadline for the IROS Workshop on Benchmarking Autonomous Service Robotics in Real Life till *September 7th, 2024*. Please, see the workshop and submission details below. Best regards, Workshop Organizers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =========================================================== Workshop on Benchmarking Autonomous Service Robotics in Real Life =========================================================== 2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems October 15th 2024, Abu Dhabi, UAE https://sites.google.com/view/iros-2024-benchmarking-asr ______________________________________________________________ Autonomous service robots are increasingly prevalent in real-world settings, assuming various roles to supplement human capabilities. Mobile platforms such as Walker, H1, Cobiot, TIAGo, and Figure-01 have captured the interest of non-expert users, eager to integrate robots into everyday environments. With this growing presence, researchers must consider various aspects of integrating robots within inhabited spaces, including factors such as verbal and nonverbal communication, social behavior and navigation, or robot morphologies. The expansion of research in this domain poses the challenge of developing new benchmarks to assess performance realistically beyond the confines of research laboratories. This workshop aims to foster dialogue surrounding the future of research and its benchmarking in autonomous service robotics. Using keynotes, participants, and organizers’ experiences of real-world robotic competitions, we plan to steer the conversation to address core components of recent advancements and put forth a set of voluntary draft guidelines for autonomous service roboticists concerning test procedures and benchmarking. The sessions' results will be synthesized into a set of draft frameworks for setting realistic testing scenarios and utilizing them in testing and benchmarking. This workshop seeks to enhance the reporting standards within real-world autonomous robotics research and propel the field toward more structured research practices. Contributions are invited on all topics relevant to *real-life testing and benchmarking* advancements in autonomous service robots and topics that can help to inform this core idea, including (but not limited to) *testing and benchmarking in*: - Human-Robot-Interaction and Cooperation - Navigation and Mapping in dynamic environments - Service Robots - Solving Service Robot Tasks - General-Purpose Service Robots - Foundation Models - Computer Vision and Object Recognition under natural light conditions - Object Manipulation - Adaptive Behaviors - Behavior Integration - Ambient Intelligence - Standardization and System Integration *Submission deadline*: August 31st, 2024 *September 7th, 2024* Acceptance notification: October 1st, 2024 Final version due: October 8th, 2024 Workshop date: October 15th, 2024 The contributions should be in the IROS standard pdf format and include short work-in-progress and position papers (2-4 pages) or long-format papers (4-8 pages). All papers are to be considered for both oral presentations and posters. Posters will be presented during the scheduled poster session. Every paper will be reviewed in a single-blind process. The selection of accepted papers will be done by the organizing committee, based on the reviews. Based on the number and quality of submissions, selected papers may be published in a special section or issue of Advanced Robotics <https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/tadr20>, the international journal of the Robotics Society of Japan. The submissions should be done here: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=basr2024 The Organizers - Justin Hart, University of Texas - Austin, USA - Matteo Leonetti, King's College London, UK - Katarzyna Pasternak, University of Miami, USA - Komei Sugiura, Keio University, Japan - Ubbo Visser, University of Miami, USA - Sven Wachsmuth, University of Bielefeld, Germany

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Call For Participation: ADT 2024 -- The 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory
by Nicholas Mattei 30 Aug '24

30 Aug '24

All [Apologies for multiple postings] The 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory (ADT 2024; https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/) will take place October 14 - 16, at the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) at Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ. *Registration:* A link to the registration portal is available at the conference website: https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/attending/. The early registration deadline is September 13, after which fees will increase. *Aims and Scope:* The 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory (ADT 2024) focuses on algorithmic decision theory broadly defined, seeking to bring together researchers and practitioners coming from diverse areas of Computer Science, Economics, and Operations Research in order to improve the theory and practice of modern decision support. The conference topics include research in: preference modeling and elicitation, voting, preference aggregation, fair division and resource allocation, coalition formation, game theory, and matching. *Invited Talks: *We have three great invited speakers lined up - Tracy Liu, Jenn Wortman Vaughan, and Hervé Moulin. *Program: *A schedule overview is available at the conference website: https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/program/. A detailed program will be available soon. *Call for Posters: *ADT 2024 will hold a poster session on the evening of October 14th, along with the welcome reception for the conference. To submit a poster, please complete the following short form by September 13th : https://forms.gle/3aq7E5VS4oPKHzXD7. -- *Nicholas Mattei* Associate Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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[News][CFP] Final Call for Registration: Robotics Developer Masterclass 2024 Batch 5
by Sonia W 26 Aug '24

26 Aug '24

Greetings all, This is a kind reminder that registration for the Robotics Developer Masterclass Batch 5 - Sep 2024 is coming to a close on August 30th, 2024. - *Name: *Robotics Developer Masterclass - *Class: *Batch 5 - *Program Start Date*: September 2, 2024 - *Registration link*: RoboticsDeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstructsim.com/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worl…> - *Program Fee*: €900/month The Robotics Developer Masterclass is a comprehensive online learning program designed to provide individuals starting from zero with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in robotics development. Below are some key details of the Masterclass: *Program Highlights:* - Offers a pathway to success with different phases, each focusing on specific robotics development skills and projects. - Provides hands-on learning with simulated and real robots - Curriculum covers a wide range of robotics topics, from fundamental programming skills to advanced planning and control algorithms. - Includes internship placements in leading robotics companies - All projects completed during the Masterclass are integrated into a shareable online robotics portfolio, showcasing the participant's code and results to potential employers. - Linkedin certificate *What you will learn:* - ROS1 and ROS2 - C++ for Robotics - Python for Robotics - Linux for Robotics - Math for Robotics - Collaborative Software Development with Git - Robot Modeling with URDF - Robot Frame Transformations with TF ROS2 - Create robot simulations with Gazebo (Ignition) - Robot Navigation with ROS2 (Nav2) - Robot Perception - Object Manipulation - Build Robot Ccontrollers (ros2_control) - Kinematics of Mobile Robots and Arm Robots - Robot Dynamics - Kalman Filters - Path Planning Algorithms - Program web interfaces for Robot Ap - Docker for Robotics - Automate Development Tasks with Jenkins - Continuous Integration (CI) - Design, Develop and Present, from Zero, a Complete Robotics Project For more details please check RoboticsDeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstructsim.com/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worl…> . -- [image: Logo] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/> [image: Logo] Sonia Wang Marketing Assistant | The Construct E: rjun(a)theconstruct.ai | TheConstruct.AI <http://theconstruct.ai/> [image: Banner] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=email&utm_medium…>

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CFP- ICICIP2025, Muscat, Oman, February 6-11, 2025
by Pub Conference 15 Aug '24

15 Aug '24

*Call for Papers* Conference website: https://conference.cs.cityu.edu.hk/icicip/ The 13th International Conference on Intelligent Control and Information Processing (ICICIP2025) will be held in Muscat, Oman, February 6-11, 2025, following the successes of previous events. As the capital of Oman, Muscat is Oman's largest city with a population of over four million people and numerous tourist attractions. ICICIP2025 aims to provide a high-level international forum for scientists, engineers, and educators to present the state of the art of research and applications in related fields. The conference will feature plenary speeches given by world-renowned scholars, regular sessions with broad coverage, special sessions focusing on popular topics, and post-conference workshops/tutorials in the region. Prospective authors are invited to contribute high-quality papers to ICICIP2025. In addition, proposals for special sessions within the technical scopes of the symposium are solicited. Special sessions, to be organized by internationally recognized experts, aim to bring together researchers in special focused topics. Papers submitted for special sessions are to be peer-reviewed with the same criteria used for the contributed papers. Researchers interested in organizing special sessions are invited to submit formal proposals to ICICIP2025. A special session proposal should include the session title, a brief description of the scope and motivation, names, contact information, and brief biographical information on the organizers. Authors are invited to submit full-length papers (8 pages maximum) by the submission deadline through the online submission system. Potential organizers are also invited to enlist five or more papers with cohesive topics to form special sessions. The submission of a paper implies that the paper is original and has not been submitted under review or is not copyright-protected elsewhere and will be presented by an author if accepted. All submitted papers will be refereed by experts in the field based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality, and clarity. The authors of accepted papers will have an opportunity to revise their papers and take consideration of the referees' comments and suggestions. All accepted papers will be submitted for inclusion into IEEE Xplore subject to meeting IEEE Xplore's scope and quality requirements. Selected high-quality papers will be included in several journal special issues. The paper submission system is now open. Submission link: https://openreview.net/group?id=IEEE.org/ICICIP/2025/Conference&referrer=%5… *Submission deadline: November 1, 2024*

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[News][CFP] Last Call for Registration: Robotics Developer Masterclass 2024 Batch 5
by YUHONG LIN 14 Aug '24

14 Aug '24

Greetings all, This is a kind reminder that registration for the Robotics Developer Masterclass Batch 5 - Sep 2024 is coming to a close on August 30th, 2024. - *Name: *Robotics Developer Masterclass - *Class: *Batch 5 - *Program Start Date*: September 2, 2024 - *Registration link*: RoboticsDeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worldwid…> - *Program Fee*: €900/month The Robotics Developer Masterclass is a comprehensive online learning program designed to provide individuals starting from zero with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in robotics development. Below are some key details of the Masterclass: *Program Highlights:* - Offers a pathway to success with different phases, each focusing on specific robotics development skills and projects. - Provides hands-on learning with simulated and real robots - Curriculum covers a wide range of robotics topics, from fundamental programming skills to advanced planning and control algorithms. - Includes internship placements in leading robotics companies - All projects completed during the Masterclass are integrated into a shareable online robotics portfolio, showcasing the participant's code and results to potential employers. - Linkedin certificate *What you will learn:* - ROS1 and ROS2 - C++ for Robotics - Python for Robotics - Linux for Robotics - Math for Robotics - Collaborative Software Development with Git - Robot Modeling with URDF - Robot Frame Transformations with TF ROS2 - Create robot simulations with Gazebo (Ignition) - Robot Navigation with ROS2 (Nav2) - Robot Perception - Object Manipulation - Build Robot Ccontrollers (ros2_control) - Kinematics of Mobile Robots and Arm Robots - Robot Dynamics - Kalman Filters - Path Planning Algorithms - Program web interfaces for Robot Ap - Docker for Robotics - Automate Development Tasks with Jenkins - Continuous Integration (CI) - Design, Develop and Present, from Zero, a Complete Robotics Project For more details please check RoboticsDeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worldwid…> . [image: Logo] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/> [image: Logo] Yuhong Lin Product & Project Manager | The Construct E: ylin(a)theconstruct.ai | TheConstruct.AI <http://theconstruct.ai/> [image: Banner] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=email&utm_medium…>

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[meetings][RO-MAN 2024] RAS Standards Meeting at RO-MAN 2024
by alexarossi＠gmail.com 12 Aug '24

12 Aug '24

Dear colleagues, The group P3108: Recommended Practice for HRI Design of Human Subject Studies <https://sagroups.ieee.org/3108/> will be hold a meeting in person during RO-MAN 2024 conference in Pasadena, California (USA). The meeting will be on 29 August 2024 at 12:30-13:30 Pacific Daylight Time (i.e., 21:30-22:30 CEST time) room Ballroom J. The group provides best practices and requirements for designing and executing human-subject studies in human-robot interaction (HRI) research. This recommended practice is particularly aimed at providing guidance for emerging researchers in the associated fields of HRI, as well as establishing a baseline methodology that supports replicability in HRI research. Please get in touch for further information. best regards Alessandra -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page:https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address:alessandra.rossi@unina.it e-mail address:a.rossi@herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81

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CFP- ICICIP2025, Muscat, Oman, February 6-11, 2025
by Nian Ashlee Zhang 11 Aug '24

11 Aug '24

*Call for Papers* Conference website: https://conference.cs.cityu.edu.hk/icicip/ The 13th International Conference on Intelligent Control and Information Processing (ICICIP2025) will be held in Muscat, Oman, February 6-11, 2025, following the successes of previous events. As the capital of Oman, Muscat is Oman's largest city with a population of over four million people and numerous tourist attractions. ICICIP2025 aims to provide a high-level international forum for scientists, engineers, and educators to present the state of the art of research and applications in related fields. The conference will feature plenary speeches given by world-renowned scholars, regular sessions with broad coverage, special sessions focusing on popular topics, and post-conference workshops/tutorials in the region. Prospective authors are invited to contribute high-quality papers to ICICIP2025. In addition, proposals for special sessions within the technical scopes of the symposium are solicited. Special sessions, to be organized by internationally recognized experts, aim to bring together researchers in special focused topics. Papers submitted for special sessions are to be peer-reviewed with the same criteria used for the contributed papers. Researchers interested in organizing special sessions are invited to submit formal proposals to ICICIP2025. A special session proposal should include the session title, a brief description of the scope and motivation, names, contact information, and brief biographical information on the organizers. Authors are invited to submit full-length papers (8 pages maximum) by the submission deadline through the online submission system. Potential organizers are also invited to enlist five or more papers with cohesive topics to form special sessions. The submission of a paper implies that the paper is original and has not been submitted under review or is not copyright-protected elsewhere and will be presented by an author if accepted. All submitted papers will be refereed by experts in the field based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality, and clarity. The authors of accepted papers will have an opportunity to revise their papers and take consideration of the referees' comments and suggestions. All accepted papers will be submitted for inclusion into IEEE Xplore subject to meeting IEEE Xplore's scope and quality requirements. Selected high-quality papers will be included in several journal special issues. The paper submission system is now open. Submission link: https://openreview.net/group?id=IEEE.org/ICICIP/2025/Conference&referrer=%5… *Submission deadline: November 1, 2024*

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[meetings] DDS for Robotics (ROS 2) Intensive Training // Sep 16-18
by Sonia W 08 Aug '24

08 Aug '24

Dear colleagues, We’ve noticed that understanding and using DDS in ROS 2 can be quite challenging. To address these issues, we’re excited to offer an intensive, instructor-led online training called “DDS for Robotics.” In this training, you’ll learn: - Linux networking how-to - Understand DDS in ROS 2 - Understand Quality of Service (QoS) in ROS 2 - DDS real-world use case: TurtleBot 4 robot - How to properly configure and use DDS with a robot - How to properly configure and use DDS with a fleet of robots over Wi-Fi - How to properly configure and use DDS over the Internet - How to manage huge messages - How to use the most popular open-source DDS implementations: FastDDS and Cyclone - How to use Zenoh** - Get Hands-On with Vulcanexus - The different implementations of DDS and their differences - How to debug DDS-related problems in your robotics system *Training Dates*: SEPTEMBER 16-18 | ONLINE *Registration Link*: https://www.theconstruct.ai/dds-for-robotics-certificate-training/ <https://www.theconstruct.ai/dds-for-robotics-certificate-training/?utm_sour…> We look forward to helping you enhance your ROS 2 skills and tackle DDS challenges with confidence. Best, *The Construct team* -- [image: Logo] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/> [image: Logo] Sonia Wang Marketing Assistant | The Construct E: rjun(a)theconstruct.ai | TheConstruct.AI <http://theconstruct.ai/> [image: Banner] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developer/?utm_source=email&utm_medium…>

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📣 SBR 2024 - deadline extended to 14/08 (firm deadline)
by Thiago Pedro Donadon Homem 05 Aug '24

05 Aug '24

Dear colleagues, Due to many requests, we would like to inform you that we extended the deadline for submission at *Brazilian Symposium on Robotics (SBR 2024) and satellite events.* *Paper Submission Deadline: *August 14, 2024 (firm deadline) Notification of Acceptance: September 16, 2024 Camera Ready Submission Deadline: October 16, 2024 💻 Access SBR 2024 website. <https://natalnet.br/sbr2024> Regards Thiago and Paulo SBR 2024 - Chairs ------------ [Apologies if you receive multiple copies. Please distribute this call to interested parties.] Call for Papers SBR 2024 - Brazilian Symposium on Robotics Goiânia, GO, Brazil - November 13 to 15, 2024 https://natalnet.br/sbr2024 Important Dates Paper Submission Deadline: *August 14, 2024 (firm deadline)* Notification of Acceptance: September 16, 2024 Camera Ready Submission Deadline: October 16, 2024 Proceedings Accepted papers will be available at IEEE Xplore. The best selected papers will be invited for submission of an extendedversion in the Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems - JINT, Impact factor 3.3 (2022) Overview The SBR (Brazilian Symposium on Robotics) aim at promoting a comprehensive scientific meeting in the area of Intelligent Robotics, bringing together researchers, undergraduate and graduate students of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, and related fields. The event will include technical sessions of an oral presentation of full papers and technical lectures of recognized importance in the area. SBR will take place in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil from November 13 to 15, 2024. The SBR and its associated scientific events are the primary scientific/academic meetings of a larger event that brings relevant robotics developments, named ROBÓTICA 2024. That also comprises the CBR (Brazilian Robotics Competition), OBR (Brazilian Robotics Olympiad), MNR (National Robotics Fair), besides the SBR, WRE (Workshop of Robotics in Education), and WTDR/CTDR (Workshop on MSc Dissertation and Ph.D. Thesis in Robotics and Best MSc Dissertation and Ph.D. Thesis Contest in Robotics). Registration: https://centraldesistemas.sbc.org.br/ecos/sbrwrectdr2024 Paper submission: https://jems.sbc.org.br/home.cgi?c=4589 Conference website: https://natalnet.br/sbr2024 Topics of Interest 1. Vision in robotics and automation; 2. Symbol mediated robot behavior control; 3. Sensory mediated robot behavior control; 4. Active sensory processing and control; 5. Industrial applications of autonomous systems; 6. Sensor modeling and data interpretation e.g. models and software for sensor data integration, 3D scene analysis, environment description and modeling, pattern recognition; 7. Robust techniques in AI and sensing e.g. uncertainty modeling, graceful degradation of systems; 8. Robot programming e.g. on-line and off-line programming, discrete event dynamical systems, fuzzy logic; 9. Multi-Robot and Multi-Agents, Cooperation and Collaboration; 10. CAD-based robotics e.g. CAD-based vision, reverse engineering; 11. Robot simulation and visualization tools; 12. Tele-operated and autonomous systems; 13. Microelectromechanical robots; 14. Robot modeling; 15. Robot control architectures; 16. Sensor-Motor control of Robots; 17. Robot planning, reasoning, communication, adaptation, and learning; 18. Mechanical design; 19. Robotic Manipulators; 20. Robot soccer; 21. Evolutionary robotics; 22. Bio-Inspired robotics; 23. Robots for robotic surgery and rehabilitation; 24. Micro/nano-robotics, new Devices, and materials for robots; 25. Human-Robot Interaction and Interfaces; 26. Education issues in Robotics; 27. Computing architectures; 28. Sensor Networks, architectures of embedded Hardware and software; 29. Self-Localization, Mapping and Navigation; 30. Multi-robot systems; 31. Aerial vehicles; 32. Autonomous vehicles; 33. Mobile robot platforms; 34. Service robots and entertainment robots; 35. Underwater robots; 36. Humanoids. Organization chairs: Chair: Dr. Thiago Pedro Donadon Homem - IFSP Co-chair: Dr. Paulo Roberto Ferreira Jr. - UFPel Robotica 2024 General chair: Dr. Marco Antonio Assfalk de Oliveira - UFG

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[Meetings] Call for Contributions for IROS 2024 Workshop: Benchmarking Autonomous Service Robotics in Real Life
by Katarzyna Pasternak 23 Jul '24

23 Jul '24

=========================================================== Workshop on Benchmarking Autonomous Service Robotics in Real Life =========================================================== 2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems October 15th 2024, Abu Dhabi, UAE https://sites.google.com/view/iros-2024-benchmarking-asr ______________________________________________________________ Autonomous service robots are increasingly prevalent in real-world settings, assuming various roles to supplement human capabilities. Mobile platforms such as Walker, H1, Cobiot, TIAGo, and Figure-01 have captured the interest of non-expert users, eager to integrate robots into everyday environments. With this growing presence, researchers must consider various aspects of integrating robots within inhabited spaces, including factors such as verbal and nonverbal communication, social behavior and navigation, or robot morphologies. The expansion of research in this domain poses the challenge of developing new benchmarks to assess performance realistically beyond the confines of research laboratories. This workshop aims to foster dialogue surrounding the future of research and its benchmarking in autonomous service robotics. Using keynotes, participants, and organizers’ experiences of real-world robotic competitions, we plan to steer the conversation to address core components of recent advancements and put forth a set of voluntary draft guidelines for autonomous service roboticists concerning test procedures and benchmarking. The sessions' results will be synthesized into a set of draft frameworks for setting realistic testing scenarios and utilizing them in testing and benchmarking. This workshop seeks to enhance the reporting standards within real-world autonomous robotics research and propel the field toward more structured research practices. Contributions are invited on all topics relevant to *real-life testing and benchmarking* advancements in autonomous service robots and topics that can help to inform this core idea, including (but not limited to) *testing and benchmarking in*: - Human-Robot-Interaction and Cooperation - Navigation and Mapping in dynamic environments - Service Robots - Solving Service Robot Tasks - General-Purpose Service Robots - Foundation Models - Computer Vision and Object Recognition under natural light conditions - Object Manipulation - Adaptive Behaviors - Behavior Integration - Ambient Intelligence - Standardization and System Integration *Submission deadline*: *August 31st, 2024* Acceptance notification: October 1st, 2024 Final version due: October 8th, 2024 Workshop date: October 15th, 2024 The contributions should be in the IROS standard pdf format and include short work-in-progress and position papers (2-4 pages) or long-format papers (4-8 pages). All papers are to be considered for both oral presentations and posters. Posters will be presented during the scheduled poster session. Every paper will be reviewed in a single-blind process. The selection of accepted papers will be done by the organizing committee, based on the reviews. Based on the number and quality of submissions, selected papers may be published in a special section or issue of Advanced Robotics <https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/tadr20>, the international journal of the Robotics Society of Japan. The submissions should be done here: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=basr2024 The Organizers - Justin Hart, University of Texas - Austin, USA - Matteo Leonetti, King's College London, UK - Katarzyna Pasternak, University of Miami, USA - Komei Sugiura, Keio University, Japan - Ubbo Visser, University of Miami, USA - Sven Wachsmuth, University of Bielefeld, Germany

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[Correction]Regional Committee Meeting today, Thursday, July 18, 2024, 2.30-4.30 pm in Room New Era 2
by Ferrein, Alexander Antoine 19 Jul '24

19 Jul '24

Dear all, I mixed up the different venues. The New Era 2 meeting room is not the Tech Dome, but in the New Era venue. Apologies for causing confusion! Alexander Dear all, The Regional Committee Meeting will take place today, Thursday, July 18, 2024, between 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm in the New Era 2 meeting room in the Tech Dome. Looking forward to seeing you all there this afternoon! Best regards, Alexander -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de <mailto:ferrein@fh-aachen.de> | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup Committee Germany W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org

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Regional Committee Meeting today, Thursday, July 18, 2024, 2.30-4.30 pm in Room New Era 2
by Ferrein, Alexander Antoine 18 Jul '24

18 Jul '24

Dear all, The Regional Committee Meeting will take place today, Thursday, July 18, 2024, between 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm in the New Era 2 meeting room in the Tech Dome. Looking forward to seeing you all there this afternoon! Best regards, Alexander -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup Committee Germany W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org

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[Jobs] Post-Doc Position at Tohoku University for Field Robotics and Multimodal Large Language Model Application
by Satoshi Tadokoro 17 Jul '24

17 Jul '24

*Open Call for Post-Doctoral Researchers: Field Robotics and Multimodal Large Language Model Application* Tough Cyberphysical AI Research Center (TCPAI) Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan The TCPAI at Tohoku University is seeking talented postdoctoral researchers to join our cutting-edge project on intelligent robot task execution in extreme environments using multimodal large language models. This research is part of the "Research into Spatial Agents Web to Solve Problems in Extreme Environments" project, led by Prof. Satoshi Tadokoro, and funded by F-REI (2024-2030). *Application Deadline: September 30, 2024* Note: This call will close once the planned number of positions is filled, even if it is before the deadline. *Position Details:* - Type: Full-time - Work Period: One year, starting from January 2024 or earlier (with possibility to extend the contract) - Salary: Approximately 6,000,000 JPY per year (including social insurance and taxes) - Work locations Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, and TCPAI Fukushima Coast Laboratory, Minamisoma, Japan (near the Fukushima Robot Test Field) Note: Successful candidates will work with team members of the RoboCup RRL Quix. *Required Qualifications:* - PhD in robotics, computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field (awarded within the last ten years) - Strong publication record in relevant areas - Strong interest in multimodal large language models, machine learning, and robot intelligence in extreme field environments - Proficiency in programming (C++, Python, ROS) and simulation (Gazebo/Issac Sim) - Experience with machine learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch). - Good spoken and written English skills (Japanese not required) - Collaborative mindset for working in person with interdisciplinary international colleagues *Preferred Skills:* - Practical experience in applying machine learning to real-world problems, particularly in robotics - Robot hardware design and development *Application Documents:* 1. CV in English (including a list of research achievements) 2. Overview of Developed Robots (highlighting significant hardware and software contributions) 3. Certificate of PhD Degree (or certificate of expectation) 4. Names of Three References (TCPAI might contact them to ask about the candidate) *How to Apply:* Submit the above documents via email with the subject line "Post-Doc Application" to Prof. Satoshi Tadokoro at tadokoro(a)tohoku.ac.jp by September 30, 2024. After the initial document screening, remote interview schedules will be set up. -- *Satoshi Tadokoro* satoshi.tadokoro.c5(a)tohoku.ac.jp Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University 6-6-01 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579 Japan Phone +81-22-795-7022 Mobile +81-90-3709-5449

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[Meetings] Regional Committee Meeting @ RoboCup 2024 in Eindhoven
by Ferrein, Alexander Antoine 10 Jul '24

10 Jul '24

Dear RoboCup participants, We are writing to let you know that, like last year, we will have a Regional Committee Assembly this year in Eindhoven. The meeting will be on Thursday, July 18, 2024. I will write again to let you know once the details, including location, are confirmed. Many of you are already represented by regional committees. You can find the list of regional committees here: https://www.robocup.org/organization/regional_committees <https://www.robocup.org/organization/regional_committees> In that case, your representative has already been invited to the meeting. If you are from a country that is not represented, I encourage you to get together with any other participants from your country to form a Regional Committee. The procedure for forming Regional Committees is included at the bottom of this message. Please let me know if you or someone else from your nation is planning to attend this year's meeting. Best Regards, Maike & Alexander on behalf of the RCF President and Trustees RoboCup Regional Committees =========================== A sufficiently large number of teams, researchers and teachers from any nation, group of nations, or nation-sized region (henceforth "region") with significant past and current RoboCup participation is invited to form a "RoboCup Regional Committee." The purposes of these committees are to 1) Promote RoboCup within your region. 2) Organize local RoboCup events and RoboCup opens. 3) Manage qualification for RoboCup leagues when slots are limited. 4) Maintain RoboCup standards for scientific research and education within your region and uphold the RoboCup mission of sharing advances through friendly competition. 5) Maintain an English website to be linked to the main RoboCup website describing the RoboCup activities in your region. There are local events smaller than regional "open" competitions, which should also be run with regional committee participation, but must be approved by the board of trustees. For each such local event and open, regional committees may at some time in the future be asked to collect a standard RoboCup Federation registration fee from participants and send the resulting funds to the federation (details to be announced if/when this policy goes into effect). The regional committee is also expected to send a report following each event summarizing the participation and organization of the event, including how many people and teams participated, from where, etc. If there are many local events in a given year, they can be grouped together into a single annual report. Each regional committee should have a single chair who serves as the main point of contact with the RoboCup Board of Trustees for questions that are relevant to the region. There should be representation on the committee from all of the different RoboCup leagues in which your region is active (including RoboCupJunior). If not already established, we encourage the regional committees to initiate formation of all aspects of RoboCup activities, including RoboCupSoccer, RoboCupRescue, RoboCupJunior, and RoboCupAtHome. To form a committee, please get together with all of the participants from your region. Once the list of committee members is prepared, please contact the RoboCup Trustees to let us know: 1) The members and affiliations of the committee. 2) The names, affiliations, and email addresses of all the teams represented by the committee (hopefully all the teams from your region). 3) The URL of your current webpage, if it already exists (see http://www.robocup.org/organization-of-robocup/regional-committees/(http://… for some examples). The Trustees will then check that all the represented teams agree to be represented in this way, and then link the committee to the RoboCup website. The representatives of all RoboCup Regional Committees meet at least once a year during the annual RoboCup event to discuss with the Trustees about the development of RoboCup in their regions and in general. Furthermore, while vacancies exist in the Board of Trustees, one appointment is reserved for election by the regional committees (one vote per regional committee). -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de <mailto:ferrein@fh-aachen.de> | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup Committee Germany W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org

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[CFP SBR 2024] Submission deadline extended
by Thiago Pedro Donadon Homem 01 Jul '24

01 Jul '24

Dear colleagues, We would like to inform you that we extended the deadline for submission at Brazilian Symposium on Robotics (SBR 2024). SBR 2024 aims at promoting a comprehensive scientific meeting in the area of Intelligent Robotics, bringing together researchers, undergraduate and graduate students of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, and related fields. *Paper Submission Deadline: August 5, 2024 (hard deadline)* Notification of Acceptance: September 2, 2024 Camera Ready Submission Deadline: October 16, 2024 Access SBR 2024 website. <https://natalnet.br/sbr2024> Regards Thiago and Paulo SBR 2024 - Chairs ------------ [Apologies if you receive multiple copies. Please distribute this call to interested parties.] Call for Papers SBR 2024 - Brazilian Symposium on Robotics Goiânia, GO, Brazil - November 13 to 15, 2024 https://natalnet.br/sbr2024 Important Dates Paper Submission Deadline: *August 5, 2024 (hard deadline)* Notification of Acceptance: September 2, 2024 Camera Ready Submission Deadline: October 16, 2024 Proceedings Accepted papers will be available at IEEE Xplore. The best selected papers will be invited for submission of an extended version in the Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems - JINT, Impact factor 3.3 (2022) Overview The SBR (Brazilian Symposium on Robotics) aim at promoting a comprehensive scientific meeting in the area of Intelligent Robotics, bringing together researchers, undergraduate and graduate students of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, and related fields. The event will include technical sessions of an oral presentation of full papers and technical lectures of recognized importance in the area. SBR will take place in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil from November 13 to 15, 2024. The SBR and its associated scientific events are the primary scientific/academic meetings of a larger event that brings relevant robotics developments, named ROBÓTICA 2024. That also comprises the CBR (Brazilian Robotics Competition), OBR (Brazilian Robotics Olympiad), MNR (National Robotics Fair), besides the SBR, WRE (Workshop of Robotics in Education), and WTDR/CTDR (Workshop on MSc Dissertation and Ph.D. Thesis in Robotics and Best MSc Dissertation and Ph.D. Thesis Contest in Robotics). Registration: https://centraldesistemas.sbc.org.br/ecos/sbrwrectdr2024 Paper submission: https://jems.sbc.org.br/home.cgi?c=4589 Conference website: https://natalnet.br/sbr2024 Topics of Interest 1. Vision in robotics and automation; 2. Symbol mediated robot behavior control; 3. Sensory mediated robot behavior control; 4. Active sensory processing and control; 5. Industrial applications of autonomous systems; 6. Sensor modeling and data interpretation e.g. models and software for sensor data integration, 3D scene analysis, environment description and modeling, pattern recognition; 7. Robust techniques in AI and sensing e.g. uncertainty modeling, graceful degradation of systems; 8. Robot programming e.g. on-line and off-line programming, discrete event dynamical systems, fuzzy logic; 9. Multi-Robot and Multi-Agents, Cooperation and Collaboration; 10. CAD-based robotics e.g. CAD-based vision, reverse engineering; 11. Robot simulation and visualization tools; 12. Tele-operated and autonomous systems; 13. Microelectromechanical robots; 14. Robot modeling; 15. Robot control architectures; 16. Sensor-Motor control of Robots; 17. Robot planning, reasoning, communication, adaptation, and learning; 18. Mechanical design; 19. Robotic Manipulators; 20. Robot soccer; 21. Evolutionary robotics; 22. Bio-Inspired robotics; 23. Robots for robotic surgery and rehabilitation; 24. Micro/nano-robotics, new Devices, and materials for robots; 25. Human-Robot Interaction and Interfaces; 26. Education issues in Robotics; 27. Computing architectures; 28. Sensor Networks, architectures of embedded Hardware and software; 29. Self-Localization, Mapping and Navigation; 30. Multi-robot systems; 31. Aerial vehicles; 32. Autonomous vehicles; 33. Mobile robot platforms; 34. Service robots and entertainment robots; 35. Underwater robots; 36. Humanoids. Organization chairs: Chair: Dr. Thiago Pedro Donadon Homem - IFSP Co-chair: Dr. Paulo Roberto Ferreira Jr. - UFPel Robotica 2024 General chair: Dr. Marco Antonio Assfalk de Oliveira - UFG ---- Dr. Thiago Pedro Donadon Homem Associate Professor Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo (IFSP) CV Lattes: http://lattes.cnpq.br/6109272293288485 ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2140-0129

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Call for participation in euROBIN / ERL Coopetition in Nancy, Nov 2024
by Pedro U. Lima 01 Jul '24

01 Jul '24

The euROBIN network proposes the novel concept of robot cooperative competition focused on the three main application domains defined in the robotics roadmap of Horizon Europe: • Robotic manufacturing for a circular economy • Personal robots for enhanced quality of life and well-being • Outdoor robots for sustainable communities Each application domain correspond to one coopetition league. euROBIN’s cooperative competitions are based on a scoring system that gives credit to a team for its own achievements in executing tasks and for the successful usage by other teams of modules developed by the team. The latter approach promotes cooperation, , effectively encouraging module transferability and reusability. Check all details in https://www.eurobin-project.eu/index.php/showroom/news/71-eurobin-coopetiti… For more information, email eurobin-coopetition(a)dlr.de <mailto:eurobin-coopetition@dlr.de>

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[meetings] [news] Call for Papers: IEEE SSRR 2024
by Xuesu Xiao 29 Jun '24

29 Jun '24

Call for Papers: IEEE SSRR 2024 Papers are solicited for the 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Safety Security Rescue Robotics, Nov. 12-14, 2024, in New York City, USA, in conjunction with FDNY special operations. Extended abstracts (3-4 pages) are due 21 Jul, with acceptances on 10 Sept and full papers due 10 Oct. Details will be posted to ssrr2024.org. IEEE SSRR was started in 2002 with a special mission to bring together roboticists and practitioners, where academics can present domain-relevant research and engage with agencies, responders, and companies. The conference is single track with full papers published in IEEE Xplore. It traditionally sets aside time for field tours of training facilities or hosts exercises, in this case, with the Fire Department New York at their training facilities on Roosevelt Island. it is a hands-on, community-oriented conference. There is a best paper award. The safety, security, and rescue robotics community focuses on the ethical use of robots for public safety and security applications, such as law enforcement, anti-terrorism, nuclear decommissioning, and inspection of critical infrastructure, all phases of emergency management (presentation, preparedness, response, and recovery), and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Robot safety and risk of robots in general, for example preventing injuries or guaranteeing real-time execution, are not topics included in the symposium’s purview but safety and risk in the context of the extreme environments and operating conditions of SSRR applications is. SSRR is a field robotics domain, and although papers describing theoretical results are welcome, all papers should be motivated by real users’ needs, both clearly stating who are the end users and what are the anticipated or demonstrated practical end user requirements. The topics include, but are not limited to: • aerial, ground, and marine robots • new morphologies and sensors • artificial intelligence • computer vision/machine learning • human-robot interaction • ethics • field methodologies for testing and evaluation • multi-robot systems • extreme scenarios and environments • infectious diseases • natural disasters • human-caused disasters, such as building, bridge, and mine collapses • humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery • robot simulators • case studies and surveys • casualty assessment, care, and extraction • detection and mitigation of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) events • inspection of critical infrastructure Organizers: • General Co-Chairs: Murphy, Robin (Texas A&M), Howie Choset (Carnegie Mellon) • Program Co-Chairs: Americas: Padir, Taskin (Northeastern) Europe: Kruijff, Ivana (DRZ - German Rescue Robotics Center) Asia: Nagatani, Keiji (University of Tokyo) • Local Arrangement Chair: Loianno, Guiseppe (New York University) • Finance Chair: Voyles, Richard (Purdue University) • Publication Chair: Xiao, Xuesu (George Mason) Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/

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CFP: IEEE International Symposium on Safety Security Rescue Robotics (SSRR), Nov. 12-14, 2024, in New York City, USA
by Ivana Kruijff | Deutsches Rettungsrobotik-Zentrum e.V. 21 Jun '24

21 Jun '24

Hello Robocup community, could you please distribute the CFP for IEEE SSRR 2024, see below, also PDF attached. Thank you! Best regards, Ivana Kruijff, SSRR 2024 programme co-chair ------------- Call for Papers: IEEE SSRR 2024 Papers are solicited for the 2024 IEEE International Symposium on Safety Security Rescue Robotics, Nov. 12-14, 2024, in New York City, USA, in conjunction with FDNY special operations. Extended abstracts (3-4 pages) are due 21 Jul, with acceptances on 10 Sept and full papers due 10 Oct. Details will be posted to https://ssrr2024.org<https://ssrr2024.org/>. IEEE SSRR was started in 2002 with a special mission to bring together roboticists and practitioners, where academics can present domain-relevant research and engage with agencies, responders, and companies. The conference is single track with full papers published in IEEE Xplore. It traditionally sets aside time for field tours of training facilities or hosts exercises, in this case, with the Fire Department New York at their training facilities on Roosevelt Island. it is a hands-on, community-oriented conference. There is a best paper award. The safety, security, and rescue robotics community focuses on the ethical use of robots for public safety and security applications, such as law enforcement, anti-terrorism, nuclear decommissioning, and inspection of critical infrastructure, all phases of emergency management (presentation, preparedness, response, and recovery), and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Robot safety and risk of robots in general, for example preventing injuries or guaranteeing real-time execution, are not topics included in the symposium’s purview but safety and risk in the context of the extreme environments and operating conditions of SSRR applications is. SSRR is a field robotics domain, and although papers describing theoretical results are welcome, all papers should be motivated by real users’ needs, both clearly stating who are the end users and what are the anticipated or demonstrated practical end user requirements. The topics include, but are not limited to: · aerial, ground, and marine robots · new morphologies and sensors · artificial intelligence · computer vision/machine learning · human-robot interaction · ethics · field methodologies for testing and evaluation · multi-robot systems · extreme scenarios and environments · infectious diseases · natural disasters · human-caused disasters, such as building, bridge, and mine collapses · humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery · robot simulators · case studies and surveys · casualty assessment, care, and extraction · detection and mitigation of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) events · inspection of critical infrastructure Organizers: · General Co-Chairs: Murphy, Robin (Texas A&M), Howie Choset (Carnegie Mellon) · Program Co-Chairs: Americas: Padir, Taskin (Northeastern) Europe: Kruijff, Ivana (DRZ - German Rescue Robotics Center) Asia: Nagatani, Keiji (University of Tokyo) · Local Arrangement Chair: Loianno, Guiseppe (New York University) · Finance Chair: Voyles, Richard (Purdue University) · Publication Chair: Xiao, Xuesu (George Mason) Ing. Ivana Krujff-Korbayová, PhD Deutsches Rettungsrobotik-Zentrum e.V. Bedarfserhebung, Forschung & Entwicklung, Transfer ivana.kruijff(a)rettungsrobotik.de<mailto:ivana.kruijff@rettungsrobotik.de> Rohdesdiek 32 | 44357 Dortmund Tel. +49-231-99988206 www.rettungsrobotik.de<http://www.rettungsrobotik.de/> [cid:998c1d46-46dd-454b-958e-5c3b13566e3b@eurprd02.prod.outlook.com] Join our online webinar “Rettungsrobotik im Dialog" https://www.eventbrite.de/cc/rettungsrobotik-im-dialog-2832669 Find us on <https://www.facebook.com/drzrobotics> [cid:a1aaeb40-23d6-40d8-9aac-49f3c397be7c@eurprd02.prod.outlook.com] [cid:5a07020a-c9a7-4587-bcdb-e195a5a36fe8@eurprd02.prod.outlook.com] [cid:5cc0322a-4596-49b5-9c1c-33e210e21178@eurprd02.prod.outlook.com] [cid:83a96a28-6ce8-4ccb-afc2-e7a6da9f129d@eurprd02.prod.outlook.com] [cid:61396156-57f3-4bdf-ba84-c72a44d9b1d2@eurprd02.prod.outlook.com]

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[meetings] [news] IROS 2024 Competition: The Earth Rover Challenge
by Xuesu Xiao 19 Jun '24

19 Jun '24

Competition Website: https://sites.google.com/view/the-earth-rover-challenge/ Express-of-Interest Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBN9W1FmIJpmAeR8PHERCt17THOg2fSzQ… Dear roboticists, do you want to compete with human gamers and AI agents in an around-the-world real life Mario Kart game? Are you interested in training and deploying AI models for real-world robots, but don’t have (sufficient) robot platforms or data? [https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXchYhlGPjw70Y351H0tptydB2iD…] We are excited to bring to you The Earth Rover Challenge @ IROS 2024 – a first of its kind distributed robotics competition where human gamers and AI models will compete to solve real-world navigation challenges across the world, from Abu Dhabi to Vienna and Singapore to Nairobi! Competition participants will deploy their policies into realistic goal-oriented navigation scenarios, potentially without known maps. This competition will test the robustness, generalization, and safety of robot navigation models. Furthermore, we will standardize training data, robot hardware, and evaluation operations, so teams can entirely focus on model development and evaluation. Every participating team will be given 2 Earth Rover units for testing locally as well as up to 20 hours test time per week (in the coming months leading to the actual competition at IROS) with robots deployed remotely around the world (along with human operators who will follow closely behind the robots to provide real-time operational support to the participating teams). We are excited to test your AI models as they navigate around the globe! Please fill out this form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBN9W1FmIJpmAeR8PHERCt17THOg2fSzQ…) by Jun 30 AoE to express your interest in participating, and we will be in touch with more information. More information about The Earth Rover Challenge: https://sites.google.com/view/the-earth-rover-challenge/, or email us at erc2024-organizers(a)googlegroups.com<mailto:erc2024-organizers@googlegroups.com>. Organizing Team: FrodoBots, National University of Singapore, UC Berkeley, Google DeepMind, Georgia Tech, George Mason University Thanks Michael Cho, David Hsu, Dhruv Shah, Jie Tan, Joanne Truong, Ted Xiao, Xuesu Xiao, Naoki Yokoyama, Wenhao Yu, and Tingnan Zhang ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/

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[meetings] Robotics Developers Day 2024 - Last Call for Early Bird
by YUHONG LIN 17 Jun '24

17 Jun '24

Dear Colleagues, We are thrilled to invite you to the 7th Robotics Developers Day, an online conference designed to guide and elevate your robotics career. Mark your calendar for July 5, 2024, and join us from anywhere in the world: *Conference Details:* - *Date:* July 5, 2024 - *Time:* 2 PM – 2 AM CEST | 7 AM – 7 PM CDT | 9 PM – 9 AM Tokyo - *Location:* Online - *Early bird registration deadline*: June 30th, 2024 *Learn more and register:* https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developers-day/ <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developers-day/?utm_source=robocup_wor…> *Purpose of RoboticsDevDay:*Robotics Developers Day serves as a platform to deepen your understanding of robotics and its career opportunities. Through engaging discussions and practical sessions, you will gain valuable insights into building a sustainable career in robotics that can last for at least 20 years. *Questions Answered During the Conference:* 1. Is now a good moment to jump into robotics? 2. How to get a job in robotics? 3. Which programming skills are required to program robots? 4. How will LLMs affect robotics development? 5. Should I concentrate on software, hardware or both? *What to Expect:* - *Career Guidance*: Five experts will share their experiences and insights on various robotics career paths, including robotics development, research, education, consultancy, and entrepreneurship. - *Skills Learning:* Participate in five hands-on sessions where you'll program robots in real-time with expert guidance. Highlights: - Expert Interviews: - *Experiences as a Humanoid Robotics Developer *with Luca Marchionni (CTO @ PAL Robotics) & Sai Kishor Kothakota (Robotics Engineer @ PAL Robotics) - *Teaching & Researching Robotics at University* with Jack Silberman (Professor @ UC San Diego) - *Building a Robotics Consultancy Business* with Denis Stogl (Owner & CEO @ Stogl Robotics) - *Creating Your Own Robotics Startup* with Víctor Mayoral Vilches (Robotics Architect | Vice President @ Robotekin | Founder & Chairman of Acceleration Robotics | Co-Founder & Chairman of Alias Robotics) - *Developing Educational Materials for Robotics Careers* - *Skill Learning Sessions:* - *Programming ROS2 with RUST* with Júlia Marsal Perendreu, Robotics Engineer Consultant | Robotics & Industrial Engineer | ROS developer - *ROS2 Gazebo Custom Plugins *with Shantanu Parab, Teaching Assistant @University of Maryland - *ROS2 with a Tiny Quadcopter *with Kimberly McGuire, Robotics Engineer @ Bitcraze AB - *State Estimation in Kalman Filters in ROS2* with Thisas Ranhiru Samaraweera, Electrical Engineering Student - *Robot Arm Motion Planning with Pyroboplan* with Sebastian Castro, Robotics Engineer and Educator - *Workshops:* - *A Review of ROS2 Jazzy* with Alberto Ezquerro, Host of ROS Developers Open Class & Head of Education @ The Construct - *Building Your Robotics Portfolio for Better Employment* with Ricardo Tellez, CEO & Founder of The Construct - *Events*: - Real Robot Game Contests - 2024 ROS Awards Ceremony *Who Should Attend:* This conference caters to individuals at all career stages, from beginners to seasoned professionals, who are interested in exploring or advancing their careers in robotics. *Main Takeaways:* - Gain clarity on your career options within the robotics domain. - Acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to your professional growth. - Connect with peers and industry experts in a collaborative environment. *Learn more and register:* https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developers-day/ <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developers-day/?utm_source=robocup_wor…> Best regards, [image: Logo] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/> [image: Logo] Yuhong Lin Product & Project Manager | The Construct E: ylin(a)theconstruct.ai | TheConstruct.AI <http://theconstruct.ai/> [image: Banner] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developers-day/?utm_source=email&utm_m…>

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[meetings][CFP][RO-MAN 2024] Extended deadline for Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction Workshop
by Alessandra Rossi 13 Jun '24

13 Jun '24

Dear colleagues, We would like to inform you that we extended the deadline for submission at SCRITA workshop. This workshop focuses on the continuous investigation of unresolved and new open challenges of the factors affecting people's acceptance and trust in robots in short- and long-term settings. We will invite authors to submit 2-page position papers only, discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. All accepted papers will have short oral presentations. Please find below the full CFP, but do not hesitate to contact us for further information. best regards Alessandra SCRITA 2024 Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, USA 26-30 August 2024 Workshop website http://scrita.herts.ac.uk Submission link https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=scrita2024 Submission deadline 14 July 2024 This workshop will be a half day event on 26 August and it is organised in conjunction with the IEEE RO-MAN 2024 <http://ro-man2024.org/> conference, held in Pasadena, California, USA. This workshop focuses on the continuous investigation of unresolved and new open challenges of the factors affecting people's acceptance and trust in robots in short- and long-term settings. In particular, we want to look into the dynamics between people and robots to foster short interactions and long-lasting relationships taking inspiration from different domains, such as educational, service, collaborative, companion, care-home and medical robotics. For that, this workshop aims to facilitate a discussion about people’s trust towards robots “in the field”, inviting workshop participants to contribute their past experiences, lessons learnt and future issues. During last year's workshop edition (i.e., SCRITA@RO-MAN 2023), together with leading researchers and exceptional speakers from various fields, we started working towards developing such novel methods. We outlined current methods and their strengths, discussing how these measures do not always reflect appropriately, or how some questions might be ambiguous and leave room for interpretation by individual participants. We identified five main factors affecting trust to be investigated to generate a new metric that allows researchers to assess and reduce common side effects influencing how people put their trust in robots. Submission & List of Topics The workshop will be open to a broad audience from academia and industry researching social robotics, machine learning, robot behavioural control, and user profiling. In particular, we aim to integrate expertise from roboticists with psychologists' and sociologists’ insights and experiences to foster a multidisciplinary and human-focused discussion that can capture the multi-faceted nature of trust and acceptance. We will foster the exchange of views on past and ongoing research and contribute to the discussion of innovative ideas for tackling unresolved issues by providing new and inspirational directions for research. We will invite authors to submit 2-pages position papers only, discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We further encourage authors of the accepted papers to present a video or demonstrate their works and achievements. All accepted submissions will have an oral presentation. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Impact of Social Cues on Trust in HRI; - Measuring Trust in HRI; - Trust Violation and Recovery Mechanism in HRI; - Effects of Humans’ Acceptance on Trust of Robots; - Humans Sense of Control and Trust in Robots; - Trust and Assistive Robotics; - Overtrust in Robots; - Antecedent of Trust and Robot Trust; - Enhancing Humans Trust in Robots; - Enhancing Trust in a Robot Companion; - Privacy Implications on Trust in HRI; - Mental Models and Trust in HRI; - Trust and Safety in HRI; - Ethics Implications on Trust in HRI; - Trustworthy AI; - XAI in HRI; - Legal Frameworks for Trustworthy Robotics Submission Guidelines Authors should submit their papers formatted according to the IEEE two-column format <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/support.php>, which is also used for contributions to the main conference. Use the following templates to create the paper and generate or export a PDF file: LaTeX <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/tex.php> or MS-Word <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/word.php>. Authors needs to submit their PDF via EasyChair <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=scrita2024>. Invited Speakers We confirm the participation of Prof. Selma Šabanović. Committees - Dr Alessandra Rossi, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II (Italy) - Dr Patrick Holthaus, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Sílvia Moros, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Dr Gabriella Lakatos, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Ali Fallahi, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) Contact All questions about submissions should be emailed to a.rossi(a)herts.ac.uk - p.holthaus(a)herts.ac.uk

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[meetings][CFP][RO-MAN 2024] Extended deadline for Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction Workshop
by Alessandra Rossi 01 Jun '24

01 Jun '24

Dear colleagues, We would like to inform you that we extended the deadline for submission at SCRITA workshop. This workshop focuses on the continuous investigation of unresolved and new open challenges of the factors affecting people's acceptance and trust in robots in short- and long-term settings. We will invite authors to submit position papers only, discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We further encourage authors of the accepted papers to present a video or demonstrate their works and achievements. All accepted papers will have short oral presentations. Please find below the full CFP, but do not hesitate to contact us for further information. best regards Alessandra -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page: https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address: alessandra.rossi(a)unina.it e-mail address: a.rossi(a)herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81 SCRITA 2024 Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, USA 26-30 August 2024 Workshop website http://scrita.herts.ac.uk Submission link https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=scrita2024 Submission deadline 14 June 2024 This workshop will be a half day event on 26 August and it is organised in conjunction with the IEEE RO-MAN 2024 <http://ro-man2024.org/> conference, held in Pasadena, California, USA. This workshop focuses on the continuous investigation of unresolved and new open challenges of the factors affecting people's acceptance and trust in robots in short- and long-term settings. In particular, we want to look into the dynamics between people and robots to foster short interactions and long-lasting relationships taking inspiration from different domains, such as educational, service, collaborative, companion, care-home and medical robotics. For that, this workshop aims to facilitate a discussion about people’s trust towards robots “in the field”, inviting workshop participants to contribute their past experiences, lessons learnt and future issues. During last year's workshop edition (i.e., SCRITA@RO-MAN 2023), together with leading researchers and exceptional speakers from various fields, we started working towards developing such novel methods. We outlined current methods and their strengths, discussing how these measures do not always reflect appropriately, or how some questions might be ambiguous and leave room for interpretation by individual participants. We identified five main factors affecting trust to be investigated to generate a new metric that allows researchers to assess and reduce common side effects influencing how people put their trust in robots. Submission & List of Topics The workshop will be open to a broad audience from academia and industry researching social robotics, machine learning, robot behavioural control, and user profiling. In particular, we aim to integrate expertise from roboticists with psychologists' and sociologists’ insights and experiences to foster a multidisciplinary and human-focused discussion that can capture the multi-faceted nature of trust and acceptance. We will foster the exchange of views on past and ongoing research and contribute to the discussion of innovative ideas for tackling unresolved issues by providing new and inspirational directions for research. We will invite authors to submit position papers only, discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We further encourage authors of the accepted papers to present a video or demonstrate their works and achievements. All accepted submissions will have an oral presentation. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Impact of Social Cues on Trust in HRI; - Measuring Trust in HRI; - Trust Violation and Recovery Mechanism in HRI; - Effects of Humans’ Acceptance on Trust of Robots; - Humans Sense of Control and Trust in Robots; - Trust and Assistive Robotics; - Overtrust in Robots; - Antecedent of Trust and Robot Trust; - Enhancing Humans Trust in Robots; - Enhancing Trust in a Robot Companion; - Privacy Implications on Trust in HRI; - Mental Models and Trust in HRI; - Trust and Safety in HRI; - Ethics Implications on Trust in HRI; - Trustworthy AI; - XAI in HRI; - Legal Frameworks for Trustworthy Robotics Submission Guidelines Authors should submit their papers formatted according to the IEEE two-column format <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/support.php>, which is also used for contributions to the main conference. Use the following templates to create the paper and generate or export a PDF file: LaTeX <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/tex.php> or MS-Word <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/word.php>. Authors needs to submit their PDF via EasyChair <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=scrita2024>. Each paper will receive at least two reviews. All papers are reviewed using a single-blind review process: authors declare their names and affiliations in the manuscript for the reviewers to see, but reviewers do not know each other's identities, nor do the authors receive information about who has reviewed their manuscript. Invited Speakers We confirm the participation of Prof. Selma Šabanović. Committees - Dr Alessandra Rossi, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II (Italy) - Dr Patrick Holthaus, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Sílvia Moros, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Dr Gabriella Lakatos, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Ali Fallahi, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) Contact All questions about submissions should be emailed to a.rossi(a)herts.ac.uk - p.holthaus(a)herts.ac.uk

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[CFP] 34th Brazilian Conference on Intelligent Systems (BRACIS 2024)
by Aline Paes 29 May '24

29 May '24

####################################################################### Call For Papers - BRACIS 2024 - 34th Brazilian Conference on Intelligent Systems ####################################################################### *TL;DR:* BRACIS 2024 Call for Papers - The 34th Brazilian Conference on Intelligent Systems (BRACIS) will be held in Belém, Brazil, from November 17-21, 2024. This is Brazil's primary AI and CI event. It invites the submission of research papers on various AI topics. Please visit the website <https://bracis.sbc.org.br/2024/> for more information about the location and venue. *Key dates: submission by June 13,* *2024; notifications by August 10, 2024; and camera-ready copies by August20, 2024*. The conference features a double-anonymous review process and introduces four tracks, including a new "Published Papers in Top Venues" track. Best papers may be invited for special issue publications. Submissions are via JEMS <https://jems.sbc.org.br/home.cgi?c=4616>. More details are as follows. ################################################################### The Program Committee of the 34th Brazilian Conference on Intelligent Systems (BRACIS) invites submissions of original research papers for the conference to be held in Belém, PA, Brazil. **First edition in the North Region** from November 17th to 21st, 2024. BRACIS is the most important event in Brazil for researchers interested in publishing significant and novel results related to Artificial and Computational Intelligence. The Brazilian Conference on Intelligent Systems (BRACIS) originated from the combination of the two most important scientific events in Brazil in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computational Intelligence (CI): the Brazilian Symposium on Artificial Intelligence - SBIA (21 editions), and the Brazilian Symposium on Neural Networks - SBRN (12 editions). BRACIS, which previously had 12 editions, will now be recognized as the 34th edition when considering its history and the 21 editions of SBIA. The 34th BRACIS plays a pivotal role in AI in Brazil, serving as a hub for promoting theoretical concepts and applications in Artificial and Computational Intelligence. The event fosters a space for exchanging scientific ideas among researchers, practitioners, scientists, and engineers working toward advancing Artificial and Computational Intelligence science. This aligns with the goals of other major international conferences proposed in a similar period in the history of AI, such as the 37th AAAI, 32nd IJCAI, and 37th NeurIPS (formerly called NIPS). The 33 previous editions of BRACIS highlight the pioneering of the Brazilian AI Community. **Please note that this year, we are inaugurating the track submissions.See further details in the Submission Details section. ** IMPORTANT DATESa - Paper submission - June 13th, 2024 - AoE* - Notification to authors - August 10th, 2024. - Camera-ready copy due - August 20th, 2024. SPECIAL ISSUES Authors of the best papers will be invited to submit extended versions of their work to be appreciated for publication in special issues after the conference. SUBMISSION DETAILS Please note that the BRACIS submission is double-anonymous. This means that both the reviewer and author's identities and institutions are concealed from the reviewers, and vice versa, throughout the review process. To facilitate this, authors need to ensure that their manuscripts are prepared in a way that does not reveal their identity. If you have published a non-anonymous version of your paper online before paper submission (e.g. arXiv), you can send an anonymous version to the conference. No references to the non-anonymous version should appear in the anonymous version, and you should inform the PC chairs that there is a non-anonymous version. You cannot update the online version nor publish information regarding the work on social media during the paper review period, as it can compromise the double-double-anonymous review process. We strongly encourage making code and data available anonymously (e.g., in an anonymous GitHub repository via Anonymous GitHub <<https://anonymous.4open.science/> or in a Dropbox folder). Submitted papers must be written in English and be at most 15 pages, including all tables, figures, references, and appendices. Formatting instructions, as well as templates for Word and LaTeX, are available at ConferenceProceedings guidelines <https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…> . Springer's proceedings LaTeX templates are also available in Overleaf <https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/springer-lecture-notes-in-computer…> . All submitted papers will be reviewed by at least three experts in the field. Accepted papers will be included in the BRACIS proceedings and submitted for publication in Springer in Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) series. Only PDF files can be uploaded to the submission system. For each accepted paper, at least one author must register for the conference and present the paper at the conference venue. Submissions must be made online using JEMS <https://jems.sbc.org.br/home.cgi?c=4616>. ** ATTENTION - About the use of LLMs ** Generative AI models (including Chat-GPT, BARD, LLaMA, Gemini, etc.) or similar LLMs do not meet the article authorship criteria for BRACIS 2024. However, we encourage articles that describe research on or involving such advanced AI models and tools. Authors who use an LLM in any part of the article writing process take full responsibility for all content, including checking for plagiarism and correcting all text. We suggest that this use be properly mentioned in the Acknowledgments section, with no harm in the evaluation process. ***** Tracks submission: New in this edition **** This year, BRACIS will have four tracks: 1. Main track: original works showing novel AI methods with sound results. 2. AI applications for Social Good: original works presenting novel Social Good applications using established AI methods. 3. General applications: original works presenting novel applications using established AI methods, naturally considering the ethical aspects of the application. 4. Published papers: papers published in top AI conferences or journals in 2023 or 2024 (as a guide, consider the international rankings CS Metrics <https://csmetrics.net> and CS rankings <https://csrankings.org/#/index?ai&vision&mlmining&nlp&inforet&robotics&us> by selecting AI area or subareas; others can also be considered). Tracks 1-3 will have no distinction regarding the publication format and the publication in the proceedings. For Track 4, authors must submit a publishable 1-page extended abstract (without references) that does not violate the copyright of the previous publication. The accepted papers of all tracks will have the same slot for presentation during the conference. TOPICS OF INTEREST Submissions should include significant and unpublished research on all aspects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Computational Intelligence (CI). Topics of interest include (but are not restricted to): - Agent-based and Multi-Agent Systems - Cognitive Modeling and Human Interaction - Constraints and Search - Foundations of AI - Distributed AI - Information Retrieval, Integration, and Extraction - Knowledge Representation and Reasoning - Commonsense Reasoning - Model-Based Reasoning - Probabilistic Reasoning, and Approximate Reasoning - Ontologies and the Semantic Web - Logic-based Knowledge Representation and Reasoning - Natural Language Processing - Planning and Scheduling - Evolutionary Computation and Metaheuristics - Fuzzy Systems - Neural Networks - Deep Learning - Machine Learning and Data Mining - Meta-learning - Reinforcement Learning - Molecular and Quantum Computing - Pattern Recognition and Cluster Analysis - Hybrid Systems - Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering using AI - Combinatorial and Numerical Optimization - Computer Vision - Education for AI and AI for Education - Forecasting - Game Playing and Intelligent Interactive Entertainment - Intelligent Robotics - Multidisciplinary AI and CI - Foundation Models - Large Language Models - Human-centric AI - Generative AI - Ethics in AI GENERAL CHAIR André Ponce (ICMC/USP) PROGRAM CHAIRS Aline Paes (IC/UFF) Filipe A. N. Verri (IEC/ITA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Profa. Dra. Aline Paes (she/her)* *Associate professor - Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)* Institute of Computing / Universidade Federal Fluminense (IC/UFF) Member of CE-PLN <https://sites.google.com/view/ce-pln/inicio> and BPLN <https://brasileiraspln.com/> CNPq PQ-E and FAPERJ JCNE __________________________________________________________ url: www.ic.uff.br/~alinepaes Av Gal Milton Tavares de Souza, S/N, Computing Building, Office 504 São Domingos, Niterói, RJ, Brazil. ZIP 24210-346 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ****Please do not feel any pressure to respond out of your own regular working hours. Remember that this is supposed to be an asynchronous tool***

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[meetings] Robotics Developers Day 2024 - Call for Participation
by YUHONG LIN 16 May '24

16 May '24

Dear Colleagues, We are thrilled to invite you to the 7th Robotics Developers Day, an online conference designed to guide and elevate your robotics career. Mark your calendar for July 5, 2024, and join us from anywhere in the world: *Conference Details:* - *Date:* July 5, 2024 - *Time:* 2 PM – 2 AM CEST | 7 AM – 7 PM CDT | 9 PM – 9 AM Tokyo - *Location:* Online *Learn more and register:* https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developers-day/ <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developers-day/?utm_source=robocup_wor…> *Purpose of the Event:*Robotics Developers Day serves as a platform to deepen your understanding of robotics and its career opportunities. Through engaging discussions and practical sessions, you will gain valuable insights into crucial aspects of the field. *What to Expect:* - *Expert Interviews*: Professionals will share their experiences and insights on various robotics career paths, including development, research, education, consultancy, and entrepreneurship. - *Skills Learning:* Participate in five hands-on sessions where you'll program robots in real-time with expert guidance. Highlights: - Expert Interviews: - Experiences as a Humanoid Robotics Developer, with Luca Marchionni and Sai Kishor Kothakota from PAL Robotics. - Generating Revenue from Robotics Courses. - Insights on Building a Robotics Start-up. - Teaching & Researching Robotics at University, with Professor Jack Silberman, UC San Diego. - Building a Robotics Consultancy Business, with Denis Stogl, CEO @ Stogl Robotics. - *Skill Learning Sessions:* - Programming ROS2 with RUST by Júlia Marsal Perendreu. - ROS2 Gazebo Custom Plugins by Shantanu Parab. - ROS2 with a Tiny Quadcopter by Kimberly McGuire. - State Estimation in Kalman Filters in ROS2 by Thisas Ranhiru Samaraweera. - Robot Arm Motion Planning with Pyroboplan by Sebastian Castro. - *Workshops:* - A Review of ROS2 Jazzy by Alberto Ezquerro. - Building Your Robotics Portfolio for Better Employment by Ricardo Tellez. - *Events*: - Real Robot Game Contests - 2024 ROS Awards Ceremony *Who Should Attend:* This conference caters to individuals at all career stages, from beginners to seasoned professionals, who are interested in exploring or advancing their careers in robotics. *Main Takeaways:* - Gain clarity on your career options within the robotics domain. - Acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to your professional growth. - Connect with peers and industry experts in a collaborative environment. More details about the speakers and sessions will be provided soon. *Learn more and register:* https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developers-day/ <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robotics-developers-day/?utm_source=robocup_wor…> Best regards, [image: Logo] <https://www.theconstruct.ai/> Yuhong Lin | *Product & Project Manager* Robotics Education and Development e: ylin(a)theconstructsim.com The Construct www.theconstruct.ai [image: Facebook icon] <https://www.facebook.com/theconstructsim> [image: LinkedIn icon] <https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-construct/mycompany/> [image: Twitter icon] <https://twitter.com/_theconstruct_> [image: Youtube icon] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt6Lag-vv25fTX3e11mVY1Q?sub_confirmation=1>

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[meetings] Robot Fleet Management with Open-RMF Training 2024 | June 26-28
by Sonia W 15 May '24

15 May '24

Robot Fleet Management with Open-RMF Training 2024 | June 26-28 Dear Roboticists, Don't miss out on the final chance to secure your spot at the upcoming 5th edition of "Mastering Robot Fleet Management with Open-RMF Training," scheduled to be held online from June 26 to 28, 2024. *Training Details:* - *Dates*: June 26 - 28, 2024 - *Location*: Live Online Classes + Remote Real Robot Practice - *Time*: 9:00 – 18:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST) - *Limited Seats:* Only 15 participants - *Website*: https://www.theconstruct.ai/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-training/ <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-training/?…> *About the Training:* Join industry mentors for a 3-Day Live Training: Gain practical skills in configuring, deploying, and managing robot fleets with open-source software (Open-RMF), while learning how to apply it to your real multi-robot scenarios. *What You Will Learn:* - RMF basic structure - How to create a compliant RMF simulation - How to set up Free Fleet for autonomous mobile robots - How to set up basic tasks like Deliver, Clean, Patrol, and Charge - How to create your own custom fleet adapter to integrate API and ROS2 systems of your robot into RMF. - How to dock in RMF - How to clean with RMF - How to create a GUI for humans to interact with RMF *Training Highlights:* - Expert instruction from industry professionals - Hands-on experience with real robots - Interactive exercises with simulated robots - Practical application in a real multi-robot environment – Starbots Coffee Lab *Practical Sessions @ Starbots Coffee Lab:* Throughout the training, you will have the opportunity to apply your newfound knowledge in real-world scenarios at the Starbots Coffee Lab, a multi-robot system application. Learn more at https://www.theconstruct.ai/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-training/ <https://www.theconstruct.ai/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-training/?…> . This training is organized by TheConstruct.ai <https://www.theconstruct.ai/>. For any questions please email us at info(a)theconstruct.ai. Best regards, The Construct team

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Deadline Extension: 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory - ADT 2024
by Nicholas Mattei 10 May '24

10 May '24

[Apologies for Multiple Postings!] *We have extended the deadline for ADT 2024 to May 24th, 2024 for abstract registration and May 31st, 2024 for full papers!!* *Note that we have an Abstract Only track where we encourage in process or under review work that can be submitted later to other venues! This is a great opportunity to increase the reach of your research!* *The 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory - ADT 2024 <https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/index> will be held October 14-16, 2024, at the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) at Rutgers University.* *We've got a great lineup of invited speakers including Xiao (Tracy) Liu, Herve Moulin, and Jenn Wortman Vaughan!* Website: https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/ ADT 2024 focuses on algorithmic decision theory broadly defined, seeking to bring together researchers and practitioners coming from diverse areas of Computer Science, Economics, and Operations Research in order to improve the theory and practice of modern decision support. The conference topics include research in: Algorithms, Argumentation Theory, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Social Choice, Database Systems, Decision Analysis, Discrete Mathematics, Game Theory, Machine Learning and Adversarial Machine Learning, Matching, Multi-agent Systems, Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding, Networks, Optimization, Preference Modeling, Risk Analysis and Adversarial Risk Analysis, and Utility Theory. *Important Dates* *Title and Abstract Submission*: May 10, 2024 --> May 24, 2024 *Full Paper Submission*: May 17, 2024 --> May 31, 2024 *Notification*: July 19, 2024 *Final Version of Accepted Papers*: August 9, 2024 *Conference Dates*: October 14-16, 2024 *Submissions* Submissions are invited on significant, original, and unpublished research on all aspects of Algorithmic Decision Theory. Papers must be at most 15 pages long in the LNCS format (including references). The formal proceedings of ADT 2024 will be published by Springer Verlag in the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) <http://www.springer.com/lncs>. ADT 2024 will not accept any paper that, at the time of submission, has already been published in a journal or another venue with formally published proceedings. However, in order to accommodate the publication norms of the many fields that work on decision theory, papers can be submitted but not already published elsewhere (i.e., are under review) provided the authors note they are submitting for the non-proceedings track at the top of their submission. All papers will be peer-reviewed by a double-blind procedure. Therefore, papers must be submitted anonymously as pdf documents via the Microsoft CMT <https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/ADT2024> system. It is important and required that authors do not reveal their identities in submitted papers. Since the review process is double blind, authors must take measures to ensure that their identity is not easily revealed from the submission itself. Authors should include the submission number (as assigned by the conference system) in the author field of the submission, and refer to their prior work in a neutral manner (i.e., instead of saying “We showed” say “XYZ et al. showed”). It is acceptable to submit work that has been presented in public or has appeared on arXiv, provided the submission itself is anonymized. Submission Format: Authors should consult Springer’s authors’ guidelines and use their proceedings templates <https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…>, either for LaTeX or for Word, for the preparation of their papers. Note that at least one author of each accepted paper is required to attend the conference to present the work. Authors will be required to agree to this requirement at the time of submission. In addition, the corresponding author of each accepted paper that will appear in the proceedings, acting on behalf of all of the authors of that paper, will need to complete and sign a Consent-to-Publish form, through which the copyright for their paper is transferred to Springer. To accommodate the publishing traditions of different fields, ADT 2024 will accept two types of submissions: Submissions with full text in the proceedings: Papers of this type will be accepted for either oral or poster presentation, or both. Each accepted paper of this type will be allocated at most 15 pages in the proceedings and there will be no distinction between papers accepted for oral or poster presentation in the conference proceedings. Submissions with one-page abstract in the proceeding: Papers of this type will be accepted for either oral or poster presentation, or both. Each accepted paper of this type will appear as a one-page abstract in the proceedings, along with a URL pointing to the full paper (on ArXiv or other service). This option is available to accommodate subsequent publication in venues that would not consider results that have been published in formal proceedings. Such papers must be formatted just like papers submitted for full-text publication, at the submission time, but authors are required to write “submission without proceedings” into the author field of their paper (instead of author names), if they choose this category. Otherwise, it will be assumed, by default, that their paper is submitted in the first category (submissions with full-text in the proceedings). Rupert Freeman and Nicholas Mattei ADT 2024 Program Co-Chairs David Pennock and Lirong Xia ADT 2024 General Chairs -- *Nicholas Mattei* Assistant Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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Code Release
by Antonio Bono 06 May '24

06 May '24

Dear Colleagues, We are pleased to announce the code release of Open Access NAO (OAN): a ROS2-based software framework for HRI applications with the NAO robot. Github: https://github.com/antbono/OAN Demonstration video: https://youtu.be/LxboNtHfDJg?si=fg9sl_HBgyTdWeC- Starting from the ability to run ROS2 on board the robot, we developed an open-source framework for the sixth version of NAO that is independent of the manufacturer's APIs. In addition to the basic skills of a humanoid robot such as walking or performing gestures, OAN provides NAO with: - Speech recognition/synthesis via Google Cloud Platform. - Face and object recognition via YOLOv8. - Use of Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) model for conversation thanks to ChatGPT. The developed code is therefore configured as a ready-to-use but also highly expandable and improvable tool thanks to the possibilities provided by the ROS community. All the necessary software is open-source or publicly available. For questions, please contact antonio.bono(a)unical.it *Antonio Bono*, Ph.D. Research Fellow Department of Computer Science, Modeling, Electronics and Systems Engineering (DIMES) University of Calabria Web: Google Scholar <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lGLDascAAAAJ&hl=it&authuser=1>, Linkedin <http://www.linkedin.com/in/bnontn89/> -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Il banner è generato automaticamente dal servizio di posta elettronica dell'Università della Calabria <https://www.unical.it/5x1000>

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DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MAY 15! - 2024 Call for Nominations for Silvia Coradeschi and Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar Awards
by Amy Eguchi 05 May '24

05 May '24

*THE DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MAY 15!* 2024 Call for Nominations for Silvia Coradeschi and Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar Awards Prof. Silvia Coradeschi (d. Feb 5, 2014) was a founding trustee of RoboCup and an early visionary in the RoboCup initiative. She served as General Chair of RoboCup 1999 in Stockholm, Sweden, was a frequent competition participant, and was an exemplar of the RoboCup ideal of engaging in cutting-edge AI and Robotics research. Prof. Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar (d. July 24, 2019) joined RoboCup since its beginning in 1997 and significantly contributed to the development of the RoboCup Federation (Trustee since 2004, Vice-President from 2008 to 2016). He was involved in the organization of many of the leagues, with major contributions to RoboCupJunior, RoboCup@Home, and RoboCup@Work. He was General Chair of RoboCup 2016 in Leipzig, Germany. To honor their extraordinary contributions to RoboCup and to honor their memories, the RoboCup Federation created “The Silvia Coradeschi RoboCup Award” in 2014 (https://www.robocup.org/silvia_coradeschi <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.robocup.org_silvia…>), for a young female RoboCup student or post-doctoral researcher, with distinguishing research and the “The Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award” in 2021 (https://www.robocup.org/gkk_award <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.robocup.org_gkk-5F…>), to recognize the outstanding contributions of an individual for his/her exceptional leadership, service, and dedication that benefit RoboCup in any of its leagues. We are now calling for candidates for the 2024 Awards. The award recipients, to be named at RoboCup 2024 will receive: - a certificate - a US$1,000 honorarium Nominations for the “Silvia Coradeschi Award”: Eligible candidates for the “Silvia Coradeschi Award” are female graduate students and post-doctoral researchers who received the degree within the past 3 years and who will register for RoboCup 2024. The two criteria are: 1. Distinguishing research as evidenced by, for example, refereed publications. 2. RoboCup leadership, either within a team and/or in the broad RoboCup community. To nominate a female student or post-doctoral researcher for the “Silvia Coradeschi Award”, the individual's professor should fill out the nomination form <https://forms.gle/VT2j8SsXHCfn9XkT9> by *May 15,* 2024. The submission should include: - A letter of recommendation that addresses both criteria. - An additional letter of recommendation from a RoboCup community member not affiliated with the nominee’s team is recommended (but not required) to support the nomination. Please upload the letters to the form by the professor recommending the candidate. Nominations for the “Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award”: Eligible candidates for the “Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award” are RoboCup members with an outstanding record of service in one or more of the RoboCup Leagues, including as Technical and Organizing Committees, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Trustees. To nominate a RoboCup member for the “Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award”, a person nominating a candidate should fill out the nomination form <https://forms.gle/VT2j8SsXHCfn9XkT9>* by May 15 2024*. The nomination must include - a letter of recommendation that addresses the individual’s impact of service and contributions to RoboCup, including diversity, quality, and length of the work done for RoboCup. - One or two additional letter(s) of recommendation from RoboCup community members to support the nomination. Please upload the letters to the form by the person nominating the candidate. Warmly, the Silvia Coradeschi and Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar Award Committee Daniele Nardi Minoru Asada Claude Sammut Ubbo Visser Amy Eguchi ****************************************************************** Amy Eguchi, Ph.D. Associate Teaching Professor, Computer Science Education Transforming Education in a Diverse Society Department of Education Studies, UC San Diego a2eguchi(a)ucsd.edu *Pronouns: she / her / hers* **********************Peace on Earth******************* *UC San Diego was built on the unceded territory of the Kumeyaay Nation. The Kumeyaay people continue to maintain their political sovereignty and cultural traditions as vital members of the San Diego community. We are honored to share this space with them and thank them for their stewardship. *

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UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Dependable and Deployable AI for Robotics (CDT-D2AIR)
by Ram Ramamoorthy 04 May '24

04 May '24

We are delighted to announce that applications are now open for the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Dependable and Deployable AI for Robotics (CDT-D2AIR), a 4-year PhD programme jointly offered by Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh. CDT-D2AIR will train students in the latest methods in AI, verification, design, and robotics, while also ensuring that students have the technical skills to develop and deploy safe robotic systems. Please visit our website to learn more about the programme and read details of how to apply. You can find the main application page at: https://www.edinburgh-robotics.org/apply. If you have any questions about CDT-D2AIR, please e-mail one of the CDT-D2AIR Directors. Questions or problems with the application system may be directed to enquiries(a)edinburgh-robotics.org<mailto:enquiries@edinburgh-robotics.org>. --- Professor Subramanian Ramamoorthy Chair of Robot Learning and Autonomy Director, Institute of Perception, Action and Behaviour Director, UKRI AI CDT in Dependable and Deployable AI for Robotics School of Informatics | University of Edinburgh http://rad.inf.ed.ac.uk The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th' ann an Oilthigh Dh?n ?ideann, cl?raichte an Alba, ?ireamh cl?raidh SC005336.

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Call for Papers: 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory - ADT 2024
by Nicholas Mattei 30 Apr '24

30 Apr '24

*ADT** 2024 - CALL FOR PAPERS* The 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory - ADT 2024 <https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/index> will be held October 14-16, 2024, at the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) at Rutgers University. We've got a great lineup of invited speakers including Xiao (Tracy) Liu, Herve Moulin, and Jenn Wortman Vaughan! Website: https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/ ADT 2024 focuses on algorithmic decision theory broadly defined, seeking to bring together researchers and practitioners coming from diverse areas of Computer Science, Economics, and Operations Research in order to improve the theory and practice of modern decision support. The conference topics include research in: Algorithms, Argumentation Theory, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Social Choice, Database Systems, Decision Analysis, Discrete Mathematics, Game Theory, Machine Learning and Adversarial Machine Learning, Matching, Multi-agent Systems, Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding, Networks, Optimization, Preference Modeling, Risk Analysis and Adversarial Risk Analysis, and Utility Theory. *Important Dates* *Title and Abstract Submission*: May 10, 2024 *Full Paper Submission*: May 17, 2024 *Notification*: July 19, 2024 *Final Version of Accepted Papers*: August 9, 2024 *Conference Dates*: October 14-16, 2024 *Submissions* Submissions are invited on significant, original and previously unpublished research on all aspects of Algorithmic Decision Theory. Papers must be at most 15 pages long in the LNCS format (including references). The formal proceedings of ADT 2024 will be published by Springer Verlag in the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) <http://www.springer.com/lncs>. ADT 2024 will not accept any paper that, at the time of submission, has already been published in a journal or another venue with formally published proceedings. However, in order to accommodate the publication norms of the many fields that work on decision theory, papers can be submitted but not already published elsewhere provided the authors note they are submitting for the non-proceedings track at the top of their submission. All papers will be peer-reviewed by a double-blind procedure. Therefore, papers must be submitted anonymously as pdf documents via the Microsoft CMT <https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/ADT2024> system. It is important and required that authors do not reveal their identities in submitted papers. Since the review process is double blind, authors must take measures to ensure that their identity is not easily revealed from the submission itself. Authors should include the submission number (as assigned by the conference system) in the author field of the submission, and refer to their prior work in a neutral manner (i.e., instead of saying “We showed” say “XYZ et al. showed”). It is acceptable to submit work that has been presented in public or has appeared on arXiv, provided the submission itself is anonymized. *Submission Format:* Authors should consult Springer’s authors’ guidelines and use their proceedings templates <https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…>, either for LaTeX or for Word, for the preparation of their papers. Note that at least one author of each accepted paper is required to attend the conference to present the work. Authors will be required to agree to this requirement at the time of submission. In addition, the corresponding author of each accepted paper that will appear in the proceedings, acting on behalf of all of the authors of that paper, will need to complete and sign a Consent-to-Publish form, through which the copyright for their paper is transferred to Springer. To accommodate the publishing traditions of different fields, ADT 2024 will accept two types of submissions: *Submissions with full text in the proceedings:* Papers of this type will be accepted for either oral or poster presentation, or both. Each accepted paper of this type will be allocated at most 15 pages in the proceedings and there will be no distinction between papers accepted for oral or poster presentation in the conference proceedings. *Submissions with one-page abstract in the proceeding:* Papers of this type will be accepted for either oral or poster presentation, or both. Each accepted paper of this type will appear as a one-page abstract in the proceedings, along with a URL pointing to the full paper. This option is available to accommodate subsequent publication in journals that would not consider results that have been published in preliminary form in conference proceedings. Such papers must be formatted just like papers submitted for full-text publication, at the submission time, but authors are required to write “submission without proceedings” into the author field of their paper (instead of author names), if they choose this category. Otherwise, it will be assumed, by default, that their paper is submitted in the first category (submissions with full-text in the proceedings). Rupert Freeman and Nicholas Mattei ADT 2024 Program Co-Chairs David Pennock and Lirong Xia ADT 2024 General Chairs -- *Nicholas Mattei* Assistant Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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[meetings] [competition] ICSR-2024 Competition
by Alessandra Rossi 27 Apr '24

27 Apr '24

Dear Attendees, We hope this message finds you well. We have an important update regarding the upcoming ICSR-2024 Competition <https://www.icsr2024-competition.org>. Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, we've made the decision to merge the ICSR-2024 Competition with The Innovation Village <https://innovation-village-2024.sharevent.it/it-IT> event happening in early May in Italy (May 8-9). This decision was made by the organizing committee in order to maximize the impact of the event and create a more comprehensive experience for all participants. As a result, only a part of the Competitions will be held in May, while the entire competition will be hosted within the framework of the main ICSR Conference in 2025. We understand that this change may affect those who were looking forward to visiting Naples. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, we want to assure you that this merger presents a unique opportunity for collaboration and innovation. Additionally, we remind the community that Naples will be the host city for ICSR 2025, providing attendees with the opportunity to experience its rich culture and vibrant atmosphere. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to welcoming you to ICSR 2025 in Naples. Kind regards Mariacarla Staffa

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[meetings][CFP][RO-MAN 2024] Second call of position papers for SCRITA Workshop
by Alessandra Rossi 27 Apr '24

27 Apr '24

Dear colleagues, it is with great pleasure that we invite you to submit your works at the seventh edition of a successful series of workshops SCRITA. We are also extremely happy to inform you that Prof. Selma Šabanović, Indiana University, will be our invited speaker! This workshop focuses on the continuous investigation of unresolved and new open challenges of the factors affecting people's acceptance and trust in robots in short- and long-term settings. We will invite authors to submit position papers only, discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We further encourage authors of the accepted papers to present a video or demonstrate their works and achievements. All accepted papers will have short oral presentations. Please find below the full CFP, but do not hesitate to contact us for further information. best regards Alessandra -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page: https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address: alessandra.rossi(a)unina.it e-mail address: a.rossi(a)herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81 SCRITA 2024 Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, USA 26-30 August 2024 Workshop website http://scrita.herts.ac.uk Submission link https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=scrita2024 Submission deadline May 31st, 2024 This workshop will be a half day event organised in conjunction with the IEEE RO-MAN 2024 <http://ro-man2024.org/> conference, held in Pasadena, California, USA. This workshop focuses on the continuous investigation of unresolved and new open challenges of the factors affecting people's acceptance and trust in robots in short- and long-term settings. In particular, we want to look into the dynamics between people and robots to foster short interactions and long-lasting relationships taking inspiration from different domains, such as educational, service, collaborative, companion, care-home and medical robotics. For that, this workshop aims to facilitate a discussion about people’s trust towards robots “in the field”, inviting workshop participants to contribute their past experiences, lessons learnt and future issues. During last year's workshop edition (i.e., SCRITA@RO-MAN 2023), together with leading researchers and exceptional speakers from various fields, we started working towards developing such novel methods. We outlined current methods and their strengths, discussing how these measures do not always reflect appropriately, or how some questions might be ambiguous and leave room for interpretation by individual participants. We identified five main factors affecting trust to be investigated to generate a new metric that allows researchers to assess and reduce common side effects influencing how people put their trust in robots. Submission & List of Topics The workshop will be open to a broad audience from academia and industry researching social robotics, machine learning, robot behavioural control, and user profiling. In particular, we aim to integrate expertise from roboticists with psychologists' and sociologists’ insights and experiences to foster a multidisciplinary and human-focused discussion that can capture the multi-faceted nature of trust and acceptance. We will foster the exchange of views on past and ongoing research and contribute to the discussion of innovative ideas for tackling unresolved issues by providing new and inspirational directions for research. We will invite authors to submit position papers only, discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We further encourage authors of the accepted papers to present a video or demonstrate their works and achievements. All accepted submissions will have an oral presentation. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Impact of Social Cues on Trust in HRI; - Measuring Trust in HRI; - Trust Violation and Recovery Mechanism in HRI; - Effects of Humans’ Acceptance on Trust of Robots; - Humans Sense of Control and Trust in Robots; - Trust and Assistive Robotics; - Overtrust in Robots; - Antecedent of Trust and Robot Trust; - Enhancing Humans Trust in Robots; - Enhancing Trust in a Robot Companion; - Privacy Implications on Trust in HRI; - Mental Models and Trust in HRI; - Trust and Safety in HRI; - Ethics Implications on Trust in HRI; - Trustworthy AI; - XAI in HRI; - Legal Frameworks for Trustworthy Robotics Invited Speaker Prof. Selma Šabanović, Indiana University *(confirmed)* Submission Guidelines Authors should submit their papers formatted according to the IEEE two-column format <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/support.php>, which is also used for contributions to the main conference. Use the following templates to create the paper and generate or export a PDF file: LaTeX <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/tex.php> or MS-Word <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/word.php>. Authors needs to submit their PDF via EasyChair <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=scrita2024>. Each paper will receive at least two reviews. All papers are reviewed using a single-blind review process: authors declare their names and affiliations in the manuscript for the reviewers to see, but reviewers do not know each other's identities, nor do the authors receive information about who has reviewed their manuscript. Committees - Dr Alessandra Rossi, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II (Italy) - Dr Patrick Holthaus, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Sílvia Moros, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Dr Gabriella Lakatos, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) - Ali Fallahi, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) Contact All questions about submissions should be emailed to scrita(a)herts.ac.uk - a.rossi(a)herts.ac.uk - p.holthaus(a)herts.ac.uk

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IEEE RAS Summer School on Educational Robotics
by Gerald Steinbauer-Wagner 25 Apr '24

25 Apr '24

We are happy to invite participants to EduRob24, the upcoming Summer School on Educational Robotics at Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria, taking place from 8.-12. July 2024. To spark the interest of young people in Robotics and AI is of paramount importance. Unfortunately, resources are scarce at schools which are the natural multiplier in this endeavor. Thus, the summer school aims to develop an easy-to-access robot simulation environment and ready-to-use teaching material for educational robotics in schools. Teachers, lecturers, and university students will work on this goal during a week that will offer keynotes, hands-on sessions, discussions, and a strategy workshop. Dive into topics such as technology, sustainability, accessibility, didactic concepts, and Open Roberta and take part in material development and in shaping an easy-to-access future of educational robotics. Through lectures, hands-on sessions, and discussions, participants will gain knowledge in robotics technology, content creation, and teaching skills. This summer school is also a starting point of several activities toward the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2026 in Vienna, Austria which will have a strong connection to Educational Robotics. Key highlights of the program include: * Development of a browser-based simulation framework in cooperation with Open Roberta Lab (https://lab.open-roberta.org/) * Technical education through lectures by experts in Educational Robotics and teaching concepts * Development of teaching material based on the developed easy access simulation framework We in particular address university students, teachers, mentors, lecturers, and all excited to bring the next generation of pupils closer to science and technology, especially Robotics and AI. Due to the generous support of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society there are no participation cost for the summer school and there are limited grants for accommodation and travel. Participation to the summer school will be granted based on the participant's motivation and previous experience in the field. For more information please visit this website: https://edurob24.ist.tugraz.at/ We are looking forward to hearing from you soon! Best regards, The EduRob24 Committee

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[meetings] [news] Hard Submission Deadline May 1: 3rd Benchmark for Autonomous Robot Navigation (BARN) Challenge -- ICRA 2024 Competition
by Xuesu Xiao 23 Apr '24

23 Apr '24

Hard submission deadline is approaching! Submit by May 1 to be invited to participate in The 3rd BARN Challenge at ICRA 2024 in Japan! Submission Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZLMVluXE-HWnV9lNP00LuBi3e9HFOeLi… Competition Website: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge24.html Participation Instructions: https://github.com/Daffan/nav-competition-icra2022 Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2023: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn23_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2022: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn22_report.pdf Dear roboticists, are you interested in agile robot navigation in highly constrained spaces with a lot of obstacles around, e.g., cluttered households or after-disaster scenarios? Do you think mobile robot navigation is mostly a solved problem? Are you looking for a hands-on project for your robotics class, but may not have (sufficient) robot platforms for your students? If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, we sincerely invite you to participate in our (3rd) ICRA 2024 BARN Challenge (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge24.html)! The BARN Challenge aims at evaluating state-of-the-art autonomous navigation systems to move robots through highly constrained environments in a safe and efficient manner. The task is to navigate a standardized Clearpath Jackal robot from a predefined start to a goal location as quickly as possible without any collision. The challenge will take place both in the simulated BARN dataset and in physical obstacle courses at ICRA2024. 1. The competition task is designing ground navigation systems to navigate through all 300 BARN environments (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN/BARN.html) and physical obstacle courses constructed at ICRA2024 as fast as possible without collision. 2. The 300 BARN environments can be the training set for learning-based methods, or to design classical approaches in. During the simulation competition, we will generate another 50 unseen environments unavailable to the participants before the competition. 3. We will standardize a Jackal robot in the Gazebo simulation, including a Hokuyo 2D LiDAR, motor controller of 2m/s max speed, etc. 4. Participants can use any approaches to tackle the navigation problem, such as using classical sampling-based or optimization-based planners, end-to-end learning, or hybrid approaches. We will provide baselines for reference. 5. A standardized scoring system is provided on the website. 6. We will invite the top teams in simulation to compete in the real world. The team who achieves the fastest collision-free navigation in the physical obstacle courses wins. If you are interested in participating, please submit your navigation system at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZLMVluXE-HWnV9lNP00LuBi3e9HFOeLi… Co-Organizers: Xuesu Xiao (George Mason University) Zifan Xu (UT Austin) Garrett Warnell (US Army Research Lab / UT Austin) Peter Stone (UT Austin / Sony AI) Sponsor: Clearpath Robotics, https://clearpathrobotics.com/ Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu<mailto:xiao@gmu.edu> https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/

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2024 Call for Nominations for Silvia Coradeschi and Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar Awards
by Amy Eguchi 19 Apr '24

19 Apr '24

2024 Call for Nominations for Silvia Coradeschi and Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar Awards Prof. Silvia Coradeschi (d. Feb 5, 2014) was a founding trustee of RoboCup and an early visionary in the RoboCup initiative. She served as General Chair of RoboCup 1999 in Stockholm, Sweden, was a frequent competition participant, and was an exemplar of the RoboCup ideal of engaging in cutting-edge AI and Robotics research. Prof. Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar (d. July 24, 2019) joined RoboCup since its beginning in 1997 and significantly contributed to the development of the RoboCup Federation (Trustee since 2004, Vice-President from 2008 to 2016). He was involved in the organization of many of the leagues, with major contributions to RoboCupJunior, RoboCup@Home, and RoboCup@Work. He was General Chair of RoboCup 2016 in Leipzig, Germany. To honor their extraordinary contributions to RoboCup and to honor their memories, the RoboCup Federation created “The Silvia Coradeschi RoboCup Award” in 2014 (https://www.robocup.org/silvia_coradeschi <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.robocup.org_silvia…>), for a young female RoboCup student or post-doctoral researcher, with distinguishing research and the “The Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award” in 2021 (https://www.robocup.org/gkk_award <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.robocup.org_gkk-5F…>), to recognize the outstanding contributions of an individual for his/her exceptional leadership, service, and dedication that benefit RoboCup in any of its leagues. We are now calling for candidates for the 2024 Awards. The award recipients, to be named at RoboCup 2024 will receive: - a certificate - a US$1,000 honorarium Nominations for the “Silvia Coradeschi Award”: Eligible candidates for the “Silvia Coradeschi Award” are female graduate students and post-doctoral researchers who received the degree within the past 3 years and who will register for RoboCup 2024. The two criteria are: 1. Distinguishing research as evidenced by, for example, refereed publications. 2. RoboCup leadership, either within a team and/or in the broad RoboCup community. To nominate a female student or post-doctoral researcher for the “Silvia Coradeschi Award”, the individual's professor should fill out the nomination form <https://forms.gle/VT2j8SsXHCfn9XkT9> by May 1st, 2024. The submission should include: - A letter of recommendation that addresses both criteria. - An additional letter of recommendation from a RoboCup community member not affiliated with the nominee’s team is recommended (but not required) to support the nomination. Please upload the letters to the form by the professor recommending the candidate. Nominations for the “Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award”: Eligible candidates for the “Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award” are RoboCup members with an outstanding record of service in one or more of the RoboCup Leagues, including as Technical and Organizing Committees, Executive Committee, and/or Board of Trustees. To nominate a RoboCup member for the “Gerhard Kraetzschmar RoboCup Distinguished Service Award”, a person nominating a candidate should fill out the nomination form <https://forms.gle/VT2j8SsXHCfn9XkT9> by May 1st, 2024 by May 1st, 2024. The email must include - a letter of recommendation that addresses the individual’s impact of service and contributions to RoboCup, including diversity, quality, and length of the work done for RoboCup. - One or two additional letter(s) of recommendation from RoboCup community members to support the nomination. Please upload the letters to the form by the person nominating the candidate. Warmly Amy Eguchi on behalf of the Silvia Coradeschi and Gerhard K. Kraetzschmar Award Committee ****************************************************************** Amy Eguchi, Ph.D. Associate Teaching Professor, Computer Science Education Transforming Education in a Diverse Society Department of Education Studies, UC San Diego a2eguchi(a)ucsd.edu *Pronouns: she / her / hers* **********************Peace on Earth******************* *UC San Diego was built on the unceded territory of the Kumeyaay Nation. The Kumeyaay people continue to maintain their political sovereignty and cultural traditions as vital members of the San Diego community. We are honored to share this space with them and thank them for their stewardship. *

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[Call for papers] Brazilian Symposium on Robotics (SBR 2024)
by Thiago Pedro Donadon Homem 17 Apr '24

17 Apr '24

Dear Colleagues, It is my pleasure to invite you all to submit your work to the Brazilian Symposium on Robotics (SBR 2024). Call for Papers SBR 2024 - Brazilian Symposium on Robotics Goiânia, GO, Brazil - November 13 to 15, 2024 https://natalnet.br/sbr2024 Important Dates Paper Submission Deadline: July 8, 2024 Notification of Acceptance: September 2, 2024 Camera Ready Submission Deadline: October 16, 2024 Proceedings Accepted papers will be available at IEEE Xplore. The best selected papers will be invited for submission of an extended version in the Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems - JINT, Impact factor 3.3 (2022) Overview The SBR (Brazilian Symposium on Robotics aim at promoting a comprehensive scientific meeting in the area of Intelligent Robotics, bringing together researchers, undergraduate and graduate students of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, and related fields. The event will include technical sessions of an oral presentation of full papers and technical lectures of recognized importance in the area. SBR will take place in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil from November 13 to 15, 2024. The SBR and its associated scientific events are the primary scientific/academic meetings of a larger event that brings relevant robotics developments, named ROBÓTICA 2024. That also comprises the CBR (Brazilian Robotics Competition), OBR (Brazilian Robotics Olympiad), MNR (National Robotics Fair), besides the SBR, WRE (Workshop of Robotics in Education), and WTDR/CTDR (Workshop on MSc Dissertation and Ph.D. Thesis in Robotics and Best MSc Dissertation and Ph.D. Thesis Contest in Robotics). Registration: https://centraldesistemas.sbc.org.br/ecos/sbrwrectdr2024 Paper submission: https://jems.sbc.org.br/home.cgi?c=4589 Conference website: https://natalnet.br/sbr2024 Topics of Interest 1. Vision in robotics and automation; 2. Symbol mediated robot behavior control; 3. Sensory mediated robot behavior control; 4. Active sensory processing and control; 5. Industrial applications of autonomous systems; 6. Sensor modeling and data interpretation e.g. models and software for sensor data integration, 3D scene analysis, environment description and modeling, pattern recognition; 7. Robust techniques in AI and sensing e.g. uncertainty modeling, graceful degradation of systems; 8. Robot programming e.g. on-line and off-line programming, discrete event dynamical systems, fuzzy logic; 9. Multi-Robot and Multi-Agents, Cooperation and Collaboration; 10. CAD-based robotics e.g. CAD-based vision, reverse engineering; 11. Robot simulation and visualization tools; 12. Tele-operated and autonomous systems; 13. Microelectromechanical robots; 14. Robot modeling; 15. Robot control architectures; 16. Sensor-Motor control of Robots; 17. Robot planning, reasoning, communication, adaptation, and learning; 18. Mechanical design; 19. Robotic Manipulators; 20. Robot soccer; 21. Evolutionary robotics; 22. Bio-Inspired robotics; 23. Robots for robotic surgery and rehabilitation; 24. Micro/nano-robotics, new Devices, and materials for robots; 25. Human-Robot Interaction and Interfaces; 26. Education issues in Robotics; 27. Computing architectures; 28. Sensor Networks, architectures of embedded Hardware and software; 29. Self-Localization, Mapping and Navigation; 30. Multi-robot systems; 31. Aerial vehicles; 32. Autonomous vehicles; 33. Mobile robot platforms; 34. Service robots and entertainment robots; 35. Underwater robots; 36. Humanoids. Organization chairs: Chair: Dr. Thiago Pedro Donadon Homem - IFSP Co-chair: Dr. Paulo Roberto Ferreira Jr. - UFPel Robotica 2024 General chair: Dr. Marco Antonio Assfalk de Oliveira - UFG ---- Dr. Thiago Pedro Donadon Homem Associate Professor Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of São Paulo (IFSP) CV Lattes: http://lattes.cnpq.br/6109272293288485 ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2140-0129

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[meetings][CFP][competition] International Conference of Social Robotics (ICSR) Competition
by Alessandra Rossi 16 Apr '24

16 Apr '24

1st ICSR Competition Naples, Italy, 30 - 31 May, 2024 Competition website https://www.icsr2024-competition.org Registration link https://evnk.co/icsr-napoli Early registration April 25th, 2024 We would like to invite you to participate in a dedicated event of the flagship and prestigious International Conference of Social Robotics (ICSR)! ICSR presents the 1st ICSR Competition will be held in Naples, Italy, on 30 and 31 May 2024. ICSR Competition aims at being not only a competition but an extraordinary showcase of innovation and talent in the field of robotics. This event marks the convergence of brilliance, where teams comprising students, PhD students, researchers, and esteemed professors will compete in a series of captivating competitions through a groundbreaking exploration into the realms of robotics, where cutting-edge technologies and social applications come together. In the spirit of fostering collaboration and pushing the boundaries of what is possible, our competitions will showcase the diverse capabilities of robotics. Teams can choose to participate in four different competitions: the Robotics Arm Challenge, the Humanoid Robot Challenge, the Robot Design Challenge and the Game Jam Challenge. Each competition offers a unique perspective on the capabilities of robotics and their potential to shape our social future. As we embark on this incredible journey, let us celebrate the hard work, dedication, and creativity of the teams who have poured their hearts and minds into developing solutions that not only showcase technical prowess but also reflect a keen understanding of the societal implications of robotics. All teams and their members will receive a participation certificate. For each category, the winners will be awarded with certificates and a price. Prices includes monetary rewards, free professional courses and much more. For more information about the challenges and how to participate, please check our website <https://www.icsr2024-competition.org> or contact us. General Chair Mariacarla Staffa, University of Naples Parthenope, ItalyGeneral Co-ChairsAlessandra Rossi, University of Naples Federico II, ItalyAmit Kumar Pandey, Rovial Space, FranceContactAll questions should be emailed to mariacarla.staffa(a)uniparthenope.it

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[jobs] Research Intern positions or Postdocs in human-robot interaction at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy
by Alessandra Rossi 16 Apr '24

16 Apr '24

***** Apologies for any cross-posting ***** Dear colleagues, At the PRISCA lab - University of Naples Federico II, we are looking 2 Research Intern positions or Postdocs in human-robot interaction. Please find attached the call. Kind regards Alessandra -- Dr. Alessandra Rossi Assistant Professor PRISCA research lab Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy emails: a.rossi(a)herts.ac.uk, alessandra.rossi(a)unina.it, alessandra.rossi(a)ieee.org website: alessandrarossi.net twitter: @alhandra81 ----------------------------------------------------------------- [image: image.png] At the University of Naples Federico II (Italy), we are looking for two Research Intern positions or Postdocs in human-robot interaction. Project: ADVISOR - ADaptiVe legIble robotS for trustwORthy health coaching Start date: 1st July 2024, for 1 year Application deadline: 7 May 2024 We are looking for 2 exceptional and highly motivated candidates for a full-time 1-year research position to join the PRISCA lab at the University of Naples Federico II in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies. The research area of ADVISOR is developed as part of the funding Italian PRIN PNRR. The researcher will focus on the following topics: The focus of the project is to tackle the lack of user trust in robots, starting from the need for personalised coaching for healthy behaviours, to ensure that diverse populations and individuals’ specific needs and preferences are respected. We aim to investigate how to deploy trustworthy and transparent robot behaviours in this context, and move towards creating a technology that can be easily and successfully adopted by its intended users. We do so by tackling two main issues. The first is advancing research toward developing autonomous, and yet trustworthy robots that can operate in close contact with humans. This will let us clearly identify the functionalities needed to have SAR to be deployed in healthcare. The second is making the robot’s behaviours transparent to the users while being adaptive. Finally, the integration of different social, emotional, and cognitive aspects and the implementation of a set of behavioural and verbal skills will allow us to have a first evaluation of the level of mutual understanding required for a trustworthy interaction. Requirements: A Ph.D. is preferred, or master degree or equivalent in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science or Engineering with a focus on Intelligent Systems, Intelligent Robotics, Machine Learning and Human-Robot Interaction is required. Excellent programming skills (Python, C++, Machine Learning Frameworks, ROS etc.) are needed. Excellent English communication skills are an important requirement. Preferred Qualifications: collecting and analysing data, conducting literature reviews and scientific track record, writing up academic publications; strong interpersonal skills; great teammate; interest and capability to communicate, written and verbal, with peers, students and collaborators unfamiliar with behavioural science. Application: Send your complete application documents to silvia.rossi(a)unina.it : - A 2-page motivation letter including a description of previous research experience (1page) and current research interest, outlining the fit to the desired position (1 page), - A full curriculum vitae with details about where you resided or carried out your main activity [work, studies, etc.], - Copies of degree certificate[s], including transcripts of grades obtained for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. In case, a PhD is to be completed before the starting of this position, please provide expected final grade and completion date, - Names and email contacts for two referees who would be willing to write a letter of support for your application, - List of publications (if any), - Any English language and other relevant certificates. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview in May. The successful candidate will be working in Naples, Italy. Naples (Italian: Napoli) is the third-largest city in Italy and is the capital of the Campania region. World-known for its rich history, art, culture, architecture, music, and gastronomy, Naples is a lively, exciting and bustling city situated on the southwest coast in a gorgeous gulf, and is surrounded by attractive tourist and archaeological sites such as Capri, Ischia, Amalfi Coast, Pompei, Ercolano, Mount Vesuvius. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naples for further information. For more details on how to apply, please email Prof. Silvia Rossi at silvia.rossi(a)unina.it.

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robocup-worldwide mailing list submissions
by Juan M. Gandarias 13 Apr '24

13 Apr '24

robocup-worldwide mailing list submissions -- Juan M. Gandarias, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Robotics and Mechatronics Lab Systems Engineering and Automation Department University of Malaga Calle Doctor Ortiz Ramos Malaga, Spain web: https://jmgandarias.come-mail: jmgandarias(a)uma.es Tel: +34 951952332

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ICRA 2024 Forum “Enhancing Service Robots for Future Homes”
by Katarzyna Pasternak 11 Apr '24

11 Apr '24

Dear RoboCuppers, We are pleased to extend our invitation for the Forum "Enhancing Service Robots for Future Homes: Insights and Learnings Forum" scheduled to take place at ICRA 2024 on May 16th, 2024. This forum will provide a venue to discuss the current state and future of research and advancement of domestic service robots, spanning from human-robot interaction and scene understanding to navigation and object manipulation. We believe that by exploring these areas, we can pave the way for the creation of at-home service robots that seamlessly integrate into human environments. Our distinguished panel of speakers, comprising six experts in the field of robotics, will offer invaluable insights into the topics such as explainable robots, safety, trustworthiness, perception, planning, and learning for service robots. Through their expertise, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of recent technological advancements and their implications for the development of service robots. Furthermore, we will provide context by discussing the role of RoboCup and other competition environments in shaping the future of robotics. We cordially invite you to join us for this forum, where you'll have the opportunity to engage with fellow experts, researchers, and enthusiasts in the field. Your presence and insights will contribute to the success of our discussions. Event Details: Date: May 16th, 2024 Time: 13:30 - 18:00 Location: Pacific Convention Plaza Yokohama(PACIFICO Yokohama), North G1 room Website: sites.google.com/view/fma-home-icra24 and 2024.ieee-icra.org/program/forums/ Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to the forum organizers at kwp(a)cs.miami.edu. We look forward to welcoming you to the "Enhancing Service Robots for Future Homes" forum and to the enriching discussions that lie ahead. Warm regards, Forum Organizers Justin Hart, Matteo Leonetti, Katarzyna Pasternak, Komei Sugiura, Ubbo Visser, Sven Wachsmuth

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Call for paticipation - RoboCup ARM Challenge 2024
by Jose Avendano Arbelaez 10 Apr '24

10 Apr '24

Call for Participation 2024 RoboCup Autonomous Robot Manipulation (ARM) Challenge https://arm.robocup.org/ The RoboCup Autonomous Manipulation Challenge is live and accepting registrations for the 2024 season. This is a great opportunity to learn about robot manipulation or get a certificate to demonstrate your existing skills! Live information session on learning robotic manipulation and this competition will take place on March 13th. Prizes Certificate of Achievement for demonstrating skills in programming, control, simulation, and perception of robotic pick-and-place and grasping applications in dynamic environments. RCF Sponsored Research Grant for 2025 (Up to 5000 USD) Important Dates February 15th - Registration Opens March 13th - Live challenge kickoff and Q&A April 18th - Technical Support and Development Q&A for teams May 26th - Submission deadline for the qualification round May 30th - Announcement of teams qualified for finals July 18-21 - In-person finals with UR5e Robot (RoboCup 2024 Eindhoven) Registration All teams must pre-register using the online form on the website. Registration deadline: May 5th, 2024 Submission Participating teams will complete a submission form providing links to their code/files and a video of their algorithm in action. Questions? roboticsarena(a)mathworks.com<mailto:roboticsarena@mathworks.com> or j.j.olthuis(a)tue.nl<mailto:j.j.olthuis@tue.nl>

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[Jobs] PostDoc in Robotics/AI - Computer Science
by Ubbo Visser 10 Apr '24

10 Apr '24

Drs. Ubbo Visser and Jonathan Katz are interested in hiring a Postdoctoral Associate in AI/Robotics in Automation for Minimally Invasive Genitourinary Surgery in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Miami (Miami, FL). We invite talented and highly motivated applicants to join our collaborative lab at the University of Miami. This position is ideal for a Ph.D. in the field of Computer Science or Electrical Engineering, with experience in applying AI/ML and robotics expertise in the medical field. Some duties include but are not limited to the following: - Designing and implementing high-fidelity simulations for robotic-assisted surgery. - Developing algorithms for real-time control and path planning of surgical instruments. - Integrating machine learning and computer vision techniques for autonomous surgery. - Collaborating with surgeons to adapt research for clinical use. - Publishing research findings in top scientific journals and conferences. The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic team bridging the Departments of Computer Science and Genitourinary Surgery, focusing on groundbreaking research in surgical automation. Proficiency in programming languages such as C++ and Python, and experience with simulation frameworks like Gazebo, ISAAC Sim, and V-REP is a plus. Applicants with a background in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering, research experience, an excellent publication record, as well as experience in applying AI/ML and robotics expertise in the medical fields are strongly preferred. This is a 3-year contract opportunity to contribute to innovative research at the intersection of technology and medicine. The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law. Click here <https://umiami.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UMCareerStaff/job/Coral-Gables-FL/Post…> for additional information and to apply. Website: https://umiami.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UMCareerStaff/job/Coral-Gables-FL/Post…. Kind regards, Ubbo Visser ~O_ ~O_ ~O_ ~O_ ~O_ ~O_ ~O_ ~O_ o~ ____(___(_/_(___(_/_(___(_/_(___(_/____)________ ~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~/~~~~~~/~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dr. Ubbo Visser Associate Professor of Computer Science President-elect, RoboCup Federation Director of Graduate Studies Distinguished Faculty for Cognitive Science and Aging University of Miami Department of Computer Science Ungar Building, Room 330A 1365 Memorial Drive Coral Gables, 33146-4245, FL, USA T: +1 305 284 2254 (x2268 Secr.) Email: visser(a)cs.miami.edu <mailto:visser@cs.miami.edu> Web: http//www.cs.miami.edu/~visser <http://www.cs.miami.edu/~visser>

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[meetings][CFP][RO-MAN 2024] Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction Workshop
by alexarossi＠gmail.com 08 Apr '24

08 Apr '24

Dear colleagues, it is with great pleasure that we invite you to submit your works at the seventh edition of a successful series of workshops SCRITA. This workshop focuses on the continuous investigation of unresolved and new open challenges of the factors affecting people's acceptance and trust in robots in short- and long-term settings. We will invite authors to submit position papers only, discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We further encourage authors of the accepted papers to present a video or demonstrate their works and achievements. All accepted papers will have short oral presentations. Please find below the full CFP, but do not hesitate to contact us for further information. best regards Alessandra -- Alessandra Rossi, PhD Assistant Professor Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies - D.I.E.T.I. University of Naples Federico II Via Claudio, 21, 80125 - Naples, Italy w-page:https://alessandrarossi.net e-mail address:alessandra.rossi@unina.it e-mail address:a.rossi@herts.ac.uk X: @alhandra81 SCRITA 2024 Trust, Acceptance and Social Cues in Human-Robot Interaction Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, USA 26-30 August 2024 Workshop website http://scrita.herts.ac.uk Submission link https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=scrita2024 Submission deadline May 31st, 2024 This workshop will be a half day event organised in conjunction with theIEEE RO-MAN 2024 <http://ro-man2024.org/>conference, held in Pasadena, California, USA. This workshop focuses on the continuous investigation of unresolved and new open challenges of the factors affecting people's acceptance and trust in robots in short- and long-term settings. In particular, we want to look into the dynamics between people and robots to foster short interactions and long-lasting relationships taking inspiration from different domains, such as educational, service, collaborative, companion, care-home and medical robotics. For that, this workshop aims to facilitate a discussion about people’s trust towards robots “in the field”, inviting workshop participants to contribute their past experiences, lessons learnt and future issues. During last year's workshop edition(i.e., SCRITA@RO-MAN 2023), together with leading researchers and exceptional speakers from various fields, we started working towards developing such novel methods. We outlined current methods and their strengths, discussing how these measures do not always reflect appropriately, or how some questions might be ambiguous and leave room for interpretation by individual participants. We identified five main factors affecting trust to be investigated to generate a new metric that allows researchers to assess and reduce common side effects influencing how people put their trust in robots. Submission & List of Topics The workshop will be open to a broad audience from academia and industry researching social robotics, machine learning, robot behavioural control, and user profiling. In particular, we aim to integrate expertise from roboticists with psychologists' and sociologists’ insights and experiences to foster a multidisciplinary and human-focused discussion that can capture the multi-faceted nature of trust and acceptance. We will foster the exchange of views on past and ongoing research and contribute to the discussion of innovative ideas for tackling unresolved issues by providing new and inspirational directions for research. We will invite authors to submit position papers only, discussing their prior experience and new developments in the scope of the workshop to feed into the group and the following panel discussions. We further encourage authors of the accepted papers topresent a video or demonstratetheir works and achievements. All accepted submissions will have an oral presentation. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: * Impact of Social Cues on Trust in HRI; * Measuring Trust in HRI; * Trust Violation and Recovery Mechanism in HRI; * Effects of Humans’ Acceptance on Trust of Robots; * Humans Sense of Control and Trust in Robots; * Trust and Assistive Robotics; * Overtrust in Robots; * Antecedent of Trust and Robot Trust; * Enhancing Humans Trust in Robots; * Enhancing Trust in a Robot Companion; * Privacy Implications on Trust in HRI; * Mental Models and Trust in HRI; * Trust and Safety in HRI; * Ethics Implications on Trust in HRI; * Trustworthy AI; * XAI in HRI; * Legal Frameworks for Trustworthy Robotics Submission Guidelines Authors should submit their papers formatted according to theIEEE two-column format <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/support.php>, which is also used for contributions to the main conference. Use the following templates to create the paper and generate or export a PDF file:LaTeX <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/tex.php>orMS-Word <http://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/word.php>. Authors needs to submit their PDF via EasyChair <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=scrita2024>. Each paper will receive at least two reviews. All papers are reviewed using a single-blind review process: authors declare their names and affiliations in the manuscript for the reviewers to see, but reviewers do not know each other's identities, nor do the authors receive information about who has reviewed their manuscript. Committees * Dr Alessandra Rossi, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II (Italy) * Dr Patrick Holthaus, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) * Sílvia Moros, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) * Dr Gabriella Lakatos, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) * Ali Fallahi, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (UK) Contact All questions about submissions should be emailed to scrita(a)herts.ac.uk - a.rossi(a)herts.ac.uk - p.holthaus(a)herts.ac.uk

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[News] Robotics Developer Masterclass 2024-Batch 1
by Yuhong Lin 08 Apr '24

08 Apr '24

Dear all, Enrollment for the Robotics Developer Masterclass 2024-Batch 1 is currently available! This program offers comprehensive training in robot programming centered on ROS and development, equipping participants with the skills needed to prepare for employment at top robotics companies. *Registration link*: roboticsdeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstructsim.com/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worl…> *Early-Bird Registration Deadline*: December 31, 2023 Throughout this Masterclass, you’ll have the exclusive opportunity to work on innovative remote real robot labs, including: 1. *City World Lab*: Work with a real mobile robot, the TurtleBot3, to perform basic ROS tasks, gaining hands-on experience in basic robot programming. 2. *Warehouse Lab*: Apply your knowledge to create an entire pick-and-place task using real warehouse collaborative robots, including the RB1-Base and UR3e Arm. 3. *Cyber World Lab*: Engage in designing and developing navigation algorithms for a wheeled mobile robot, specifically the ROSbot XL. Explore the challenges and intricacies of robot navigation in different environments. 4. *Startbots Cafeteria Lab*: Showcase your skills in a real-world multi-robot scenario by designing and presenting a complete robotics project for the StarBots Cafeteria Lab. Develop robots that can prepare and deliver coffee to tables while maintaining battery levels and cleaning the space. The curriculum covers a wide range of essential topics and practical skills, empowering you to thrive in robotics development. Key areas covered in the program include: - *Collaborative software development with Git* - *C++ programming skills for robotics* - *ROS 1 and ROS 2 basics* - *Robot modeling with URDF – ROS2* - *Robot frame transformations with TF ROS2* - *Creating robot simulations with Gazebo (Ignition)* - *Advanced ROS2 concepts* - *Robot navigation with ROS2* - *Robot perception with ROS2* - *Object manipulation with ROS2* - *Building robot controllers with ROS2* - *Essential math for robotics* - *Mobile robot kinematics* - *Robot arm kinematics* - *Robot dynamics* - *Kalman filters* - *Path planning algorithms* - *Programming web interfaces for ROS2* - *Containerizing your software with Docker* - *Automating development tasks with Jenkins* - *Ensuring code integrity with continuous integration (CI)* - *Designing, developing, and presenting complete robotics projects from scratch* Upon successful completion of the Masterclass, you will be guaranteed an online or onsite internship placement with one of the world’s leading robotics companies. Our esteemed partners who have accepted our students for internships include: - Mujin Corp (Japan) - Robotnik (Spain) - PAL Robotics (Spain) - Eurecat (Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya-Spain) - Rover Robotics (US) - Stogl Robotics (Germany) - Karelics (Finland) - Neobotix (Germany) - Husarion (Poland) - Perpetuum Progress (Germany) - Robotise (Germany) - Robotec AI (Poland) - ICRA (Instituto Colombiano de Robótica Avanzada - Colombia) - Akara Robotics (Ireland) - Orbital Composites (US) - Knightscope (US) - A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research - Singapore) - Asimovo (Netherlands) - Anybotics (Switzerland) - Rigbetellabs (India) - PaceRobotics (India) To register and learn more about the program, please visit the following link: roboticsdeveloper.ai <https://www.theconstructsim.com/robotics-developer/?utm_source=robocup_worl…> If you have any questions or require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at info(a)theconstructsim.com. Best regards,

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Call for Participation in two @Home Education events!
by Amy Eguchi 08 Apr '24

08 Apr '24

Call for Participation in two @Home Education events! We’re excited to announce two Calls for Participation: 1. RoboCup 2024 - @Home Education Competition 15-17 July 2024: Set-up days 18-21 July 2024: Competitions 22 July 2024: Symposium Please submit your TDP using this form <https://forms.gle/hcKsh8j5dqmb8SFq8> by 04/31 or sooner (especially if your team needs a visa to enter the Netherlands). You can find the TDP requirements here <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YOqbkhVaPBZHJ1ZJAHkLdy3WOTOxfrP4/edit?u…>. We will continue to accept the application until the slots are filled. But we strongly encourage you to submit your application ASAP. Also, please visit @Home Education website <https://www.robocupathomeedu.org/> for more information. 2. RoboCup@Home Education Natural Human Robot Interaction challenge @ ICRA 2024 May 13 -14, 2024: Workshop (5/13 could be online) May 14, 2024 (teams that do not need workshop, can come to set-up on those two days or just on May 14): Team set-up May 15-16, 2024: Competition If you’re interested in the event, please visit the event website <https://sites.google.com/ucsd.edu/icra2024-robocupathome-edu/home> and fill out the Application form <https://forms.gle/EiP7hvk7yzJCFoLSA>. The form is open until the slots are filled; however, we strongly encourage you to fill out the form ASAP. Any questions? Please contact Dr. Amy Eguchi @ a2eguchi(a)ucsd.edu. @Home Education Committee ****************************************************************** Amy Eguchi, Ph.D. Associate Teaching Professor, Computer Science Education Transforming Education in a Diverse Society Department of Education Studies, UC San Diego a2eguchi(a)ucsd.edu *Pronouns: she / her / hers* **********************Peace on Earth******************* *UC San Diego was built on the unceded territory of the Kumeyaay Nation. The Kumeyaay people continue to maintain their political sovereignty and cultural traditions as vital members of the San Diego community. We are honored to share this space with them and thank them for their stewardship. *

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[meetings] [news] One Month till Hard Submission Deadline: 3rd Benchmark for Autonomous Robot Navigation (BARN) Challenge -- ICRA 2024 Competition
by Xuesu Xiao 04 Apr '24

04 Apr '24

Soft submission deadline has passed, but hard submission deadline is a month away! Submit by May 1 to be invited to participate in The 3rd BARN Challenge at ICRA 2024 in Japan! Submission Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZLMVluXE-HWnV9lNP00LuBi3e9HFOeLi… Competition Website: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge24.html Participation Instructions: https://github.com/Daffan/nav-competition-icra2022 Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2023: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn23_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2022: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn22_report.pdf Dear roboticists, are you interested in agile robot navigation in highly constrained spaces with a lot of obstacles around, e.g., cluttered households or after-disaster scenarios? Do you think mobile robot navigation is mostly a solved problem? Are you looking for a hands-on project for your robotics class, but may not have (sufficient) robot platforms for your students? If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, we sincerely invite you to participate in our (3rd) ICRA 2024 BARN Challenge (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge24.html)! The BARN Challenge aims at evaluating state-of-the-art autonomous navigation systems to move robots through highly constrained environments in a safe and efficient manner. The task is to navigate a standardized Clearpath Jackal robot from a predefined start to a goal location as quickly as possible without any collision. The challenge will take place both in the simulated BARN dataset and in physical obstacle courses at ICRA2024. 1. The competition task is designing ground navigation systems to navigate through all 300 BARN environments (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN/BARN.html) and physical obstacle courses constructed at ICRA2024 as fast as possible without collision. 2. The 300 BARN environments can be the training set for learning-based methods, or to design classical approaches in. During the simulation competition, we will generate another 50 unseen environments unavailable to the participants before the competition. 3. We will standardize a Jackal robot in the Gazebo simulation, including a Hokuyo 2D LiDAR, motor controller of 2m/s max speed, etc. 4. Participants can use any approaches to tackle the navigation problem, such as using classical sampling-based or optimization-based planners, end-to-end learning, or hybrid approaches. We will provide baselines for reference. 5. A standardized scoring system is provided on the website. 6. We will invite the top teams in simulation to compete in the real world. The team who achieves the fastest collision-free navigation in the physical obstacle courses wins. If you are interested in participating, please submit your navigation system at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZLMVluXE-HWnV9lNP00LuBi3e9HFOeLi… Co-Organizers: Xuesu Xiao (George Mason University) Zifan Xu (UT Austin) Garrett Warnell (US Army Research Lab / UT Austin) Peter Stone (UT Austin / Sony AI) Sponsor: Clearpath Robotics, https://clearpathrobotics.com/ Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu<mailto:xiao@gmu.edu> https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/

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[CfP-extended deadline] Workshop on Cooking Robotics at ICRA2024, 17 May (Deadline 7 April)
by Tatsuya MATSUSHIMA 28 Mar '24

28 Mar '24

Dear Colleagues, We would like to inform you that a *video* and a *short paper* (1-4pages, excluding references) submission deadline for the *ICRA 2024 workshop on Cooking Robotics: Perception and motion planning* has been *extended to April 7!* Accepted works will be presented at the workshop through posters and spotlight talks. Please see the workshop website and abstract for more information: https://sites. <https://sites.google.com/view/icra2024cookingrobotics/home>google.com/view/ <https://sites.google.com/view/icra2024cookingrobotics/home> icra2024cookingrobotics/home <https://sites.google.com/view/icra2024cookingrobotics/home> *Submission link:* https://openreview.net/group? <https://openreview.net/group?id=IEEE.org/2024/ICRA/Workshop/CookingRobot> id=IEEE.org/2024/ICRA/ <https://openreview.net/group?id=IEEE.org/2024/ICRA/Workshop/CookingRobot> Workshop/CookingRobot <https://openreview.net/group?id=IEEE.org/2024/ICRA/Workshop/CookingRobot> *Timeline:* Submission deadline: *7 April 2024* Notification: 14 April 2024 Workshop: *17 May 2024 at ICRA2024* in Yokohama, Japan *Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:* - Perception: vision, tactile, taste, smell, appearance, monitoring - Motion planning and control: recipe generation, long-horizon planning, cluttered environment, deformable objects, tool manipulation - Hardware: soft robotics, grippers for food manipulation - Application: human-robot interaction, social, industrial and domestic needs, safety, reliability and hygiene, 3D food printing Late-breaking results, ongoing works, and demos relevant to the topic of the workshop from academia, industries, and professionals are all welcome. *Conference Abstract:* The realisation of cooking robots presents numerous real-world challenges. This workshop explores the latest advancements in 'robots in cooking,' addressing hardware considerations, multimodal perception, motion planning and control, experimental methodologies, and benchmarking approaches. Amid labour shortages and increased hygiene concerns in the post-COVID world, automation in the food industry and personalised cooking assistants have become essential. This workshop will bridge the gap between academia, industry, and professionals by inviting leading researchers, collaborating with a competition, the Food Topping Challenge, <https://icra2024.rt-net.jp/> and showcasing robot demonstrations. *Invited Speakers:* Tamin Asfour (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) Fumiya Iida (University of Cambridge) Josie Hughes (EPFL) Mako Miyatake (Freelancer chef of "designing the future of the food") Priya Sundaresan/Dorsa Sadigh (Stanford University) Akihiko Yamaguchi (Tohoku University/Finger Vision) Kevin Zhang/Oliver Kroemer (Carnegie Mellon University) *Organisers:* Namiko Saito (The University of Edinburgh, The Alan Turing Institute, and Waseda University) Kento Kawaharazuka (The University of Tokyo) Tatsuya Matsushima (The University of Tokyo) Naoaki Kanazawa (The University of Tokyo) Marina Y. Aoyama (The University of Edinburgh) Sethu Vijayakumar (The University of Edinburgh and The Alan Turing Institute) If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Email: icra2024-cooking-ws(a)googlegroups.com Website: https://sites.google. <https://sites.google.com/view/icra2024cookingrobotics>com/view/ <https://sites.google.com/view/icra2024cookingrobotics> icra2024cookingrobotics <https://sites.google.com/view/icra2024cookingrobotics> X (Twitter): https://twitter. <https://twitter.com/cookingrobotics> com/cookingrobotics <https://twitter.com/cookingrobotics> Linkedin: https://www. <https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooking-robotics-workshop/> linkedin.com/company/cooking- <https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooking-robotics-workshop/> robotics-workshop/ <https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooking-robotics-workshop/> -- Matsuo Iwasawa Lab, The University of Tokyo Project Researcher (Ph.D.) Tatsuya Matsushima

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IROBOT@EPIA2024 - Thematic Track on Intelligent Robotics
by Nuno Lau 26 Mar '24

26 Mar '24

(apologies for cross-posting) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IROBOT'2024 CALL FOR PAPERS 13th International Thematic Track on Intelligent Robotics To be held at EPIA 2024, September 3-6, 2024 Viana do Castelo, Portugal https://epia2024.pt/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The EPIA Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a well-established European conference in the field of AI. The 23rd edition, EPIA 2024, will take place in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, between 3rd to 6th of September, 2024. As in previous editions, this international conference is hosted with the patronage of the Portuguese Association for Artificial Intelligence (APPIA). The purpose of this conference is to promote research in all areas of AI, covering both theoretical/foundational issues and applications, and the scientific exchange among researchers, engineers, and practitioners in related disciplines. EPIA 2024 will feature a set of thematic tracks, covering a wide spectrum of AI topics. Accepted papers will be published in a Springer's Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence volume. ## Important Dates 30 Apr 2024: Paper Submission Deadline 15 Jun 2024: Author Notification 15 Jul 2024: Camera-Ready Deadline 3-6 Sep 2024: EPIA'2024 Conference ## IROBOT Description IROBOT'2024 poses itself as a follow-up on the previous nine International Thematic Tracks/Workshops on Intelligent Robotics held at EPIA since 2005. Its main purpose is to bring together researchers, engineers and other professionals interested in the application of AI techniques in real/simulated robotics to discuss current work and future directions. Robotics, from the point of view of AI, has been an important application field, from which AI has also gained. Namely, the dynamic and unforeseen nature of the environment, especially for mobile robots, has fostered research in these aspects of AI. Together with the developments in Robotics Research, the use of Robotics in industry and services has changed a lot in recent years. New paradigms and approaches for industrial robots and service robots have emerged, for example, on mobile robots learning, localization, mapping and navigation in unstructured environments. IROBOT 2024 will discuss will discuss these new developments on industrial and service robotics with focus on robotic assistive platforms/solutions and robotics application related to nature (ocean, florest, agriculture, etc.). ## Topics of Interest The Thematic Track will be structured around the following themes: - Adaptive and flexible industrial robotics - Agriculture robots - AI Planning for robotics - Autonomous vehicles - Cognitive robotics - Computer vision and object recognition - Coordination in robotics - Evolutionary robotics and reactive intelligence - Human-robots interface and interaction - Humanoid robotics - Intelligent buildings and warehouses - Intelligent transportation systems - Mobile robots localization and navigation - Modelling and simulating complex robots - Multi-Robot systems - Field Robots - Real-time reactivity - Robot behaviour engineering - Robot learning and adaptation - Robotic surveillance - Sensor fusion This topics' list is not exhaustive. Papers may address one or more of the topics, and authors should not feel limited by them. Unlisted but related topics are also acceptable, provided they fit in the thematic track main subject. ## Paper Submission Authors are invited to submit original research contributions or experience reports in English. Scientific or technical articles describing state-of-the-art techniques, algorithms, systems, environments, problems or applications relevant to the area of Intelligent Robotics may be submitted. Papers discussing application transfer from simulated to real robots and papers showing socially useful robotic applications generated by participations in robotic competitions are also welcome. Although the main focus is on robot learning, there will be space for reporting research in AI applied to other types of robots. Submissions must follow the guidelines specified in the EPIA'2024 site. The Springer LNCS format must be used (instructions in https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…). Springer encourages authors to include their ORCIDs in their papers. The length of submitted full papers must not exceed 12 pages. Authors must remove their names from the submitted papers, and should take reasonable care not to indirectly disclose their identity. Paper submissions will be made in PDF format, through the submission page: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=epia2024 Three program committee members will be assigned to review each paper. Acceptance will be based on the paper's significance, technical quality, clarity, relevance and originality. Accepted papers, must be presented at the conference by one of the authors. Accepted papers will be scheduled for presentation, which requires that at least one of the authors should register at the Conference. All accepted papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings. ## IROBOT'2024 Organizing Committee Nuno Lau, Universidade de Aveiro / IEETA, Portugal Luís Paulo Reis, Universidade do Porto / LIACC, Portugal João Alberto Fabro, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Brazil

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9 International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Robotics (ICR 2024), October 14-18, 2024, Mexico City, Mexico
by Jesus Savage 25 Mar '24

25 Mar '24

APOLOGIES FOR MULTIPLE COPIES OF THIS MESSAGE PLEASE CIRCULATE this CFP among your colleagues and students ICR 2024 The International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Robotics (ICR) October 14–18, 2024, Mexico City, Mexico URL: https://biorobotics.fi-p.unam.mx/icr-2024 Dear colleagues, On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we have the pleasure to invite you to submit contributions to the International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Robotics (ICR). The conference will be held in Mexico City, Mexico, October 19 to October 22, 2024, under direction of the School of Engineering of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Conference The International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Robotics (ICR) was established as a satellite event of the International Conference on Speech and Computer (SPECOM) in 2016. The conference gathers together experts from different communities to discuss challenges of human and robot collaboration in industrial, social, medical, education and other areas. Fundamentals and means for collaborative behavior of one or multiple robots with physical interaction with people in an operational environment equipped with embedded sensor networks and cloud services in conditions of uncertainty and environmental variability are the main issues of the conference. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to: • artificial intelligence technologies in control • assistive robotics • collaborative robotics • control of robotic systems • educational robotics • household robotics • medical robotics • safety of robotic systems • service robots Important Dates May 01, 2024 .......... Submission of full papers June 15, 2024 .......... Notification of acceptance July 01, 2024 ............ Camera-ready papers and early registration October 14–18, 2024 ...... Conference dates The official language of the conference is English. Very well renowned Professors will be invited to give keynote addresses. You can find more information in the ICR 2024 webpage at: http://biorobotics.fi-p.unam.mx/~icr We would like to meet you in Mexico City, Mexico! ____ Sincerely yours, General Chairs Leonid Fridman, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Jesus Savage, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Andrey Ronzhin, St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPC RAS) Proceedings of the Conference The authors are asked to submit their papers using the on-line submission system: http://ia.spcras.ru/index.php/icr2024 The proceedings of the Interactive Collaborative Robotics conference are published Springer (LNCS/LNAI, Scopus, Q2): https://link.springer.com/conference/icr Contacts E-mail: conf(a)spcras.ru Web: https://biorobotics.fi-p.unam.mx/icr-2024

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PlanRob 2024 Deadline Extension to AoE April 3
by Iman Awaad 23 Mar '24

23 Mar '24

-- Apologies for cross-posting -- Twelfth ICAPS Workshop on Planning and Robotics (PlanRob‚ 2024) https://icaps24.icaps-conference.org/program/workshops/planrob/ ICAPS 2024 Workshop Banff, Canada, June 2-3, 2024 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear colleagues, We are pleased to inform you that, due to numerous requests, the deadline for submissions has been extended to ***Wednesday, 3 April 2024*** AoE. Further details below about the workshop are included below. * Topics and Objectives AI Planning & Scheduling (P&S) methods are key to enabling intelligent robots to perform autonomous, flexible, and interactive behaviours. Researchers in the P&S community have continued to develop approaches and produce planners, representations, as well as heuristics that robotics researchers can make use of. However, there remain numerous challenges complicating the uptake, use and successful integration of P&S technology in robotics, many of which have been addressed by robotics researchers with novel solutions. Strong collaboration and synergy between researchers in both communities is vital to the continued growth of the fields in a way that provide mutual benefits to the two communities. To foster this, the PlanRob workshop aims to provide a stable, long-term forum (having been held annually at ICAPS since 2013) where researchers from both the P&S and Robotics communities can openly discuss relevant issues, research and development progress, future directions and open challenges related to P&S when applied to Robotics. In addition to the usual paper submissions, the workshop’s format naturally lends itself to preliminary results, position papers as well as to work focused on challenges in using and integrating planners in robotics systems. * Topics of Interest Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): - human-aware planning and execution in human-robot interaction, - real-world planning applications for autonomous and intelligent robots, - planning domain representations for robotics applications, - optimising behaviour in large scale automated or semi-automated systems, - integrated planning and execution in robot architectures, - learning methods for robot planning and scheduling, - P&S methods for optimisation and adaptation in robotics, - mission, path, and motion planning for robots, - formal methods for robot planning and control, - challenges and solutions in using P&S technology in robotics, - open problems for P&S in robotics, - coordination of multi-robot teams, - benchmark planning domains for robots, - adversarial action planning in competitive robot domains, - mixed-initiative planning and sliding autonomy for robotic systems. * Important Dates Paper submission: ***Wednesday, 3 April 2024*** (was 25 March 2024) Workshop Date: June 2-3, 2024 The reference time-zone for all deadlines is UTC-12: Your submissions will be on time so long as there is still some place in the world where the deadline has not yet passed. * Submission Details There are two types of submissions: - short position papers (four pages) - regular papers (up to 10 pages) Papers may have an additional page containing references. Regular papers may be scheduled with more time in the final program. A poster session may be considered to provide a further presentation opportunity. The guidelines for formatting are the same as is used for ICAPS 2024 papers (typeset in the AAAI style as described at: http://www.aaai.org/Publications/Author/author.php), but with the AAAI copyright removed. The papers must be submitted in PDF format via the EasyChair system (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icapswsplanrob24). Please note that papers under review (e.g. which have been submitted to IJCAI-2024) are also welcome, however, in order to avoid potential conflicts, these manuscripts should be prepared as anonymous submissions for a double blind reviewing process. Accepted papers will be published on the workshop’s website. The organisers are investigating the availability of journal editors in order to invite a selection of accepted papers from the workshop to a special issue or post-proceedings volume. * Organizers Iman Awaad, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Germany iman.awaad(a)h-brs.de Alberto Finzi, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Italy alberto.finzi(a)unina.it AndreA Orlandini  Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC-CNR), Italy andrea.orlandini(a)istc.cnr.it (Sent on behalf of the organising committee of PlanRob 2024) -- Researcher, Autonomous Systems Group Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems www.h-brs.de/en/a2s Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it) Friedrich Hirzebruch-Allee 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany www.b-it-center.de Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences | Department of Computer Science Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany Phone +49 (0) 2241 865-295 www.h-brs.de/en/inf/iman-awaad

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[meetings] [news] 3rd Benchmark for Autonomous Robot Navigation (BARN) Challenge -- ICRA 2024 Competition
by Xuesu Xiao 18 Mar '24

18 Mar '24

IROS 2024 deadline is behind us. Now it’s time to start preparing for The 3rd BARN Challenge at ICRA 2024! See you in Japan in May! Submission Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZLMVluXE-HWnV9lNP00LuBi3e9HFOeLi… Competition Website: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge24.html Participation Instructions: https://github.com/Daffan/nav-competition-icra2022 Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2023: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn23_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2022: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn22_report.pdf Dear roboticists, are you interested in agile robot navigation in highly constrained spaces with a lot of obstacles around, e.g., cluttered households or after-disaster scenarios? Do you think mobile robot navigation is mostly a solved problem? Are you looking for a hands-on project for your robotics class, but may not have (sufficient) robot platforms for your students? If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, we sincerely invite you to participate in our (3rd) ICRA 2024 BARN Challenge (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge24.html)! The BARN Challenge aims at evaluating state-of-the-art autonomous navigation systems to move robots through highly constrained environments in a safe and efficient manner. The task is to navigate a standardized Clearpath Jackal robot from a predefined start to a goal location as quickly as possible without any collision. The challenge will take place both in the simulated BARN dataset and in physical obstacle courses at ICRA2024. 1. The competition task is designing ground navigation systems to navigate through all 300 BARN environments (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN/BARN.html) and physical obstacle courses constructed at ICRA2024 as fast as possible without collision. 2. The 300 BARN environments can be the training set for learning-based methods, or to design classical approaches in. During the simulation competition, we will generate another 50 unseen environments unavailable to the participants before the competition. 3. We will standardize a Jackal robot in the Gazebo simulation, including a Hokuyo 2D LiDAR, motor controller of 2m/s max speed, etc. 4. Participants can use any approaches to tackle the navigation problem, such as using classical sampling-based or optimization-based planners, end-to-end learning, or hybrid approaches. We will provide baselines for reference. 5. A standardized scoring system is provided on the website. 6. We will invite the top teams in simulation to compete in the real world. The team who achieves the fastest collision-free navigation in the physical obstacle courses wins. If you are interested in participating, please submit your navigation system at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZLMVluXE-HWnV9lNP00LuBi3e9HFOeLi… Co-Organizers: Xuesu Xiao (George Mason University) Zifan Xu (UT Austin) Garrett Warnell (US Army Research Lab / UT Austin) Peter Stone (UT Austin / Sony AI) Sponsor: Clearpath Robotics, https://clearpathrobotics.com/ Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu<mailto:xiao@gmu.edu> https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/

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Final Call for Papers - 12th ICAPS Workshop on Planning and Robotics (PlanRob 2024)
by Iman Awaad 16 Mar '24

16 Mar '24

-- Apologies for cross-posting -- **Final Call for papers** Twelfth ICAPS Workshop on Planning and Robotics (PlanRob‚ 2024) https://icaps24.icaps-conference.org/program/workshops/planrob/ Banff, Canada, June 2-3, 2024 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * Topics and Objectives AI Planning & Scheduling (P&S) methods are key to enabling intelligent robots to perform autonomous, flexible, and interactive behaviours. Researchers in the P&S community have continued to develop approaches and produce planners, representations, as well as heuristics that robotics researchers can make use of. However, there remain numerous challenges complicating the uptake, use and successful integration of P&S technology in robotics, many of which have been addressed by robotics researchers with novel solutions. Strong collaboration and synergy between researchers in both communities is vital to the continued growth of the fields in a way that provide mutual benefits to the two communities. To foster this, the PlanRob workshop aims to provide a stable, long-term forum (having been held annually at ICAPS since 2013) where researchers from both the P&S and Robotics communities can openly discuss relevant issues, research and development progress, future directions and open challenges related to P&S when applied to Robotics. In addition to the usual paper submissions, the workshop’s format naturally lends itself to preliminary results, position papers as well as to work focused on challenges in using and integrating planners in robotics systems. * Topics of Interest Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): - human-aware planning and execution in human-robot interaction, - real-world planning applications for autonomous and intelligent robots, - planning domain representations for robotics applications, - optimising behaviour in large scale automated or semi-automated systems, - integrated planning and execution in robot architectures, - learning methods for robot planning and scheduling, - P&S methods for optimisation and adaptation in robotics, - mission, path, and motion planning for robots, - formal methods for robot planning and control, - challenges and solutions in using P&S technology in robotics, - open problems for P&S in robotics, - coordination of multi-robot teams, - benchmark planning domains for robots, - adversarial action planning in competitive robot domains, - mixed-initiative planning and sliding autonomy for robotic systems. * Important Dates Paper submission: ***Monday, 25 March 2024*** Notification of acceptance: Friday, 26 April 2024 Camera-ready version due: Friday 24 May 2024 Workshop Date: June 2-3, 2024 The reference time-zone for all deadlines is UTC-12: Your submissions will be on time so long as there is still some place in the world where the deadline has not yet passed. * Submission Details There are two types of submissions: - short position papers (four pages) - regular papers (up to 10 pages) Papers may have an additional page containing references. Regular papers may be scheduled with more time in the final program. A poster session may be considered to provide a further presentation opportunity. The guidelines for formatting are the same as is used for ICAPS 2024 papers (typeset in the AAAI style as described at: http://www.aaai.org/Publications/Author/author.php), but with the AAAI copyright removed. The papers must be submitted in PDF format via the EasyChair system (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icapswsplanrob24). Please note that papers under review (e.g. which have been submitted to IJCAI-2024) are also welcome, however, in order to avoid potential conflicts, these manuscripts should be prepared as anonymous submissions for a double blind reviewing process. Accepted papers will be published on the workshop’s website. The organisers are investigating the availability of journal editors in order to invite a selection of accepted papers from the workshop to a special issue or post-proceedings volume. * Organizers Iman Awaad, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Germany iman.awaad(a)h-brs.de Alberto Finzi, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Italy alberto.finzi(a)unina.it AndreA Orlandini  Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC-CNR), Italy andrea.orlandini(a)istc.cnr.it (Sent on behalf of the organising committee of PlanRob 2024) -- Researcher, Autonomous Systems Group Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems www.h-brs.de/en/inf/institut-fur-kunstliche-intelligenz-autonome-systeme-a2s Bonn-Aachen International Center for Information Technology (b-it) Friedrich Hirzebruch-Allee 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany www.b-it-center.de Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences | Department of Computer Science Grantham Allee 20, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany Phone +49 (0) 2241 865-295 www.h-brs.de/en/inf/iman-awaad

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Invitation to Prof. Minoru Asada's Keynote Talk at NTU on 16 March 2024
by Changjiu ZHOU (SP) 15 Mar '24

15 Mar '24

Message Classification: Official (Closed) Official (Open) Dear RoboCuppers, The NTU Session of the RoboCup Singapore Open 2024 will take place at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, 16th March 2024. We are honoured to host Prof. Minoru Asada from Osaka University, a Founding Trustee and Former President of the RoboCup Federation, as our keynote speaker. Keynote Speaker: Prof. Minoru Asada Founding Trustee and Former President of the RoboCup Federation Title of Talk: Embodiment, Interaction, and Large Language Models: Revisiting Foundations of Cognitive Development Date: 16th March 2024 Time: 16:00 - 17:00 (SGT, UTC/GMT+8) Venue: LT1A, NTU For those who cannot attend in person, we are providing a Zoom link for virtual attendance: Zoom Link: https://ntu-sg.zoom.us/j/89854686409?pwd=VzFPNEt1NVlpeEh3Z254NWc1R3Brdz09 Meeting ID: 898 5468 6409 Passcode: 123456 For more details, please visit the NTU seminar webpage: https://www.ntu.edu.sg/mae/news-events/events/detail/2024/03/16/default-cal… We warmly invite you to join us for Prof. Asada's insightful keynote talk, either in person at NTU or virtually via Zoom. We look forward to your participation. Best Regards, RoboCup Singapore Open 2024 Organizing Committee 2024.robocupsg.org

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Call for participation: RoboCup JapanOpen2024
by Wataru UEMURA 08 Mar '24

08 Mar '24

Dear RoboCuppers, We are pleased to announce that RoboCup JapanOpen 2024 will be held at SHIGA Daihatsu arena on April 26 - 29, 2024 as follows: RoboCup JapanOpen 2024 -- Call for Participations -- https://www.robocup.or.jp/JapanOpen2024/english.html We plan to have the following leagues: - RoboCup Soccer - small size (wheel and humanoid) - RoboCup Soccer - middle size - RoboCup Soccer - simulation (2D) - RoboCup Rescue - robot - RoboCup Rescue - simulation - RoboCup @Home - open platform - RoboCup @Home - domestic standard platform - RoboCup @Home - simulation open platform - RoboCup @Home - education - RoboCup Industrial - logistics = Event dates Team setup day: 26, April, 2024 Competition days: 27-29, April, 2024 Organizer: RoboCup Japan Regional Committee More details will be announced by each league organizer. = Important dates Team registration deadline: 22 March, 2024 Member registration deadline: 5, April, 2024 = Registration Fees * faculty or ordinary participants : 28,000 yen * students who are >=18 years old : 13,000 yen * students who are <18 years old : 10,000 yen = Contact Secretary office of The Robocup Japanese Regional Committee office[at]robocup.or.jp = League Organizers Soccer small size - wheel: Makito Ishikura Soccer small size - humanoid: Yasuhiro Masutani Soccer middle size: Hidekazu Suzuki Soccer simulation (2D): Tomoharu Nakashima Rescue robot: Noritaka Sato Rescue simulation: Nobuhiro Ito @home open platform and domestic standard platform: Hakaru Tamukoh @Home simulation open platform: Tatsunari Inamura Industrial logistics: Wataru Uemura --- Best regards, Wataru Uemura ==================== Wataru UEMURA, Dr. Eng. Associate Professor, Ryukoku University Executive Director, RoboCup Japanese Regional Committee http://friede.elec.ryukoku.ac.jp/~wataru ====================

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Call for Contributions: Workshop on Cooking Robotics at ICRA2024, 17 May (Deadline 31 March)
by Tatsuya MATSUSHIMA 06 Mar '24

06 Mar '24

*Call for Contributions & Participation at* *ICRA 2024 Workshop on Cooking Robotics: Perception and Motion Planning *(apologies for multiple copies) *TL;DR:* Webpage: https://sites.google.com/view/icra2024cookingrobotics/home • Submission Deadline: 31 March 2024 • Notification: 14 April 2024 • Workshop: 17 May 2024 at ICRA2024 in Yokohama, Japan ******************************************************* *Call for Contributions:* We are soliciting a *video* and a *short paper* (1-4 pages, excluding references) for the* ICRA 2024 workshop on Cooking Robotics: Perception and Motion Planning*! Accepted works will be presented at the workshop through posters and spotlight talks. Please see the workshop website and abstract for more information: https://sites.google.com/view/icra2024cookingrobotics/home *Submission:* https://openreview.net/group?id=IEEE.org/2024/ICRA/Workshop/CookingRobot *Timeline:* Submission deadline: *31 March 2024* Notification: 14 April 2024 Workshop: *17 May 2024 at ICRA2024* in Yokohama, Japan *Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:*• Perception: vision, tactile, taste, smell, appearance, monitoring • Motion planning and control: recipe generation, long-horizon planning, cluttered environment, deformable objects, tool manipulation • Hardware: soft robotics, grippers for food manipulation • Application: human-robot interaction, social, industrial and domestic needs, safety, reliability and hygiene, 3D food printing Late-breaking results, ongoing works, and demos relevant to the topic of the workshop from academia, industries, and professionals are all welcome. ******************************************************* *Conference Abstract:*The realisation of cooking robots presents numerous real-world challenges. This workshop explores the latest advancements in 'robots in cooking,' addressing hardware considerations, multimodal perception, motion planning and control, experimental methodologies, and benchmarking approaches. Amid labour shortages and increased hygiene concerns in the post-COVID world, automation in the food industry and personalised cooking assistants have become essential. This workshop will bridge the gap between academia, industry, and professionals by inviting leading researchers, collaborating with a competition, the Food Topping Challenge <https://icra2024.rt-net.jp/>, and showcasing robot demonstrations. *Invited Speakers: *Tamin Asfour (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) Fumiya Iida (University of Cambridge) Josie Hughes (EPFL) Mako Miyatake (Freelancer chef of "designing the future of the food") Priya Sundaresan/Dorsa Sadigh (Stanford University) Akihiko Yamaguchi (Tohoku University/Finger Vision) Kevin Zhang/Oliver Kroemer (Carnegie Mellon University) *Organisers: *Namiko Saito (The University of Edinburgh, The Alan Turing Institute, and Waseda University) Kento Kawaharazuka (The University of Tokyo) Tatsuya Matsushima (The University of Tokyo) Marina Aoyama (The University of Edinburgh) Sethu Vijayakumar (The University of Edinburgh and The Alan Turing Institute) If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Email: icra2024-cooking-ws(a)googlegroups.com Website: https://sites.google.com/view/icra2024cookingrobotics X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/cookingrobotics LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cooking-robotics-workshop/ -- Matsuo Iwasawa Lab, The University of Tokyo Project Researcher (Ph.D.) Tatsuya Matsushima

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Extended deadline: Call for Papers: JAAMAS Special Issue on Agreement Technologies: a tribute to Carles Sierra’s research
by Juan Antonio Rodriguez Aguilar 05 Mar '24

05 Mar '24

============================================================================================== Apologies for multiple postings ============================================================================================== Submissions are invited to the following special issue of the Journal of Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems *EXTENDED* deadline: June 15, 2024 Call: https://www.springer.com/journal/10458/updates/26344140 ============================================================================================== Call for Papers: Special Issue on Agreement Technologies: a tribute to Carles Sierra’s research Agreement Technologies refer to computer systems in which autonomous software agents negotiate with one another, typically on behalf of humans, in order to come to mutually acceptable agreements. An agent may choose whether to fulfill an agreement or not, and it should fulfil it when there is an obligation to do so derived from the standing agreements. Autonomy, interaction, mobility, and openness are key concepts studied within the Agreement Technologies approach. Semantic alignment, negotiation, argumentation, virtual organizations, trust and reputation, and several other technologies are part of the toolbox to define, specify, and verify such systems. Agreement Technologies amalgamates a wide range of topics that have been at the core of Multiagent Systems research for decades. A Springer book was published on Agreement Technologies in 2013, and a conference series was created in 2012 dedicated to the topic. The AT conference editions were held in Dubrovnik in 2012, Beijing in 2013, Athens in 2015, Valencia in 2016, Paris in 2017, Bergen in 2018, and Thessaloniki in 2020. The purpose of this special issue is to revise the current advancements in Agreement Technologies and, at the same time, pay homage to one of the main contributors to research on Agreement Technologies: Professor Carles Sierra, who was amongst the first to shape the field in terms of five key areas (semantics, norms, organisations, argumentation and negotiation, and trust and reputation). He received the 2019 ACM/SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award for his seminal contributions to agreement technologies and, more specifically, for his research on negotiation and argumentation, computational trust and reputation, and artificial social systems. With the occasion of Carles Sierra’s 60th birthday, this special issue will serve to revise the current advancements in the field. The special issue targets high-quality original papers covering all aspects of agreement technologies, including, but not limited to, the list of topics below. Manuscripts that extend a previous conference or workshop publication are welcome, provided that there is a significant amount of new material in the submission (i.e., the manuscript should contain at least 50% new material). Guest editors Michael Luck, University of Sussex Pablo Noriega, IIIA-CSIC Nardine Osman, IIIA-CSIC Juan A. Rodríguez-Aguilar, IIIA-CSIC Michael Wooldridge, University of Oxford Topics The following is a non-exhaustive list of topics that we would like to cover in the special issue: * Agreement technologies, architectures, environments, and methodologies * Negotiation * Argumentation * Trust and reputation * Normative systems * Artificial social systems * Electronic institutions * Semantic alignment * Value alignment: reasoning and learning * Collective value alignment * Large language models for agreements * Coalition and team formation * Social Intelligence * Applications of agreement technologies * Social welfare, fairness, and ethics in agreements * Decision and game theoretic foundations for agreements * Collective decision-making * Judgement aggregation Timeline Submission deadline: June 15, 2024 Manuscript submissions will be considered for publication in the AT special issue continuously until the submission deadline. Submissions accepted for publication before the completion of the special issue will be available on the journal website shortly after acceptance. Submission procedure To submit, you should visit the online system at<https://www.editorialmanager.com/agnt/>https://editorial.springernature.com <https://editorial.springernature.com/>and create a new account if you do not already have one. When creating your submission on the system, select the submission type "Manuscript," and then in the "Additional Information" section, answer "Yes" when asked if your manuscript belongs to a special issue, then select "S.I.: Agreement Technologies: a tribute to Carles Sierra’s research." If you do not mark your manuscript correctly as belonging to the special issue, it may not reach the correct editors. Authors are encouraged to submit high-quality, original work that has neither appeared in nor is under consideration by other journals. All papers will be reviewed following standard reviewing procedures for the Journal. Papers must be prepared in accordance with the Journal guidelines: www.springer.com/10458 <http://www.springer.com/10458>

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2nd Call for Papers: 12th ICAPS Workshop on Planning and Robotics
by Iman Awaad 27 Feb '24

27 Feb '24

** CALL FOR PAPERS ** Twelfth ICAPS Workshop on Planning and Robotics (PlanRob‚ 2024) https://icaps24.icaps-conference.org/program/workshops/planrob/ Banff, Canada, June 2-3, 2024 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * Topics and Objectives AI Planning & Scheduling (P&S) methods are key to enabling intelligent robots to perform autonomous, flexible, and interactive behaviours. Researchers in the P&S community have continued to develop approaches and produce planners, representations, as well as heuristics that robotics researchers can make use of. However, there remain numerous challenges complicating the uptake, use and successful integration of P&S technology in robotics, many of which have been addressed by robotics researchers with novel solutions. Strong collaboration and synergy between researchers in both communities is vital to the continued growth of the fields in a way that provide mutual benefits to the two communities. To foster this, the PlanRob workshop aims to provide a stable, long-term forum (having been held annually at ICAPS since 2013) where researchers from both the P&S and Robotics communities can openly discuss relevant issues, research and development progress, future directions and open challenges related to P&S when applied to Robotics. In addition to the usual paper submissions, the workshop’s format naturally lends itself to preliminary results, position papers as well as to work focused on challenges in using and integrating planners in robotics systems. * Topics of Interest Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): - human-aware planning and execution in human-robot interaction, - real-world planning applications for autonomous and intelligent robots, - planning domain representations for robotics applications, - optimising behaviour in large scale automated or semi-automated systems, - integrated planning and execution in robot architectures, - learning methods for robot planning and scheduling, - P&S methods for optimisation and adaptation in robotics, - mission, path, and motion planning for robots, - formal methods for robot planning and control, - challenges and solutions in using P&S technology in robotics, - open problems for P&S in robotics, - coordination of multi-robot teams, - benchmark planning domains for robots, - adversarial action planning in competitive robot domains, - mixed-initiative planning and sliding autonomy for robotic systems. < Papers from last year’s workshop can be found here: https://icaps23.icaps-conference.org/program/workshops/planrob/ <https://icaps23.icaps-conference.org/program/workshops/planrob/> > * Important Dates Paper submission: ***Monday, 25 March 2024*** Notification of acceptance: Friday, 26 April 2024 Camera-ready version due: Friday 24 May 2024 Workshop Date: June 2-3, 2024 The reference time-zone for all deadlines is UTC-12: Your submissions will be on time so long as there is still some place in the world where the deadline has not yet passed. * Submission Details There are two types of submissions: - short position papers (four pages) - regular papers (up to 10 pages) Papers may have an additional page containing references. Regular papers may be scheduled with more time in the final program. A poster session may be considered to provide a further presentation opportunity. The guidelines for formatting are the same as is used for ICAPS 2024 papers (typeset in the AAAI style as described at: http://www.aaai.org/Publications/Author/author.php), but with the AAAI copyright removed. The papers must be submitted in PDF format via the EasyChair system (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icapswsplanrob24). Please note that papers under review (e.g. which have been submitted to IJCAI-2024) are also welcome, however, in order to avoid potential conflicts, these manuscripts should be prepared as anonymous submissions for a double blind reviewing process. Accepted papers will be published on the workshop’s website. The organisers are investigating the availability of journal editors in order to invite a selection of accepted papers from the workshop to a special issue or post-proceedings volume. * Organizers Iman Awaad, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Germany iman.awaad(a)h-brs.de Alberto Finzi, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Italy alberto.finzi(a)unina.it AndreA Orlandini  Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC-CNR), Italy andrea.orlandini(a)istc.cnr.it (Sent on behalf of the organising committee of PlanRob 2024)

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[jobs] two PhD positions in marine robotics
by Andreas Birk 27 Feb '24

27 Feb '24

Two PhD positions in marine robotics are available at Constructor University under the supervision of Prof. Andreas Birk and Prof. Francesco Maurelli. The compensation of the positions is with competitive stipends, which allow some freedom in the research direction of the candidate. Topics of interest are in the areas of perception and mapping with marine robots as well as autonomy and fault tolerance of marine robots. Applicants should have a background in robotics or related areas. They should be experienced with the Robot Operating System (ROS), ideally ROS2. If not, they at least need a strong C++ / Pyton programming expertise on Linux. Previous work in the area of marine robotics is a strong plus. Furthermore, knowledge in any of the following areas is an asset: computer vision, ideally underwater vision; signal processing, ideally with sonar; SLAM, ideally by using factor graphs; autonomy, ideally including aspects of fault tolerance. Please submit your application via Google Forms using the following link: https://forms.gle/qFT2oTu41MVoTKyi8 For any questions, please feel free to contact Prof. Andreas Birk <abirk(a)constructor.university> and Prof. Francesco Maurelli <fmaurelli(a)constructor.university> -- ================================================================================ Prof. Dr. Andreas Birk ================================================================================ Constructor University Robotics Group Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany https://robotics.constructor.university/ ================================================================================ Commercial registry: Amtsgericht Bremen, HRB 18117 Chairs of the Executive Board (Vorsitzende der Geschäftsführung): Dr. Stanislav Protasov (President/Präsident), Oznur Bell (Chancellor/Kanzlerin) Managing Directors (Geschäftsführung): Prof. Dr. Thomas Auf der Heyde, Maja Laetitia Feldt Chairman of the Board of Governors (Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender): Dr. Serg Bell ================================================================================

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Final Call for Papers: Call for Papers: The 6th Games, Agents, and Incentives Workshop (GAIW)@AAMAS 2024
by Nicholas Mattei 25 Feb '24

25 Feb '24

Last Call for Papers @ GAIW! TL;DR: Webpage: https://preflib.github.io/gaiw2024 - Submission Deadline: February 26, 2024 (AoE). - Acceptance Notification: March 28, 2024. - Camera Ready: April 15, 2024 (AoE). - Workshop: May 6 or 7, 2024 (TBA). Call for Papers: We invite submissions to the 6th iteration of the Games, Agents and Incentives Workshop, co-located with AAMAS 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand. Games, Agents and Incentives is a confederated workshop which focuses on agents and incentives in AI. In particular, it promotes approaches that deal with game theory (cooperative and non-cooperative), social choice, and agent-mediated e-commerce aspects of AI systems. The confederated workshop merges multiple workshops that have been associated with AAMAS in the past, which considered different aspects of the general interplay between AI and economics: • CoopMAS: Cooperative Games in Multi-agent Systems • AMEC: Agent-Mediated Electronic Commerce • EXPLORE: Exploring Beyond the Worst Case in Computational Social Choice Over the past two decades, the focus of agent incentives in decentralised and centralised AI systems has increased dramatically. These issues come up when designing preference aggregation mechanisms and markets; computing equilibria and bidding strategies; facilitating cooperation among agents; and fairly dividing resources. ********************************************************** PAPER SUBMISSION ********************************************************** Authors should submit full papers electronically in PDF format at https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/GAIW2024 Formatting Guidelines: Please format papers according to the AAMAS 2024 format (author kit <https://www.aamas2024-conference.auckland.ac.nz/calls/submission-instructio…>). Optionally, one may submit in LNCS format as well (LaTeX template). Paper Length: Papers can be at most 8 pages long in AAMAS format, or 12 pages long in LNCS format. Additional pages may be used for references. Supplemental material can be appended at the end of the paper. However, reviewers are instructed to make their evaluations based on the main submission, and are not obligated to consult the supplemental material. Multiple Submissions: To widen participation and encourage discussion, there will be no formal publication of workshop proceedings. We will, however, post the accepted papers online to the benefit of the participants to the workshop. Therefore, submission of preliminary work and papers to be submitted or in preparation for submission to other major venues in the field are encouraged. Past Submissions: In order to strike a balance between new work and work that may have been presented, but not widely seen, we ask that if authors want to submit published work they do so non-anonymously and clearly indicate when and where the work was published. We will only accept work which has been published in the last calendar year (e.g., IJCAI 2023, NeurIPS 2023, AAAI 2023, AAAI 2024 and any conference held strictly after February 2023). We invite papers on topics of game theory, mechanism design, fair allocation, computational social choice, and their applications to multi-agent systems: - Algorithmic mechanism design - Auctions - Behavioral Game Theory - Bounded rationality - Cooperative Games - Computational advertising - Computational aspects of equilibria - Computational social choice - Coalitions, coordination, collective action, and cooperation - Economic aspects of security and privacy - Economic aspects of distributed and network computing - Equilibrium computation - Empirical approaches to e-market - Fairness (in ML & elsewhere) - Fair Division - Incentives in machine learning - Information and attention economics - Learning in games (e.g., solution concepts and equilibria) - Matching and Matching Markets - Negotiation - Price differentiation and price dynamics - Social networks - Trading agent design and analysis - Uncertainty in AI and economics Best Presentation Award: The organizing committee of GAIW will be giving two awards (first-place and runner up) for best paper presentations. The award criteria include the clarity of presentation, the level of engagement, the content, and discussion handline. Inquiries: If you have any questions, direct them to alan.tsang(a)carleton.ca. ********************************************************** IMPORTANT DATES ********************************************************** - Submission Deadline: February 26, 2024 (AoE). - Acceptance Notification: March 28, 2024. - Camera Ready: April 15, 2024 (AoE). - Workshop: May 6 or 7, 2024 (TBA). ********************************************************** ORGANIZATION ********************************************************** Program Chairs Ben Abramowitz, Tulane University Haris Aziz, UNSW Sydney and Data61 John P. Dickerson, University of Maryland Hadi Hosseini, Penn State University Nicholas Mattei, Tulane University Svetlana Obraztsova, Carleton University Zinovi Rabinovich, Carleton University Alan Tsang, Carleton University Tomasz Wąs, Penn State University -- *Nicholas Mattei* Assistant Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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Call for Participation - RoboCup 2024 Soccer Simulation 2D - Extended Pre-Registration Deadline
by MROA 19 Feb '24

19 Feb '24

Dear RoboCuppers, *Quick update:* We're extending the pre-registration deadline for the RoboCup 2024 Soccer Simulation 2D League to accommodate all interested teams. *New Deadline: February 29th*, 2024, 23:59 UTC. Now, you have more time to get your team pre-registered and submit your qualification materials. If you are already pre-registered, you don't need to pre-register again. *Qualification Notification: *Expect to hear from us regarding your team's qualification status by *March 16th, 2024*. Use the *online pre-registration form* by this link: https://forms.gle/hGe1gtnqpXrBtD8G8 For all the details, check out the *Call for Participation* document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O02gc-9HZ3x95NnirHg45S3Z0uiZVIKwIKfXi1G… . If you have any questions, Reach out to us anytime - [emails are in CFP] or join the SS2D official discord at https://discord.gg/yFxkCcatGe. Thanks for your patience and enthusiasm! Best, Omid Amini, Nader Zare, RoboCup2024 Soccer Simulation 2D League Organizing Committee

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[jobs] Postdoc Position at the Interactive Robotics Laboratory, Arizona State University (ASU)
by Fabian Weigend 17 Feb '24

17 Feb '24

The Interactive Robotics Laboratory [1] at Arizona State University (ASU) is currently seeking a highly qualified postdoc to join our team with a focus on vision-based indoor navigation. The successful applicant will work on machine learning approaches for context-aware robot navigation in dynamic home environments shared with humans. Location:ASU-Tempe Campus, Arizona, United States (Open to Worldwide Applicants) Minimum Qualification Requirements:* A PhD degree in Computer Science or any other robotics-associated discipline* Available to start in mid/late March* Able to work on-site in Tempe, Arizona Additional Requirements (some of the following):* Experience with machine learning in robotics* Human-robot interaction* Imitation learning in robotics* Experience in depth estimation from monocular RGB cameras* 3D simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)* Path planning in dynamic environments* Real-time semantic segmentation and object detection* Optimizing machine learning models for fast inference on embedded systemsApplications:Deadline is the 1st of March. Kindly send your CV to fweigend(a)asu.edu. We will review applications that satisfy the essential requirements and proceed to schedule an online interview for further consideration. Please detail your achievements/experience in the aforementioned research domains, along with a description of your research interests. About Us:The Interactive Robotics Laboratory is directed by Prof. Heni Ben Amor. We explore the intersection of robotics, artificial intelligence, and human-robot interaction. Our primary focus is on developing machine learning methods that empower robots to exhibit intelligent and autonomous behaviors. The lab has established strong collaborations with leading robotics and machine learning research groups globally, and our methods have been applied to robots in the US, Europe, and Japan. We look forward to hearing from you![1]https://interactive-robotics.engineering.asu.edu/ <https://interactive-robotics.engineering.asu.edu/>

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Call for Participation: WRS Future Convenience Store Challenge in CyberSpace
by Tetsunari Inamura 16 Feb '24

16 Feb '24

######################################################## Call for Participation WRS Future Convenience Store Challenge in CyberSpace (ICRA 2024 Competition) May 13th - 15th, 2024 Yokohama, Japan ######################################################## The Future Convenience Store Challenge in CyberSpace, which is a new type of robot competition in cyberspace will be held at ICRA 2024, Yokohama Japan. Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to take part in the event. Visit https://sites.google.com/view/fcsc-cyberspace/home for more detailed information. Details on the registration (rules, software systems) are available on the website. Organizers Tetsunari Inamura (Tamagawa University, Japan) Kazuyoshi Wada (Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan) Yukiyasu Domae (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan) -------------- Future Convenience Store Challenge in Cyberspace ---------------- The aim of this competition is to enhance the quality of customer service provided by intelligent robots in environments such as retail stores and shopping malls, and to realize new forms of services. Specifically, the competition will assess the ability of robots to engage in natural and friendly communication in the context of customer service, as well as their capability for cooperative work with human staff. While conventional competitions have primarily evaluated physical functionalities such as object recognition, human behavior recognition, navigation, and object manipulation using real robots, there have been limitations in smoothly conducting competitions when focusing on intellectual interactions, such as intention recognition, natural language understanding, conversation control, and resolving ambiguity. Therefore, this competition aims to improve the quality of dialogue systems for service robots collaborating with humans in retail stores and to achieve new interactive service systems by focusing on tasks that emphasize dialogue intelligence rather than physical functionality. Furthermore, this competition features a unique structure where robots in cyber space engage in dialogue with humans in real-world environments. We also welcome proposals that contribute to the realization of new services through the integration of metaverses, digital twins, cyber-physical systems, and robotics. As such, the competition is designed based on the simulator "SIGVerse," which enables robots to engage in embodied and social interaction in virtual reality (VR) environments. Participants will benefit from focusing solely on software development without the need to develop physical robots. -------------------------------- Important dates ------------------------------------ 2024-02-15 Team registration starts 2024-02-29 1st Call: Participation declaration 2024-03-14 First on-line meeting (tentative schedule) 2024-03-31 2nd Call: Participation declaration deadline (detailed team information should be fixed) 2024-04-17 Second on-line meeting (tentative schedule) 2024-05-13 Set-up day 2024-05-14 Competition Day 1 2024-05-15 Competition Day 2 , Award Ceremony ------------------------------ Competition Tasks -------------------------------------- This competition focuses on realizing robots that provide customer service in a conversational format at convenience stores. The emphasis is on the interaction capabilities with customers. Task 1: Interactive Customer Service In this task, functionalities such as image recognition, human state recognition, and location identification, which involves recognizing the customer's location in the store, their gestures, and the placement of items, are not evaluated. Instead, the focus is on engaging in accurate dialogue with customers in response to ambiguous requests and delivering the desired products to them. Customers convey their desired purchases to the service robot and request them to be placed in the shopping basket, using both natural language expressions and image presentation. The participants should build software to realize such an intelligent dialogue system for customer service robots. The participants can use OpenAI API or related LLM tools; however, we cannot guarantee the Internet connection quality at the competition site. If you use such an external cloud calculator, you must manage the risk yourself. Please note that installing your own wireless router will not be allowed. Task 2: Future Convenience Store Visionary Design In this competition, instead of completing tasks according to predefined rules, participants will propose possibilities for customer service and intelligent human-robot collaboration systems in future convenience stores in a presentation format based on their own creative ideas. The novelty, feasibility, and technical challenges of their ideas will be evaluated. The evaluation will focus on intelligent systems, service systems, and other systems mainly involving human interaction, which are expected to be useful in future convenience stores. Tasks involving no interaction with humans, such as autonomously cleaning toilets, are not included. Teams are encouraged to demonstrate the latest research and development on new approaches and applications related to customer service and employee support systems in a cyber environment. Specific examples of systems/proposals subject to evaluation include but are not limited to: - Planning systems that dynamically change and optimize the roles of service robots and employees. - Interactive service robot systems that recognize customer intentions and provide accurate services. - Training systems that determine appropriate training menus based on the skill levels of new employees. - Algorithms that observe customer purchasing behavior/movement paths and determine the optimal display layout. - Planning systems that dynamically change tasks to be executed based on the congestion status inside the store. Participants can use various types of systems and devices, including actual robot systems, but the primary focus of the final demonstration is on utilizing virtual spaces or Cyber-Physical Systems for the realization of intelligent service robots. Examples include digital twin systems supporting customer service action planning by intelligent robots and information presentation systems using wearable devices for efficient employee tasks. ------------------------------ Awards --------------------------------------------- Based on the ranking, the top three teams will be awarded certificates and prize money as follows: 1st place: 100,000 JPY + certificate 2nd place: 50,000 JPY + certificate 3rd place: 30,000 JPY + certificate ------------------------------ How to apply -------------------------------------------- Please access the following form to input detailed information about your team and team leader. The first deadline is the end of February; however, a tentative declaration of participation is welcome. We would appreciate you deciding the details of the team members by the end of March. Required information - Team name - Name/Affiliation/Grade/Email address of the team leader - Optional information - Estimated number of team members - Past experience and achievements in AI/Robot competitions - Web page of the team Please input the above information at the Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zkfZG-fcxOt_emXUkZRTylih8J45a70TcPnM2a7Amp… 1st participation declaration: 28th Feb. (Tentative application is welcome) 2nd participation declaration: 31st Mar. (Confirmation of detailed team information) ----------------------- Contact. --------------------------------------- Please contact fcsc-info-ml(a)ml.tmu.ac.jp for any questions. See you all at ICRA 2024 in Yokohama! Best regards, ------------------------------------------------ Tetsunari Inamura Professor, Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, JAPAN TEL : +81-42-739-8679 URL : http://researchmap.jp/inamura/?lang=english Email : inamura(a)lab.tamagawa.ac.jp

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Call for Papers: 12th ICAPS Workshop on Planning and Robotics
by Iman Awaad 11 Feb '24

11 Feb '24

** CALL FOR PAPERS ** Twelfth ICAPS Workshop on Planning and Robotics (PlanRob‚ 2024) https://icaps24.icaps-conference.org/program/workshops/planrob/ Banff, Canada, June 2-3, 2024 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * Topics and Objectives AI Planning & Scheduling (P&S) methods are key to enabling intelligent robots to perform autonomous, flexible, and interactive behaviours. Researchers in the P&S community have continued to develop approaches and produce planners, representations, as well as heuristics that robotics researchers can make use of. However, there remain numerous challenges complicating the uptake, use and successful integration of P&S technology in robotics, many of which have been addressed by robotics researchers with novel solutions. Strong collaboration and synergy between researchers in both communities is vital to the continued growth of the fields in a way that provide mutual benefits to the two communities. To foster this, the PlanRob workshop aims to provide a stable, long-term forum (having been held annually at ICAPS since 2013) where researchers from both the P&S and Robotics communities can openly discuss relevant issues, research and development progress, future directions and open challenges related to P&S when applied to Robotics. In addition to the usual paper submissions, the workshop’s format naturally lends itself to preliminary results, position papers as well as to work focused on challenges in using and integrating planners in robotics systems. * Topics of Interest Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): - human-aware planning and execution in human-robot interaction, - real-world planning applications for autonomous and intelligent robots, - planning domain representations for robotics applications, - optimising behaviour in large scale automated or semi-automated systems, - integrated planning and execution in robot architectures, - learning methods for robot planning and scheduling, - P&S methods for optimisation and adaptation in robotics, - mission, path, and motion planning for robots, - formal methods for robot planning and control, - challenges and solutions in using P&S technology in robotics, - open problems for P&S in robotics, - coordination of multi-robot teams, - benchmark planning domains for robots, - adversarial action planning in competitive robot domains, - mixed-initiative planning and sliding autonomy for robotic systems. * Important Dates Paper submission: ***Monday, 25 March 2024*** Notification of acceptance: Friday, 26 April 2024 Camera-ready version due: Friday 24 May 2024 Workshop Date: June 2-3, 2024 The reference time-zone for all deadlines is UTC-12: Your submissions will be on time so long as there is still some place in the world where the deadline has not yet passed. * Submission Details There are two types of submissions: - short position papers (four pages) - regular papers (up to 10 pages) Papers may have an additional page containing references. Regular papers may be scheduled with more time in the final program. A poster session may be considered to provide a further presentation opportunity. The guidelines for formatting are the same as is used for ICAPS 2024 papers (typeset in the AAAI style as described at: http://www.aaai.org/Publications/Author/author.php), but with the AAAI copyright removed. The papers must be submitted in PDF format via the EasyChair system (https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icapswsplanrob24). Please note that papers under review (e.g. which have been submitted to IJCAI-2024) are also welcome, however, in order to avoid potential conflicts, these manuscripts should be prepared as anonymous submissions for a double blind reviewing process. Accepted papers will be published on the workshop’s website. The organisers are investigating the availability of journal editors in order to invite a selection of accepted papers from the workshop to a special issue or post-proceedings volume. * Organizers Iman Awaad, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Germany iman.awaad(a)h-brs.de Alberto Finzi, Università di Napoli "Federico II", Italy alberto.finzi(a)unina.it AndreA Orlandini  Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC-CNR), Italy andrea.orlandini(a)istc.cnr.it (Sent on behalf of the organising committee of PlanRob 2024)

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RoboCup@Work 2024: Call for Participation
by Asad Norouzi 07 Feb '24

07 Feb '24

Call for Applications for Participation RoboCup 2024 – RoboCup at Work https://2024.robocup.org Venue: Eindhoven, The Netherlands Monday, July 15th through Monday, July 22nd, 2024 RoboCup at Work: Competing for the Factory of the Future RoboCup at Work is a league of the RoboCup competition that replicates the use of robots in autonomous, industrial scenarios. It aims to promote research and development that enables the use of innovative mobile robots with advanced manipulators for cutting-edge industrial applications. Such applications include complex tasks ranging from manufacturing, automation, and parts handling to general logistics, as well as interaction with human workers. The RoboCup at Work league is characterized by an industrial environment. This consists of manipulation objects including nuts and bolts, arena elements such as shelves, bins, and platforms of different sizes, and networked automation devices like conveyor belts and drilling machines. The actual competition tasks to be performed in the environment are defined in a set of so-called tests. Each test addresses various mobile manipulation capabilities such as grasping, transportation, precision placement, and visual serving. The complete rules of RoboCup@Work as well as further technical details are (will be) posted on the RoboCup@Work website (https://atwork.robocup.org). Participation in the Competition All teams that intend to participate in the competition have to perform the following steps: 1. Submission of qualification materials including a Team Description Paper and a video of their robot performance. Details are below. 2. Final registration (qualified teams only) Qualification The qualification process serves a dual purpose: It should allow the Technical Committee (aka TC) to assess the safety of the robots a team intends to bring to the competition, and it should allow ranking teams according to a set of evaluation criteria in order to select the most promising teams for a competition, if not all interested teams can be permitted. The TC will select the qualified teams according to the qualification materials provided by the teams. The evaluation criteria will include: - Team description paper - Relevant scientific contributions/publications - The professional quality of the robot and software - Novelty of approach - Relevance to industry - Performance in previous competitions - Contribution to RoboCup at Work league, e.g. by Organization of events and/or provision and sharing of knowledge - The quality of the robot's performance of a task (selected by the team) shown in a video - Team website Team Description Paper The Team Description Paper (TDP) is a central element of the qualification process and has to be provided by each team as part of the qualification process. The TDP should at least contain the following information in the author/title section of the paper: - Name of the team (title) - Team members (authors), including the team leader - Link to the team website - Contact information The body of the TDP should contain information on the following: - the focus of research/research interest - a description of the hardware, including an image of the robot(s) - a description of the software, esp. the functional and software architectures - innovative technology (if any) - reusability of the system or parts thereof - applicability and relevance to industrial tasks - usage of components (software or hardware) developed by other RoboCup at Work teams The team description paper should cover the technical and scientific approach in detail, while the team website should be designed for a broader audience. Both the website and the TDP have to be in English. All TDPs must be written using the following template: https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/springer-lecture-notes-in-computer… Submission and Evaluation All applications with the qualification material must be submitted by March 3rd, 2024 through the following online form: https://forms.gle/iaJnpiWKjCXpCnC49 Qualified teams will be tentatively announced by March 18th, 2024. Important Links of RoboCup@Work League Official Website: https://atwork.robocup.org Discord: https://discord.gg/WaBHRdZq LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14158849/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/communities/1606361981937754115 Mailing List: https://lists.robocup.org/mm/lists/rc-work.lists.robocup.org/ Regards, RoboCup@Work EC/TC/OC

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Reminder: RoboCup SPL Call for Applications for Participation 2024
by Stefan Seering 07 Feb '24

07 Feb '24

Call for Applications for Participation Monday 15th July through Monday 22th July 2024 Eindhoven, The Netherlands 2024.robocup.org <https://2024.robocup.org> More details can be found on the league homepage <https://spl.robocup.org/call-for-participation-2024/>. All applications with the (pre-)qualification material must be submitted by *15th of February 2024*, by email to rc-spl-tc(a)lists.robocup.org. / RoboCup 2024 Standard Platform League Technical and Organizing Committees/

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ADT 2024 - PRELIMINARY CALL FOR PAPERS
by Nicholas Mattei 02 Feb '24

02 Feb '24

*ADT** 2024 - PRELIMINARY CALL FOR PAPERS* The 8th International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory - ADT 2024 <https://preflib.github.io/adt2024/index> will be held October 14-16, 2024, at the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) at Rutgers University. ADT 2024 focuses on algorithmic decision theory broadly defined, seeking to bring together researchers and practitioners coming from diverse areas of Computer Science, Economics, and Operations Research in order to improve the theory and practice of modern decision support. The conference topics include research in: Algorithms, Argumentation Theory, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Social Choice, Database Systems, Decision Analysis, Discrete Mathematics, Game Theory, Machine Learning and Adversarial Machine Learning, Matching, Multi-agent Systems, Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding, Networks, Optimization, Preference Modeling, Risk Analysis and Adversarial Risk Analysis, and Utility Theory. ADT 2024 provides a multi-disciplinary forum for sharing knowledge in this area with a special focus on algorithmic issues in decision theory, continuing the tradition of the first seven editions of the International Conference on Algorithmic Decision Theory (ADT 2009 Venice, ADT 2011 Rutgers, ADT 2013 Brussels, ADT 2015 Lexington KY, ADT 2017 Luxembourg, ADT 2019 Durham NC, ADT 2021 Toulouse) which brought together researchers and practitioners from around the globe. *Important Dates* *Title and Abstract Submission*: May 10, 2024 *Full Paper Submission*: May 17, 2024 *Notification*: July 19, 2024 *Final Version of Accepted Papers*: August 9, 2024 *Conference Dates*: October 14-16, 2024 *Submissions* Submissions are invited on significant, original and previously unpublished research on all aspects of Algorithmic Decision Theory. Papers must be at most 15 pages long in the LNCS format (including references). The formal proceedings of ADT 2024 will be published by Springer Verlag in the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNAI) <http://www.springer.com/lncs>. ADT 2024 will not accept any paper that, at the time of submission, has already been published in a journal or another venue with formally published proceedings. However, in order to accommodate the publication norms of the many fields that work on decision theory, papers can be submitted but not already published elsewhere provided the authors note they are submitting for the non-proceedings track at the top of their submission. All papers will be peer-reviewed by a double-blind procedure. Therefore, papers must be submitted anonymously as pdf documents via the Microsoft CMT <https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/ADT2024> system. It is important and required that authors do not reveal their identities in submitted papers. Since the review process is double blind, authors must take measures to ensure that their identity is not easily revealed from the submission itself. Authors should include the submission number (as assigned by the conference system) in the author field of the submission, and refer to their prior work in a neutral manner (i.e., instead of saying “We showed” say “XYZ et al. showed”). It is acceptable to submit work that has been presented in public or has appeared on arXiv, provided the submission itself is anonymized. *Submission Format:* Authors should consult Springer’s authors’ guidelines and use their proceedings templates <https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…>, either for LaTeX or for Word, for the preparation of their papers. Note that at least one author of each accepted paper is required to attend the conference to present the work. Authors will be required to agree to this requirement at the time of submission. In addition, the corresponding author of each accepted paper that will appear in the proceedings, acting on behalf of all of the authors of that paper, will need to complete and sign a Consent-to-Publish form, through which the copyright for their paper is transferred to Springer. To accommodate the publishing traditions of different fields, ADT 2024 will accept two types of submissions: *Submissions with full text in the proceedings:* Papers of this type will be accepted for either oral or poster presentation, or both. Each accepted paper of this type will be allocated at most 15 pages in the proceedings and there will be no distinction between papers accepted for oral or poster presentation in the conference proceedings. *Submissions with one-page abstract in the proceeding:* Papers of this type will be accepted for either oral or poster presentation, or both. Each accepted paper of this type will appear as a one-page abstract in the proceedings, along with a URL pointing to the full paper. This option is available to accommodate subsequent publication in journals that would not consider results that have been published in preliminary form in conference proceedings. Such papers must be formatted just like papers submitted for full-text publication, at the submission time, but authors are required to write “submission without proceedings” into the author field of their paper (instead of author names), if they choose this category. Otherwise, it will be assumed, by default, that their paper is submitted in the first category (submissions with full-text in the proceedings). Rupert Freeman and Nicholas Mattei ADT 2024 Program Co-Chairs David Pennock and Lirong Xia ADT 2024 General Chairs -- *Nicholas Mattei* Assistant Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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Reminder: RoboCup SPL Call for Applications for Participation 2024
by Stefan Seering 01 Feb '24

01 Feb '24

Call for Applications for Participation Monday 15th July through Monday 22th July 2024 Eindhoven, The Netherlands 2024.robocup.org <https://2024.robocup.org> More details can be found on the league homepage <https://spl.robocup.org/call-for-participation-2024/>. All applications with the (pre-)qualification material must be submitted by *15th of February 2024*, by email to rc-spl-tc(a)lists.robocup.org. / RoboCup 2024 Standard Platform League Technical and Organizing Committees/

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[meetings] Get ROS2 Industrial Ready Training 2024
by Yuhong Lin 29 Jan '24

29 Jan '24

Final Call for Early Bird: Get ROS2 Industrial Ready Hands-On Training (02/19-02/21, 2024) Dear Roboticists, Don't miss out on the final chance to secure your spot at the upcoming 'Get ROS2 Industrial Ready' training scheduled to be held online from February 19 - 21, 2024. *Training Details:* - *Dates*: February 19 - 21, 2024 - *Location*: Live Online Classes + Remote Real Robot Practice - *Time*: 9:00 – 18:00 Central European Time (CET) - *Limited Seats:* Only 15 participants - *Website*: https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop <https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop/?utm_source=robocu…> *About the Training:* Join industry mentors for a 3-day Live Training and gain practical skills in: 1. How to use ROS2 in real robots 2. How to make robots navigate with ROS2 3. How to make a robotic arm manipulate objects using ROS2 *What You Will Learn:* - Basic ROS2 Concepts - ROS2 Topics - ROS2 Debugging Tools - ROS2 DDS - ROS2 Services - ROS2 Actions - ROS1_Bridge - Parameters in ROS - ROS2 Mapping - ROS2 Localization - ROS2 Path Planning - ROS2 Obstacle Avoidance - Nav2 Galactic Functionality - Nav2 Behavior Trees - Navigation Plugins and Custom Plugin Creation - Nav2 New Features (Simple Commander API; Waypoint Follower; Controller Server in Deep) - Configure a Moveit2 package for a robotic arm - Programmatically perform motion planning - Use perception to detect an object’s location - Grasp objects *This training is designed for:* - ROS or ROS2 beginners - Engineers aiming to quickly master ROS2 for real robot applications - Team leads seeking software solutions to develop scalable robotics products more efficiently. *Training Highlights:* - *ROS Expert Instruction*: Learn from industry leaders through live online sessions and hands-on projects. - *Comprehensive Curriculum*: From basic ROS2 concepts to enabling warehouse robots to fully operate with ROS2. - *Real Robot Experience:* Interact with real warehouse robots - RB-1 BASE and UR3e robotic arm. This training is organized by TheConstruct.ai <https://www.theconstructsim.coma/>. For any questions please email us at info(a)theconstructsim.com. Best regards, The Construct team

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RoboCup 2024 Rescue Agent Simulation Competition - Call for Participation
by Farshid Faraji 28 Jan '24

28 Jan '24

Call for Participation 2024 RoboCup Rescue Agent Simulation Competitions to be held in Eindhoven, Netherlands – July 15-21, 2024 https://rescuesim.robocup.org/2024-eindhoven-agent-cfp/ Co-located with the RoboCup 2024 https://2024.robocup.org IMPORTANT DATES Registration…………………………..: February 15, 2024 (23:55 UTC) Acceptance Notification…………………………..: February 20, 2024 TDP submission…………………….: April 15, 2024 (23:55 UTC) Reviewed TDP submission……: May 04, 2024, June 15, 2024 Camera-ready TDP submission.: June 04, 2024 July 1, 2024 Tournament dates………………….: July 15-21, 2024 AGENT SIMULATION COMPETITION This initiative focuses on promoting the use of Artificial Intelligence to support teamwork coordination and decision-making of ground rescue teams in a post-disaster urban setting. It maintains a computer simulation platform that can realistically represent natural disaster scenarios where Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) plans can be assessed. This platform is a comprehensive artificial simulation environment that can be used as a testbed to the effectiveness of coordination strategies of USAR teams, coalition formations of heterogeneous teams, rescue plans to explore large-scale environments with limited set of resources to search for survivors, disaster response public policies, among others. The RoboCup Rescue Agent Simulation Competition involves primarily evaluating the performance of teams of agents in regards to their distributed coordination and planning algorithms for rescuing civilians in a city after an earthquake. The goal is evaluating the effectiveness of Ambulance Team, Police Force, and Fire Brigade agents on rescuing civilians in earthquake scenarios. Here are some of the challenges that can be tackled in this competition: - Decision Making Algorithms - Task Allocation Methods - Multi-Agent Coordination and Team Formation Methods - Path Finding - Search Algorithms GETTING STARTED GUIDE Here are some pointers to get started with the agents development ADF Java: - Repository: roborescue/adf-sample-agent-java: RoboCup Rescue Agent Development Framework Sample Agent Java (github.com) - Documentation: Java ADF manual Python: - Repository: roborescue/rcrs-core-python (github.com) - Repository: roborescue/rcrs-sample-agent-python (github.com) Docker: - Repository: roborescue/rcrs-docker (github.com) - Using docker is optional for teams that wish to have an environment that is already setup for development INFRASTRUCTURE COMPETITION The Infrastructure competition involves the presentation of tools or simulators related to disaster management issues already developed by the participating team. The aim is to evaluate possible enhancements and expansions of the RoboCup Rescue Simulation League environment (both the agent simulator and frameworks and the virtual robot platform) based on the new ideas and concepts proposed in these tools and simulators. The evaluation will be done by a panel of experts and the winner chosen according to a set of factors related to the technical aspects of the tool or simulator and the presentation. The winner tool will be selected for further integration with the simulation platform. The participation in the Infrastructure competition requires the submission of a detailed Team Description Paper (TDP) describing the tool or simulator. In addition to the submission of the TDP, teams interested in participating in the Infrastructure competition must release their source code as an open-source project PRIOR to July 1, 2024. Participant teams should address topics including, but not limited to - Improvements to the Virtual Robot Simulator - Improvements to the Agent Development Framework - Increase the number of participants on the RoboCup Rescue league - Provide agent development kits that render easy the participation of newcomers - Integrate the Agent and Virtual Robot competitions - Improve the RoboCup Rescue sub-simulators REGISTRATION Teams must register via the submission system available at https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rsl2024 no later than February 15, 2024 (23:55 UTC). This registration requires only teams to fill the “Title” field and the name, institution, and contact information of all team members. The “Title” field should be “Agent_[TeamName]” to participate in the Agent Competition and “Infrastructure_[TeamName]” for the infrastructure competition, where [TeamName] should be replaced by the name of the team. Teams are not requested to submit a TDP for registering to participate in the 2024 RoboCup Agent Competition. Registered teams will be accepted to participate in the competition based on a first-come first-serve basis constrained by the allowed number of teams per country. We encourage teams to develop their code using the new RCRS Core Python in order to take advantage of state-of-the-art Machine Learning tools and algorithms, such as SciKit, TensorFlow, PyTorch, among others. Qualified teams have to submit their TDP by April 15, 2024 (23:55 UTC), otherwise the team will be disqualified. TDP SUBMISSION Accepted teams must submit a Team Description Paper (TDP) (in English) describing the strategy and recent advancements implemented in the team. The TDP is limited to 16 pages and must be electronically submitted as PDF through the submission system available at https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rsl2024 no later than April 15, 2024 (23:55 UTC). The TDP file name has to be “Agent_[TeamName]” for the Agent Competition, where [TeamName] is the name of the team submitting the TDP. This format should be also used in the “Title” field in the submission system https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rsl2024. Teams should prepare their Agent Competition TDP based on the templates available at https://github.com/roborescue/rcrs-templates. All TDPs will be peer-reviewed by at least two PC members. The suggestions of the reviewers will be released on May 04, 2024 and they should be incorporated into the camera-ready version of the TDP. The camera-ready version should be uploaded to EasyChair no later than June 04, 2024. * Previous TDPs can be found in the Participating Teams links https://rescuesim.robocup.org/past-events/past-competitions/ * If you have any questions please reach out to rsl2024(a)easychair.org RULES Please read the Agent Simulation Competition Rules document available at 2024 RoboCup Rescue Simulation for further details. ABOUT ROBOCUP RESCUE AGENT SIMULATION LEAGUE Natural disasters are major adverse events that cause large-scale economic, human, and environmental losses. They are usually difficult to predict and even more challenging to prevent from happening. These characteristics demand disaster management strategies to be in place to mitigate damaging consequences after a natural disaster. The mission of the RoboCup Rescue Agent Simulation League is to promote research and development in the socially significant domain of natural disaster with focus on multiagent teamwork coordination and decision support systems. The effective implementation of this mission is translated into three main objectives. First, the league aims to provide a simulator able to realistically represent natural disaster scenarios where response rescue plans can be assessed. Second, it aims to define evaluation benchmarks for response plans elaborated by policy-makers. Finally, it aims to promote research and development by organizing competitions to stimulate the exchange of ideas and experience between researchers and practitioners. These aims are designed to help in the development of more sophisticated and formalized response plans to effectively respond to natural disasters and reduce the negative impacts on society. Best Regards, Farshid Faraji on behalf of RoboCup Rescue Simulation League

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[robotics-worldwide] [Meetings][News] RoboCup 2024 Virtual Robot Competition - Call for Participation
by Reyhaneh 28 Jan '24

28 Jan '24

*RoboCup Rescue Simulation Virtual Robot Competitions 2024* *Eindhoven, Netherlands**July 17-21, 2024* https://robocup-rsvrl.github.io/ <https://www.robocup.org/leagues/27>https://2024.robocup.org *IMPORTANT DATES* Team Qualification Materials Submission Deadline..: Feb 29, 2024 (23:55 GMT) Filling the intent letter form is mandatory. Qualified Teams Announcement…………....................…: Rolling basis till March 10, 2024 Camera-ready TDP submission………....................….….: June 9, 2024 If you are interested or considering participating please take the time to fill the RoboCup 2024 Virtual Robot Competition - intent letter form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4i_dKum7YKmuBESSf_ls5kna__w11BvJ…> as soon as possible, so that we can inform you about the latest developments and updates. *(1) RoboCup Rescue Simulation League and Virtual Robot Competition* ——————— The Virtual Robot Simulation competition aims to raise awareness about the complexities involved in search and rescue applications. It provides an objective platform for evaluating robotic implementations in environments that mimic real-world disaster scenarios. This competition also fosters collaboration among researchers, promoting the exchange of ideas and advancements in the field. In this competition, a generic urban disaster simulation environment is created on network computers. This virtual world is populated by robots who carry out search and rescue operations. These robots are designed to mimic the roles and responsibilities of the rescue team in the real-world to work together with the rescue team to reduce the disaster effects. Participating in the RoboCup Virtual Robot Competition offers a multitude of benefits. This competition is part of the RoboCup Rescue Simulation League, provides a unique platform for participants to apply and enhance their skills in AI and robotics within a simulated disaster environment. The Virtual Robot Competition is based on ROS/Gazebo, a sophisticated robot simulator. This platform allows participants to simulate multiple robots with capabilities that closely mirror those of real robots. It provides an opportunity to work with a variety of sensors and actuators, and to develop UAV and UGV robots using standard modules. The competition also addresses a wide range of research topics, including human-robot interfaces, autonomous navigation, sensor fusion, image processing, speech processing, 2D and 3D mapping, distributed planning, and distributed learning. By participating in the competition, individuals can gain hands-on experience in these areas, contributing to their professional development and potentially leading to advancements in the field of AI and robotics. *(2) Intention of participation* ——————- If you are interested or considering participating please take the time to fill the RoboCup 2024 Virtual Robot Competition - intent letter form <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4i_dKum7YKmuBESSf_ls5kna__w11BvJ…> as soon as possible, so that we can inform you about the latest developments and updates. *(3) Qualification material* ————————- Besides sending the intention of participation, please prepare before Feb 29, 2024, a Team Description Paper describing the most innovative contributions or scientific results your team is intended to provide. The TDP is limited to 8 pages and must be formatted according to the LNCS format: http://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gui… <https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/ln…> And the tex template file of the TDP can be found on the overleaf: https://www.overleaf.com/read/nrcfnpygskyx <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.overleaf.com/read/nrcfnpygskyx&sa=…> The Team Description Paper is an overview of the methodologies you use or intend to use to control your robots inside the Virtual Robot Competition. If applicable, include a reference to your latest publications. The qualification material should be placed on a dedicated web page on the team’s home page. Please include the link to the qualification material on the intention of participation information. *(5) Useful links* ———– - Virtual Robot Competition 2024 Rule (draft) <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M-llzIVtY_dHf9G9V5I-YqmgA8gdEx8fi2H-9ce…> - Virtual Robot Competition Wiki <https://robocup-rsvrl.github.io/> - Virtual Robot Competition 2022 Server <https://github.com/RoboCup-RSVRL/RoboCup2022RVRL_Demo> - Official RoboCup Rescue Simulation website <https://rescuesim.robocup.org/> Kind regards, Reyhaneh Pahlevan on behalf of RoboCup Rescue Simulation Executive, Technical, and Organizing Committees

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[news] Call for Participation RoboCup German Open 2024
by Ferrein, Alexander Antoine 26 Jan '24

26 Jan '24

RoboCup German Open 2024 - Major Leagues Call for Participation https://robocup.de/german-open April 17th – 20th, 2024 Messe Kassel, Germany The RoboCup German Open 2024 will be the 21st open RoboCup competition held in Germany. The event will take place in Kassel at Messe Kassel. Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to take part in the event. --------------------- RoboCup Major Leagues (international teams) ------------------------- Competitions are from April 17 - 20 in the following Major leagues: RoboCup Soccer Standard Platform League RoboCup Soccer Humanoid League RoboCup Soccer Small Size League RoboCup Rescue Robot League RoboCup Logistics League RoboCup @Home League RoboCup @Work League The registration opens *** February 12th, 2024 ***. The registration deadline is *** February 29th, 2024 ***. Visit https://register.robocup.de to register your RoboCup Major League team. Details on the registration (fee, accommodation, rules) are available on the website. Booking of blocked accommodation with special rates is possible after your registration. The Major Leagues Organizing Committee: Patrick Göttsch (Standard Platform League) Maike Paetzel-Prüsmann (Humanoid League) Nicolai Ommer (Small Size League) Johannes Pellenz, Stefan May (Rescue Robot League) Sven Wachsmuth (@Home League) Alexander Ferrein (Logistics League) Christoph Steup (RoboCup @Work League) -------------------------- RoboCup Junior (regional teams) ------------------------------- From April 18-21 the final event of the German RoboCupJunior Championship will be held at RoboCup German Open 2024 in Kassel. The best teams that have qualified in the eight previous local tournaments will take part. The best German Junior teams will qualify for RoboCup 2024 in Eindhoven and for the European RoboCupJunior Competition 2024 in Hannover. -------------------------------- Important dates —————------------------------------------ 2024-02-12 Major teams registration starts 2024-02-29 Major teams registration deadline 2024-03-11 Invoices are sent to team leaders 2024-03-17 Registration deadline for team member updates 2024-03-31 Registration fee due 2024-04-17 Set-up day Major League teams (venue opens 9:00) 2024-04-18 Competition day (open to the public) 2024-04-19 Competition day (open to the public) 2024-04-20 Competition day, Major finals (open to the public) 2024-04-21 Competition day, Junior finals (open to the public) ----------------------------------- Contact --------------------------------------------- Please contact germanopen(a)robocup.de for any questions. See you all at the 21st RoboCup German Open 2024! Best regards, German RoboCup Committee ---------------------------------- Acknowledgement ———————————————————— The RoboCup German Open 2024 is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Research and Education (BMBF) under grant number 16ME0933. -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup German Regional Committee W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup German Regional Committee W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org

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Inscription Robocup & GermanOpen 2024
by ISTY ROBOCUP 26 Jan '24

26 Jan '24

Hello, We would like to compete in both the *German Open* and the *Robocup 2024* in the *rescue league*. We submitted our TPF earlier this month and started working on the TDP in order to have a first version available as soon as possible (you can find our first draft attached to this mail). Is there anything else that we need to do or that we missed in the inscription process ? After the submission of the TPF what are the next steps that we need to follow in order to participate in both the Robocup and the German Open ? Thank you for your help Team name : RMS Country : France. Number of team members : 8. Contact information of the team leader : istyrobocup(a)gmail.com. Regards, The RMS group.

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RoboCup International Symposium -- New Submission Date
by Josiah Hanna 22 Jan '24

22 Jan '24

Call for papers – NEW SUBMISSION DATE. RoboCup International Symposium 2024 https://2024.robocup.org/?page_id=2734 Monday 22 July 2024 Eindhoven, Netherlands. The 27th RoboCup International Symposium will be held on 22 July 2024, in conjunction with RoboCup 2024 (15 July to 21 July 2024), in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. We call for submissions of papers reporting innovative, original research with relevance to areas of robotics and artificial intelligence as listed below. Within the described scope of topics, we also encourage submissions of high-quality overview articles, papers describing real-world research, and papers reporting theoretical results. Researchers are invited to submit their work independently of whether they participate in the RoboCup competitions or have a RoboCup team. The symposium will be held in person at the Evoluon Conference Center in Eindhoven. In addition to the regular track with regular research papers, there is the development track encouraging reports on innovative hardware developments, software frameworks, and open- source releases of software components. A review of papers describing these contributions will be based on technical aspects and benefits to the practice of communities working in the above fields in general and RoboCup in particular. IMPORTANT DATES Submission of full papers: 8 April 2024 (changed from January 30 to better align with previous years) Notification to authors: 22 May 2024 RoboCup Symposium 2024: 22 July 2024 (RoboCup on 15-21 July 2024) SUBMISSION AND PROCEEDINGS All papers will be peer-reviewed and evaluated by members of the senior program committee. The proceedings of the RoboCup International Symposium will be published and archived within the Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (LNCS/LNAI) series by Springer-Verlag after the conference. Papers should be formatted following the LNAI author guidelines (https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…) and must be electronically submitted through Springer's electronic-submission system EquinOCS (https://equinocs.springernature.com/service/RoboCup2024). Submissions are limited to 12 pages including references. The LNAI author guidelines site contains a Springer's proceedings LaTeX template (v2.23), an older version of this template (v2.21) is also available in Overleaf: (https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates/springer-conference-proceedings-te…) TOPICS Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: * Robot Hardware and Software - mobile robotics - humanoid robotics - sensors and actuators - embedded and mobile devices - robot construction and new materials - robot system integration - robot software architectures - robot programming environments and languages - real-time and concurrent programming - robot simulators - sim2real learning * Perception and Action - 3D perception - distributed sensor integration - sensor noise filtering - real-time image processing and pattern recognition - motion and sensor models - sensory-motor control - robot kinematics and dynamics - high-dimensional motion control * Robot Cognition and Learning - world modelling and knowledge representation - learning from demonstration and imitation - localisation, navigation, and mapping - planning and reasoning - decision making under uncertainty - neural systems and deep learning - complex motor skill acquisition - reinforcement learning and optimisation - motion and sensor model learning * Human-Robot Interaction - robot social intelligence - fluency of interaction - speech synthesis and natural language generation - natural language recognition - explainable robot behaviours - emotion recognition and reaction - understanding human intent and behaviour - safety, security and dependability - enabling humans to predict robot behaviour * Multi-Robot Systems - team coordination methods - communication protocols - learning and adaptive systems - teamwork and heterogeneous agents - dynamic resource allocation - adjustable autonomy * Education and Edutainment - robotics and artificial intelligence education - educational robotics - robot kits and programming tools - robotic entertainment * Applications and Benchmarking - search and rescue robots - robot surveillance - service and social robots - robots at home, at work and in public spaces - robots in the real world - performance metrics - human-robot interaction DEVELOPMENT TRACK To encourage open-source release of hardware and software systems, the RoboCup International Symposium has included a development track in recent years. In 2024, we expand the scope of this track to include datasets and benchmarks. We encourage the submission of papers describing open-source hardware and software, tools and frameworks that facilitate development of robotics hardware and software, datasets that enable new robotic capabilities, as well as benchmarks that establish reproducible test beds and performance metrics to advance research. If applicable, contributions to the special track should include evidence of the released system or dataset, and highlight past, ongoing, and/or potential future impacts on the RoboCup community. A review of these contributions will be based on technical merit and benefits to the RoboCup community, and the research topics listed above. PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS Hiroyuki Okada (Tamagawa University, Japan) Elena Torta (Eindhoven University of Technology, NL) Josiah Hanna (University of Wisconsin, USA ) Edna Barros (Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil) LOCAL ORGANIZERS Elena Torta (Eindhoven University of Technology, NL) Ömür Arslan (Eindhoven University of Technology, NL) Femke van Beek (Eindhoven University of Technology, NL) Arnoud Visser (University of Amsterdam, NL) CONTACT You can contact via the PC chairs via the contact button in EquinOCS

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[meetings] ROS2 Industrial Training 2024
by Yuhong Lin 18 Jan '24

18 Jan '24

Get ROS2 Industrial Ready: Hands-On Training (02/19-02/21, 2024) Dear Roboticists, Looking to quickly master ROS2 for your robot project? Don't miss this intensive online training where you'll grasp key concepts and practice with real robots remotely. You will learn how to: - Use ROS2 in real robots - Make robots navigate with Nav2 - Manipulate objects using ROS2 with a robotic arm *Training Details:* - *Dates*: February 19 - 21, 2024 - *Location*: Live Online Classes + Remote Real Robot Practice - *Time*: 9:00 – 18:00 Central European Time (CET) - *Limited Seats:* Only 15 participants - *Website*: https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop/ <https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop/?utm_source=robocu…> - *Early registration deadline:* February 1st, 2024 *About the Training:* Join industry mentors for a 3-Day Live Training: Master ROS2 for industrial. Learn crucial skills in ROS2 basics, navigation, and manipulation. *What You Will Learn:* - Basic ROS2 Concepts - RSO2 Topic Subscribers & Publishers - RViz2 debugging tool - ROS2 DDS - ROS2 Services - ROS2 Actions - ROS1_Bridge - Parameters in ROS - ROS2 Mapping - ROS2 Localization - ROS2 Path Planning - ROS2 Obstacle Avoidance - Nav2 Galactic Functionality - Nav2 Behavior Trees - Navigation Plugins and Custom Plugin Creation - Simple Commander API - Waypoint Follower - Controller Server in Deep - Configure a Moveit2 package for a robotic arm - Programatically perform motion planning - Use perception to detect an object’s location - Grasp objects *Practical Sessions @ Warehouse Robot Lab* Remote hands-on practice throughout the training at the Warehouse Robot Lab with real industrial robots. Learn more at https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop/ <https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop/?utm_source=robocu…> . This training is organized by TheConstruct.ai <https://www.theconstructsim.coma/>. For any questions please email us at info(a)theconstructsim.com. Best regards, The Construct AI team

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Call for Participation - IranOpen 2024 - Remote and Free
by Ashkan Keshavarzi 17 Jan '24

17 Jan '24

Call for Participation Soccer Simulation 2d league IranOpen2024 The 18th RoboCup IranOpen (IranOpen 2024) Competition will be held in Tehran, Iran on *April*. (http://iranopenrobocup.ir/) As a member of the technical committee, I would be honored to invite you to participate in Soccer Simulation 2D League (Remote and Free). Registration Conditions: 1. This competition will be held remotely. 2. Participation cost in this Competition is free for Non-domestic teams. 3. There is no qualification round for Non-domestic teams, so you can participate without sending a TDP. 4. Non-domestic teams should also send their information in the form of an email with the subject of IranOpen2024 to keshavarzi.ashkan(a)gmail.com before the deadline (*08 February*). 5. A participation certificate will be given to each team member. 6. It is possible for only one non-domestic team to be among the first three. (Imagine that 3 teams (A, B, C) participated as non-domestic teams, and the order is A, B, D, E, F, so the first team will be A, the second team will be D, and the third team will be E.) This information included : 1. Team Name: 2. Team Leader: 3. E-Mail: 4. Country: 5. Affiliation: 6. Team members: *Teams can upload a new binary before each round! Thank you for your consideration, and do not hesitate to contact us at this address if you have any further questions. We look forward to hearing back from you. Best regards, Ashkan Keshavarzi, Nader Zare

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Call for Papers: The 6th Games, Agents, and Incentives Workshop (GAIW)@AAMAS 2024
by Nicholas Mattei 17 Jan '24

17 Jan '24

TL;DR: Webpage: https://preflib.github.io/gaiw2024 - Submission Deadline: February 26, 2024 (AoE). - Acceptance Notification: March 28, 2024. - Camera Ready: April 15, 2024 (AoE). - Workshop: May 6 or 7, 2024 (TBA). Call for Papers: We invite submissions to the 6th iteration of the Games, Agents and Incentives Workshop, co-located with AAMAS 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand. Games, Agents and Incentives is a confederated workshop which focuses on agents and incentives in AI. In particular, it promotes approaches that deal with game theory (cooperative and non-cooperative), social choice, and agent-mediated e-commerce aspects of AI systems. The confederated workshop merges multiple workshops that have been associated with AAMAS in the past, which considered different aspects of the general interplay between AI and economics: • CoopMAS: Cooperative Games in Multi-agent Systems • AMEC: Agent-Mediated Electronic Commerce • EXPLORE: Exploring Beyond the Worst Case in Computational Social Choice Over the past two decades, the focus of agent incentives in decentralised and centralised AI systems has increased dramatically. These issues come up when designing preference aggregation mechanisms and markets; computing equilibria and bidding strategies; facilitating cooperation among agents; and fairly dividing resources. ********************************************************** PAPER SUBMISSION ********************************************************** Authors should submit full papers electronically in PDF format at https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/GAIW2024 Formatting Guidelines: Please format papers according to the AAMAS 2024 format (author kit <https://www.aamas2024-conference.auckland.ac.nz/calls/submission-instructio…>). Optionally, one may submit in LNCS format as well (LaTeX template). Paper Length: Papers can be at most 8 pages long in AAMAS format, or 12 pages long in LNCS format. Additional pages may be used for references. Supplemental material can be appended at the end of the paper. However, reviewers are instructed to make their evaluations based on the main submission, and are not obligated to consult the supplemental material. Multiple Submissions: To widen participation and encourage discussion, there will be no formal publication of workshop proceedings. We will, however, post the accepted papers online to the benefit of the participants to the workshop. Therefore, submission of preliminary work and papers to be submitted or in preparation for submission to other major venues in the field are encouraged. Past Submissions: In order to strike a balance between new work and work that may have been presented, but not widely seen, we ask that if authors want to submit published work they do so non-anonymously and clearly indicate when and where the work was published. We will only accept work which has been published in the last calendar year (e.g., IJCAI 2023, NeurIPS 2023, AAAI 2023, AAAI 2024 and any conference held strictly after February 2023). We invite papers on topics of game theory, mechanism design, fair allocation, computational social choice, and their applications to multi-agent systems: - Algorithmic mechanism design - Auctions - Behavioral Game Theory - Bounded rationality - Cooperative Games - Computational advertising - Computational aspects of equilibria - Computational social choice - Coalitions, coordination, collective action, and cooperation - Economic aspects of security and privacy - Economic aspects of distributed and network computing - Equilibrium computation - Empirical approaches to e-market - Fairness (in ML & elsewhere) - Fair Division - Incentives in machine learning - Information and attention economics - Learning in games (e.g., solution concepts and equilibria) - Matching and Matching Markets - Negotiation - Price differentiation and price dynamics - Social networks - Trading agent design and analysis - Uncertainty in AI and economics Best Presentation Award: The organizing committee of GAIW will be giving two awards (first-place and runner up) for best paper presentations. The award criteria include the clarity of presentation, the level of engagement, the content, and discussion handline. Inquiries: If you have any questions, direct them to alan.tsang(a)carleton.ca. ********************************************************** IMPORTANT DATES ********************************************************** - Submission Deadline: February 26, 2024 (AoE). - Acceptance Notification: March 28, 2024. - Camera Ready: April 15, 2024 (AoE). - Workshop: May 6 or 7, 2024 (TBA). ********************************************************** ORGANIZATION ********************************************************** Program Chairs Ben Abramowitz, Tulane University Haris Aziz, UNSW Sydney and Data61 John P. Dickerson, University of Maryland Hadi Hosseini, Penn State University Nicholas Mattei, Tulane University Svetlana Obraztsova, Carleton University Zinovi Rabinovich, Carleton University Alan Tsang, Carleton University Tomasz Wąs, Penn State University -- *Nicholas Mattei* Assistant Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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RoboCup 2024 Soccer Simulation 2D League - Call for Participation (Second Call)
by MROA 16 Jan '24

16 Jan '24

Call for Participation RoboCup 2024 Soccer Simulation 2D League July 15 – July 21, 2024 Eindhoven, Netherlands https://2024.robocup.org/ <https://2023.robocup.org/> ===================================== Greetings RoboCuppers, We invite you to participate in the RoboCup 2024 Soccer Simulation League 2D competition, which will take place *July 15 – July 21, 2024*, in *Eindhoven, Netherlands*. The RoboCup Soccer Simulation 2D League is one of the oldest RoboCup Soccer competitions. It is based on the RoboCup Soccer Simulator that enables two teams of 11 simulated autonomous robots plus an autonomous coach agent to play a soccer game with very realistic rules and gameplay. The RoboCup Soccer Simulator is an outstanding research and educational tool for multiagent systems, artificial intelligence, and machine learning due to its stability. ===================================== To view the full Call for Participation document, please visit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O02gc-9HZ3x95NnirHg45S3Z0uiZVIKwIKfXi1G… ===================================== If you are interested in participating, please pre-register your team and submit the required qualification materials. Pre-registration and Qualification Deadline: *February 17th – 23:59 UTC* - Submit information via *the online form* - It is recommended that you pre-register as soon as possible to ensure that you receive the latest update. - Submit* Information, TDP and Log Files *via the online form - https://forms.gle/hGe1gtnqpXrBtD8G8 Qualification Notification: *Feb 29th – 23:59 UTC* ===================================== If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at the address provided in the documentation. Best Regards, Omid Amini, Nader Zare RoboCup2024 Soccer Simulation 2D League Organizing Committee

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[meetings][CFP][Special Session] RO-MAN 2024 - Call for Proposals of Special Session and Papers of Special at the 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication
by Alessandra Rossi 14 Jan '24

14 Jan '24

Call for Proposals of Special Session and Papers of Special Sessions Dear colleagues, We are very pleased to invite you to submit your proposals for Special Sessions at the 33rd IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, which will take place at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, USA, from August 26th to 30th, 2024. The theme of the IEEE RO-MAN 2024 is “Embracing Human-Centered HRI”. The annual conference serves as a platform for researchers to showcase cutting-edge innovations and present state-of-the-art findings across a diverse spectrum of topics related to Robot and Human Interactive Communication. Please visit the office website www.ro-man2024.org for more information. The format of RO-MAN 2024 will be either "hybrid" or in-person only. The committee will make a decision in early 2024. ***Important Dates*** Proposal Submission Deadline: January 19, 2024 Notification of Proposal Acceptance: February 2, 2024 Special Session Paper Submission Deadline: March 10, 2024 Notification of Paper Acceptance: May 10, 2024 Camera-ready Paper Deadline: June 7, 2024 The goal of the special sessions is to provide a forum for focused oral presentations highlighting emerging topics or innovative applications of established approaches. A typical special session consists of four to six papers, which, for example, addresses a particular theme or consists of collaborative work done in an international project or network. It is expected for each special session to be run for 80 minutes ~ 2 hours approximately. TEMPLATES AND SUBMISSION PROCEDURE Prospective special session organisers are invited to submit a proposal via the main conference's submission system <https://ras.papercept.net/conferences/scripts/start.pl>. The organisers of the accepted special sessions will be responsible for the high-quality peer-review of the submitted papers according to IEEE standards (i.e. at least 2 anonymous peer-reviews). The organisers will be Associate Editors (AE) for the proposed session, and they will be responsible for assigning reviewers and evaluating the submitted paper for their special session. All submitted special session papers will be subject to the same peer-review process as for regular papers and will be included in the main conference proceedings (IEEE Xplore Digital Library). Proposals should include the following information: - Title: Please propose a title that shows the relevance of the session for the RO-MAN community and the innovativeness of the proposed topic. - Aims and scope of the Special Session: Please explain why the chosen topic is novel, relevant and can potentially contribute to the RO-MAN community, and how it’s well suited within the conference theme or other new emerging themes with a potential impact. - Organisers and biographies: Please provide a short bio-sketch for each session organiser including name, title, affiliation, country, email, phone, their experience related to the topic of the Special Session. - Tentative speakers: Please provide a list of prospective contributing authors and tentative titles. Special Sessions are normally expected to have 4 to 6 papers. Invited speakers or session-related demonstrations (such as renowned speakers or industrial talks) could be a part of the Special Session. Proposals should not exceed a maximum of 5 pages. Templates are availables for LaTeX <https://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/tex.php> and MS Word <https://ras.papercept.net/conferences/support/word.php>. The primary criteria in the evaluation of special session proposals will be the timeliness of the topics, the quality, track record, and diversity of the proposers and speakers, the coherence of the proposal, the novelty or creativity, and the expected value added to the overall conference. Aspects of diversity that will be considered include the age, gender, national origin, background, and workplace of the proposers and speakers. We will give priority to proposals that fully follow these requirements. Moreover, we encourage the submission of special sessions organized by communities that are under-represented within the RO-MAN activities. For any questions and further information about the Special Session proposal, please email submission(a)ro-man2024.org IEEE RO-MAN 2024 Organizing Committee ***Special Session Chairs*** Alessandra Rossi and Lantao Liu

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Call for Participation: RoboCup2024 Middle Size League
by liufei＠caa.org.cn 04 Jan '24

04 Jan '24

The content of this message was lost. It was probably cross-posted to multiple lists and previously handled on another list.

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Travel Support Deadline Extended: The 2024 IEEE-RAS Response Robotics Seasonal School and Workshop
by Raymond Sheh 04 Jan '24

04 Jan '24

Hi All! We have extended the deadline for student travel support applications for the Response Robotics Seasonal School and Workshop, to be held in Burnet, Texas, March 4-7, and co-located with the Texas Public Safety Robotics Summit. The new deadline for travel support applications is January 12th although we encourage students to apply early. We particularly encourage current and prospective RoboCupRescue Robot League team members, and RoboCupRescue Rapidly Manufactured Robot Challenge mentors, to join us as we will be having a league roadmap discussion during the event. The summary of the event is pasted below, see the website at https://responserobotics.org for the full details and instructions on how to register and apply for travel support. Please do forward this on to any interested students and researchers! You can contact us, either via the mailing list or Discord server on the website, or via email to info(a)responserobotics.org if you have any questions. (If you previously tried to email us and it bounced, please try again, we recently fixed a server issue.) Cheers! - Raymond Sheh -- Dr. Raymond Sheh Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Research Lead and Guest Researcher UAS Portfolio, Public Safety Communications Research Division Communications Technology Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology U.S. Department of Commerce 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8230, Gaithersburg MD 20899-8230, USA Adjunct Associate Research Scientist Whiting School of Engineering Johns Hopkins University Columbia MD, USA Trustee, RoboCup Federation ======== Call for Participation ======== The 2024 IEEE-RAS Response Robotics Seasonal School and Workshop March 4-7, 2024 Reveille Proving Grounds, Burnet, TX, USA and Online Co-located with the 2024 Texas Public Safety Robotics Summit https://responserobotics.org | info(a)responserobotics.org === Introduction: === The 2024 IEEE-RAS Response Robotics Seasonal School and Workshop (RRSS+W) is a 4-day-long immersive academic research event for undergraduate and graduate research students, mentors of high school research robotics teams, and early career researchers, on the challenges and best-in-class solutions for applied response robotics. It is financially sponsored by the IEEE-RAS and student travel support scholarships are available for IEEE-RAS students. It is co-located with the 2024 Texas Public Safety Robotics Summit (TXPS, https://www.txpsrobots.com/ ), a high profile industry event for responders, manufacturers, and government agencies. Attendees of the RRSS+W will have a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from the end users about how their technologies might be used, manufacturers on the challenges of transitioning technologies from the lab into the real world, and various regulatory bodies on the risk management and legal landscape within which these technologies must operate. === Format: === In-person and online participants in the RRSS+W will have the opportunity to participate in lectures and panel discussions on topics ranging from theoretical techniques to real world applications, with a focus on presentations from outside of academia. In addition, in-person participants will have the opportunity to participate in: - Hands-on practical sessions that give attendees an in-depth opportunity learn about a specific topic. - Demonstration and test sessions that allow attendees to deploy their own robots within the test methods and scenarios, and observe other robots being tested. - A workshop poster session that allows attendees to present their work to other attendees as well as the attendees of the TXPS, including those who may have an interest in adopting these technologies. - Social events that promote networking between RRSS+W attendees as well as the rest of the response robotics ecosystem. === Topics: === This year will highlight three topics that have been identified as being of particular up-and-coming interest in the response robotics space. We are particularly soliciting the involvement of students who are interested in these topics. - Novel communication technologies for challenging response environments. - Integration of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (aka UAS, RPAS, or aerial drones) into response robotics applications. - Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Risk Management Challenges for the Response Robotics ecosystem. We are also encouraging students who are interested in broader response robotics topics to attend, including, but not limited to: - 3D mapping and indoor/outdoor navigation in unstructured environments. - Mobility in challenging terrain and among 3D obstacles. - Dexterous manipulation and inspection. - Transition of technologies into real world unstructured environments. - Novel sensors for response robotics. The RRSS+W will also host a roadmap discussion for the RoboCupRescue Robot League, with a focus on engaging with the end user community. We invite past, present, and prospective competitors to join us! === Venue: === The venue hosts both real world scenarios, complete with the uncertainty, weather, and communications challenges that it brings, as well as standard test methods that provide repeatable, reproducible, evaluations of robot capabilities that attendees can replicate in their own labs. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to observe robots of their interest performing in both the scenarios and the test methods, as well as bring their own robots to test and refine over the course of the event. Please check the website and join the mailing list for updates regarding accommodation and transportation arrangements. === Registration and Timelines: === The registration fee for in-person attendance is $300 and includes registration for the broader TXPS. As space is limited, registration is capped and competitive, based on a cover letter - see the website for details. Registration will be decided on a rolling basis and closes February 1st, 2024, or when the event reaches capacity so we advise prospective attendees to register early. IEEE-RAS students may use the same letter to apply for a limited number of competitive travel support scholarships that include the fee and a partial travel reimbursement - see the website for details. Travel support applications will be decided on a rolling basis and closes January 12th, 2024, or when all funds have been allocated, so please apply early. Please see https://responserobotics.org for instructions on how to register and apply for travel support. Remote attendance of the lectures will be free of charge, dependent on connectivity. Join the mailing list or keep an eye on the website for details. === Contact: === See https://responserobotics.org for further details, and to join our mailing list and Discord server. Email info(a)responserobotics.org for any questions.

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[meetings] [news] Online Submission Open: 3rd Benchmark for Autonomous Robot Navigation (BARN) Challenge -- ICRA 2024 Competition
by Xuesu Xiao 22 Dec '23

22 Dec '23

Submission Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZLMVluXE-HWnV9lNP00LuBi3e9HFOeLi… Competition Website: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge24.html Participation Instructions: https://github.com/Daffan/nav-competition-icra2022 Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2023: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn23_report.pdf Lessons Learned from The BARN Challenge 2022: https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/barn22_report.pdf Dear roboticists, are you interested in agile robot navigation in highly constrained spaces with a lot of obstacles around, e.g., cluttered households or after-disaster scenarios? Do you think mobile robot navigation is mostly a solved problem? Are you looking for a hands-on project for your robotics class, but may not have (sufficient) robot platforms for your students? If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, we sincerely invite you to participate in our (3rd) ICRA 2024 BARN Challenge (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN_Challenge/BARN_Challenge24.html)! The BARN Challenge aims at evaluating state-of-the-art autonomous navigation systems to move robots through highly constrained environments in a safe and efficient manner. The task is to navigate a standardized Clearpath Jackal robot from a predefined start to a goal location as quickly as possible without any collision. The challenge will take place both in the simulated BARN dataset and in physical obstacle courses at ICRA2024. 1. The competition task is designing ground navigation systems to navigate through all 300 BARN environments (https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/Research/BARN/BARN.html) and physical obstacle courses constructed at ICRA2024 as fast as possible without collision. 2. The 300 BARN environments can be the training set for learning-based methods, or to design classical approaches in. During the simulation competition, we will generate another 50 unseen environments unavailable to the participants before the competition. 3. We will standardize a Jackal robot in the Gazebo simulation, including a Hokuyo 2D LiDAR, motor controller of 2m/s max speed, etc. 4. Participants can use any approaches to tackle the navigation problem, such as using classical sampling-based or optimization-based planners, end-to-end learning, or hybrid approaches. We will provide baselines for reference. 5. A standardized scoring system is provided on the website. 6. We will invite the top teams in simulation to compete in the real world. The team who achieves the fastest collision-free navigation in the physical obstacle courses wins. If you are interested in participating, please submit your navigation system at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZLMVluXE-HWnV9lNP00LuBi3e9HFOeLi… Co-Organizers: Xuesu Xiao (George Mason University) Zifan Xu (UT Austin) Garrett Warnell (US Army Research Lab / UT Austin) Peter Stone (UT Austin / Sony AI) Sponsor: Clearpath Robotics, https://clearpathrobotics.com/ Thanks Xuesu ----------------------- Xuesu Xiao, Ph.D. -- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science George Mason University xiao(a)gmu.edu https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/

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RoboCup 2024 Small Size League Call for Participation
by Carla Cosenza 20 Dec '23

20 Dec '23

Hello! The Small Size League committee is glad to invite you to participate in the RoboCup 2024! Below you can find important information about the competition and qualification. Location and dates RoboCup Eindhoven 2024 Small Size League July 17-21, 2024 https://2024.robocup.org/ About RoboCup RoboCup is an international scientific initiative with the goal to advance the state of the art of intelligent robots. When established in 1997, the original mission was to field a team of robots capable of winning against the human soccer World Cup champions by 2050. About the Small Size League The RoboCup Small Size League is a part of the RoboCup Research Federation focused on multi-agent coordination and control. Teams currently compete in 11 vs. 11 soccer matches (6 vs. 6 in Div. B). The robots must fit within an 18 cm diameter circle and must be no higher than 15 cm. The robots play soccer with an orange golf ball on a green carpeted field that is about 12 m long by 9 m wide. About the qualification To qualify for the competition, each team must submit a Team Description Paper and a video by February 13, 2024. More information on the qualification requirements and processes are located on the website. Please direct all inquiries to the Small Size League Organizing Committee: rc-ssl-oc(a)lists.robocup.org Thank you! Carla Cosenza RoboCup Small Size League | Organizing Committee

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Postdoc Position in RL/imitation learning for robot navigation in simulated environments (University of Edinburgh, UK)
by Stefano V. Albrecht 20 Dec '23

20 Dec '23

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Position “Reinforcement learning and imitation learning for robot navigation in simulated environments” About the position We are seeking a motivated candidate to fill a postdoctoral research fellow position in “Reinforcement learning and imitation learning for robot navigation in simulated environments”. This position will be hosted and located in the Autonomous Agents Research Group (https://agents.inf.ed.ac.uk) in the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. The researcher will be supervised jointly by Prof. Stefano V. Albrecht (University of Edinburgh) and Prof. Concetto Spampinato (University of Catania). What will you be doing Contribute to the project through research activities, including: • Conduct a comprehensive literature review to understand the current state-of-the-art in reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and robot navigation. • Develop novel reinforcement learning and imitation learning algorithms tailored to the specific challenges of robot navigation in our simulated environment MIDGARD (https://midgardsim.org/). • Design, together with engineers, more realistic and diverse simulated environments that capture the complexities of real-world scenarios in MIDGARD. • Develop evaluation metrics and protocols to assess the performance of reinforcement learning and imitation learning algorithms in these environments. • Define and validate methods for sim-to-real challenges that may arise in the transition from simulation to physical robots. This activity will be carried out jointly with robotics researchers. Candidate requirements PhD in AI, machine learning, computer science, or related area. Excellent publication track record in leading conferences for AI/ML/robotics research. Background and expertise in one or more of the following areas: • RL and imitation learning algorithms • Knowledge of robotic systems and challenges in navigation • Solid foundation in machine and deep learning concepts and techniques • Proficient in Python and Pytorch algorithm development Employment package 12 months initially, with option to extend to 36 months subject to performance review. Standard salary for research postdoc in Italy (1.500 Euros/month). Accommodation costs (i.e. rent) are additionally covered. Paid trips to conferences to present work. Desktop/laptop computer. How to apply Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the PeRCeiVe Lab research admin at alessia.spitaleri(a)unict.it<mailto:alessia.spitaleri@unict.it> for further details on how to apply and support with the application process. For questions about the position and research, please contact Prof. Stefano Albrecht (s.albrecht(a)ed.ac.uk<mailto:s.albrecht@ed.ac.uk>) and Prof. Concetto Spampinato (concetto.spampinato(a)unict.it<mailto:concetto.spampinato@unict.it>). Applications close: December 27th 2023 at noon (Italian time) -- Dr. Stefano V. Albrecht Associate Professor, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh Head of Autonomous Agents Research Group (https://agents.inf.ed.ac.uk) Royal Society Industry Fellow, Five AI/Bosch (www.five.ai<http://www.five.ai>) Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellow, Dematic/KION (www.dematic.com<http://www.dematic.com>) The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th’ ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, clàraichte an Alba, àireamh clàraidh SC005336.

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Call for Participation RoboCup 2024 Humanoid Soccer Competition - Eindhoven, July 2024
by Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi 19 Dec '23

19 Dec '23

* Call for Participation * RoboCup 2024 Humanoid Soccer Competition https://humanoid.robocup.org/ July 17 - 21, 2024, Eindhoven, the Netherlands =========================================================== The RoboCup Humanoid League invites teams to apply for participation at the RoboCup 2024 Humanoid Soccer Competition in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The Humanoid League will host competitions in the following categories: * KidSize: 40 - 100cm robot height (FIFA size 1 ball) * AdultSize: 100 - 200cm robot height (FIFA size 5 ball) For more detailed class definitions, please refer to the humanoid league home page at https://humanoid.robocup.org/. Teams do not need to provide a full robot team to apply for competing in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The qualifying round of Drop-In games will be played with only one robot per team. Teams that cannot provide a full team of robots (four robots in KidSize and two in AdultSize) will be grouped to form a playable team for the main tournament games. Teams are also encouraged to form and apply as joint teams. Joint proposals will be judged on their combined merit. In case of a sufficient number of qualified teams, the sub-leagues (KidSize and/or AdultSize) will be divided into League A and League B. Teams are seeded into the leagues based on the results of an initial round of Drop-In games. For the qualification process, teams must provide the following material: 1) Robot Video --------------------------------------- Teams need to provide a video of their robot demonstrating the robots' autonomous soccer playing skills. The recommended skills needed for qualification are: * localization of unknown ball position, * walking ability towards the ball, * robot positioning at the ball for kicking, * kicking the ball towards the goal, * ability of getting up autonomously from a fall (KidSize only) We encourage teams to include in the video more complex and intelligent behavior such as demonstrating localization, and robots playing in a game, recordings from actual soccer matches are admissible. If possible, please provide footage that demonstrates the robot behavior without wires attached. The qualification video must be supplied as a link via YouTube. The maximum duration of the video must not exceed 5 minutes. The qualifying team is responsible to ensure that the video adheres to YouTube's TOS (especially in regard to music copyright) to prevent the video from being blocked for the reviewers. Teams that do not provide a qualification video or a viewable video will not be qualified! 2) Software Description --------------------------------------- During the registration process, a form will be provided to submit details about the algorithms used or anticipated to be used for the participation in the 2024 competition. Algorithms shall be described in such detail that they can be reproduced by other teams. If software from other teams or standard algorithms are used, references need to be included. If the algorithm has been adapted to be used in the competition, those deviations need to be described in appropriate details. The form will include questions in the following areas: * Walking * Vision * Localization * Team Communication * Behavior * Contributions to the RoboCup community, e.g. software releases, paper publications, provision of league infrastructure or data sets Responses to the questions are expected to reflect the current or anticipated status of the software during the RoboCup 2024 competition. If the software has not changed or no changes are anticipated to be made until the competition, teams may copy & paste a response from previously submitted material. 3) Extended Abstract --------------------------------------- A two-page extended abstract must be submitted. For teams which have previously participated in the Humanoid League, the extended abstract needs to: * include lessons learned from the participation in previous RoboCup competitions * highlight major problems that the team is trying to solve for the upcoming competition * outline the plans for the major changes that the teams anticipate to have implemented by the RoboCup 2024 competition * describe the implementation status of the changes planned by the time of submitting the application For teams which have never participated in the RoboCup Humanoid League, the Extended Abstract needs to pitch the scientific aspects of their humanoid robotic system and highlight their research interests. The Extended Abstract is limited to 2 pages maximum and must be submitted in PDF format. Extended Abstracts are designed to highlight the changes and scientific developments since the last RoboCup. Thus, we expect the usage of material from previous TDPs or Extended Abstracts to be minimal. If used, they need to be cited appropriately. Submissions of last year's Extended Abstract will be desk-rejected. The Extended Abstract must follow the LNCS format which can be downloaded from https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…. Teams that do to follow the LNCS formatting and style guidelines will not be qualified. No exceptions to this rule will be made. 4) Robot Specification --------------------------------------- Regardless of the kid or adult size competition, a one-page specification (PDF) must be provided for each different type of humanoid robot used by the team that includes the following: * Robot picture * Robot name * Height of the robot * Weight of the robot * Walking speed in cm/s * Number of degrees of freedom and type of motors on each kinematic chain of the robot * Type of sensors used (incl. type of camera(s) and specific manufacturer part number (e.g. “6-DoF IMU” is NOT an acceptable description)) * Computing unit(s) * Materials (e.g. Torso aluminum, legs and arms CFRP) * Electronics (e.g. CM730 for communicating with servos) * Battery (e.g. 3S1P 2200mAh LiPo) * Open Source link if applicable * Other specs 5) Letter of Commitment --------------------------------------- A one-page letter addressed to the RoboCup Humanoid League Technical Committee including the following: * a statement committing to participate in the RoboCup 2024 Humanoid League competition, * a statement committing to make a person with sufficient knowledge of the rules available as referee during the competition. The letter must be printed, hand signed by the team leader, digitally scanned and submitted either as a JPG, PNG or PDF file. If the letter does not contain a hand-written signature, it is not considered valid. The TC may include the fulfillment of the statement of commitment of participation as well as the performance of the team's referee in previous RoboCup competitions into consideration for qualification. Each application to the Humanoid Soccer Competition will be reviewed by two members of the Technical Committee and two other teams applying to the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The combined reviewing score will decide whether a team qualifies for participation. Reviewing other team's material is mandatory for teams that want to participate in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. Failing to provide an adequate review by the provided deadline will have consequences for the team’s own qualification status. 6) Rules --------------------------------------- The current version of the rules may be found here at the Humanoid League website: https://humanoid.robocup.org/materials/rules/. We expect the final version of the 2024 rules to be published in early spring 2024. 7) Registration --------------------------------------- The following information is required for registration: * Team name * URL of the team's home page * Name of team leader or team contact person * E-mail address of team leader or contact person * Postal address of the team, team leader or contact person * Competition category: Humanoid Soccer Competition KidSize or AdultSize Please note that teams applying for participation in several categories must submit individual application material for each class, and pay the appropriate registration fee for each category. At least one team member must register on each team. Furthermore, teams in different categories must be able to compete, and guarantee to have members acting as referees available independently and at the same time. 8) Plagiarism --------------------------------------- Plagiarism, loosely the unattributed use of other peoples' words, code, and ideas is not tolerated in the RoboCup community. See the point "Publishing Ethics" at https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… for a more detailed description. The teams and team members that plagiarize another peoples' work and present it as their own will be disqualified. For a first offense, the team and team members will be banned from RoboCup competition for two years (usually the current and next year). Harsher penalties will be applied to repeat offenders or extremely serious cases of plagiarism. A team may be disqualified at any time for plagiarism, even after the competition has started. RoboCup will not reimburse teams for any expenses related to their disqualification. 9) Online Submission --------------------------------------- All qualification material must be submitted online at https://submission.robocuphumanoid.com 10) Important Dates --------------------------------------- Humanoid Soccer Competition * Submission system open: November 27th, 2023 * Submission deadline: December 15th, 2023 * Team Review Period: December 15th - December 22nd 2023 * Announcement of qualified teams: January 19th, 2024 11) Publication --------------------------------------- Please note that after the announcement of the qualified teams the qualified teams submitted material will be made publicly available on the Humanoid League website. Teams applying for participation, therefore, implicitly grant the right of publication of their qualification material to the Humanoid League. 12) Visa Process --------------------------------------- If you are a citizen of a country that needs a Visa for traveling to the Netherlands, please start the VISA process as soon as you receive your notification of qualification. If you are not sure if you're eligible for a VISA-exempt, please consult the official website of the Netherlands government for information, at https://www.government.nl/topics/holidays-and-travels/check-visa-netherlands. For more information about the humanoid league, please refer to the humanoid league home page at https://humanoid.robocup.org/ and join the humanoid league mailing list at: https://lists.robocup.org/listinfo/robocup-humanoid With best regards, Technical Committee of RoboCup Humanoid League 2023/2024 Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informação anexada, é confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinatários estão autorizados a usá-la. Se você não for o destinatário, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que não há autorização para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer ação baseada no seu conteúdo.

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[news][meetings] Get ROS2 Industrial Ready Training 2024
by Yuhong Lin 18 Dec '23

18 Dec '23

Call for Participation: Get ROS2 Industrial Ready: Hands-On Training (02/19-02/21, 2024) Dear Roboticists, The 'Get ROS2 Industrial Ready’ training in 2024 will take place from February 19th to 21st. It includes both theory and hands-on sessions covering: - ROS2 Basics - ROS2 Navigation Stack (Nav2) - ROS2 Industrial Manipulation (using MoveIt 2) This training is designed for: - ROS or ROS2 beginners - Engineers aiming to quickly master ROS2 for real robot applications - Team leads seeking software solutions to develop scalable robotics products more efficiently. *Training Details:* - *Dates*: February 19 - 21, 2024 - *Location*: Live Online Classes + Remote Real Robot Practice - *Time*: 9:00 – 18:00 Central European Time (CET) - *Limited Seats:* Only 15 participants - *Website*: https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop/ <https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop/?utm_source=robocu…> *What You Will Learn:* - How to use ROS2 in real robots - How to make robots navigate with ROS2 - How to make a robotic arm manipulate objects using ROS2 *Training Highlights:* - Expert instruction from industry professionals - Hands-on experience with real robots - Interactive exercises with simulated robots *Practical Sessions @ Warehouse Robot Lab* Remote hands-on practice throughout the training at the Warehouse Robot Lab with real industrial robots. Learn more at https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop/ <https://www.theconstructsim.com/ros2-industrial-workshop/?utm_source=robocu…> . This training is organized by TheConstruct.ai <https://www.theconstructsim.coma/>. For any questions please email us at info(a)theconstructsim.com. Best regards, The Construct team

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RoboCup SPL Call for Applications for Participation 2024
by Stefan Seering 16 Dec '23

16 Dec '23

Call for Applications for Participation RoboCup 2024 Standard Platform League spl.robocup.org <https://spl.robocup.org/> Monday 15th July through Monday 22th July 2024 Eindhoven, The Netherlands 2024.robocup.org <https://2024.robocup.org> RoboCup <https://www.robocup.org/> is an international initiative that fosters research and education in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence through a variety of competitions (RoboCupSoccer, RoboCupRescue, RoboCup@Home, RoboCupIndustrial, RoboCupJunior) involving mostly multi-robot systems. RoboCupSoccer currently includes a number of different robot soccer leagues that focus on different research challenges. *The Standard Platform League (SPL)* is characterized by all the teams using an identical robot platform. Participating researchers focus on algorithmic development for fully autonomous robots in the main competition and operation of robots with shared autonomy in technical challenges. The SPL robot soccer team competition games at RoboCup 2024 will be played between teams of fully autonomous NAO robots. Participating teams may use V6, V5 or older versions of the NAO humanoid robot manufactured by Aldebaran <https://www.aldebaran.com/en/nao>. Teams should be able to play on a randomly assigned field within one hour. The RoboCup 2024 SPL will host: * A soccer team competition as the main competition of the event. * A shared autonomy technical challenge. The soccer team competition will consist of a number of games that is similar to recent years for most teams. The draft rule book for 2024 will be released by 15th of December 2023 on the downloads page <https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2024>. The league operates two divisions: Champions Cup (CC) and Challenge Shield (CS). Teams in the Champions Cup division will compete in matches with up to 7 robots per team. Teams in the Challenge Shield division will compete in matches with up to 5 robots per team. The teams participating in the team competition should also compete in the additional technical challenge. The Technical challenge for 2024 is the shared autonomy challenge. This technical challenge requires participants to develop a mixed team that consists of one human-operated Nao robot and one fully autonomous Nao with the objective of exploring how humans and robots can cooperate in soccer. Teams are encouraged to improve their skills in these challenges so that aspects of these challenges can be included in the main competition in future years. More details regarding technical challenges will be given in the rule book <https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2024>. Joining the League The league is always ready to welcome new teams. If you are considering joining: the league has prepared information for you <https://spl.robocup.org/joining-robocup-spl/> to support you in your first steps. We encourage you to contact the organizing committees and other teams if you have questions. To assist in adoption of NAO V6 robots, source code examples and documentation regarding V6 robots were published on the SPL website <https://spl.robocup.org/v6-support/>. One can also find example code for V6 robots in the code released by participating teams. If you need access to the RoboCup NAOqi Image and the specific documentation, please write an email (mentioning your team affiliation and plans) to rc-spl-tc(a)lists.robocup.org. Qualification All interested teams that are not pre-qualified must apply by sending an email to the Technical Committee (see below). A valid application must contain: 1. *Team Description Paper:* See below. The TDP must be *attached as PDF file* to the email. 2. *Preference to compete in the Champions Cup or Challenge Shield:* State whether you prefer to compete in CC or CS. If you prefer to compete in CS, please state if you would accept an assignment to CC to balance the competition. 3. *Video presentation:* Include a link to a video (maximum 5 minutes long, uploaded on the team’s web site or on some video server) that demonstrates the status of the team. The organizing committees use the video to determine the readiness of the team to compete effectively, and hence should focus on the team’s ability to play soccer. Teams who did not participate in the team competition at RoboCup 2023 *must* include footage of at least one robot attempting to kick off and score (this footage must be captured as a single wide shot with no cuts). If robots from multiple teams are active in the footage (e.g., game footage), please include a textual overlay or additional document denoting which robots belong to the applying team for every scene. Videos of simulation contributions will also be accepted, but only when a real robot is unavailable. Preference will be given to teams that use real robots to show soccer skills in their video. 4. *Robot purchase plans:* State how many NAO robots your team plans to buy this year. Pre-Qualification Teams that reached the quarter-finals or finished in the top 5 of the technical challenges at RoboCup 2023 will be pre-qualified for RoboCup 2024, if they submit a valid application as detailed below. The following teams can make use of pre-qualification: * BadgerBots * Bembelbots * B-Human * Dutch Nao Team * HTWK Robots * HULKs * Nao Devils * NomadZ * RoboEireann * rUNSWift * R-ZWEI KICKERS * SPQR Team A valid application for pre-qualified teams must contain: 1. *Team Description Paper:* See below. The TDP must be *attached as PDF file* to the email. 2. *Preference to compete in the Champions Cup or Challenge Shield:* State whether you prefer to compete in CC or CS. If you prefer to compete in CS, please state if you would accept an assignment to CC to balance the competition. 3. *Robot purchase plans:* State how many NAO robots your team plans to buy this year. If a joint 2023 team splits, only one team can be pre-qualified for 2024 (please indicate which one). Team Description Paper Both regular and pre-qualified teams must submit a team description paper (TDP) attached as PDF file to their application email. For the TDP to be considered, it must: * be formatted according to the *Springer LNCS author guidelines <https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…>*. * be no longer than *8 pages* (including references). * be structured in the following *sections with the specified headings*: 1. *Team Information:* o team name (the one true spelling, considering capitalization, spaces, hyphens, etc.) o team leader(s) o team contact email address o team website URL (if available) o country of origin o university/company affiliation(s) of the team 2. *Code Usage:* Acknowledge the team’s use of any other team’s code (1) previously from 2019 to present and (2) anticipated at RoboCup 2024. If code is used from other teams, is this code integrated into a code base that is mainly designed by the applying team? If the applying team does not use any other team’s code, state so. For further details, please have a look into the rule book, section A.1 <https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2024>. 3. *Own Contribution:* Describe in detail the ‘research publishable’ significant advancements the applying team has made and is going to use at RoboCup 2024, in accordance with the rule book, section A.1 <https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2024>. 4. *Past History:* provide game results in RoboCup Open competitions as well as main RoboCup competitions from 2020 onward. Include opponents and game scores from each competition in a table. State if the team plans to participate in any RoboCup Open competitions or friendlies prior to RoboCup 2024. 5. *Impact:* What is the impact of the team’s participation and research in RoboCup on (1) the SPL, (2) the team’s university/community? 6. *Other:* Present any other information that you believe supports your application. Please note that the TDP is not a peer-reviewed publication and will not appear in any collection apart from the RoboCup TDP archive <https://tdp.robocup.org>. Qualification for Regional Opens Only Teams may also submit a short intent to participate in a regional open if they do not wish to participate in the 2024 RoboCup competition. Although teams may participate in regional opens without submitting this intent to participate, teams who submit an intent to participate and become qualified may be eligible for future special robot pricing. Special robot pricing for teams competing in RoboCup Events are still being discussed. Updates about special prices will be announced as soon as offers and conditions are finalized. Teams must submit the following information by 15th of February 2024: (1) The team name, leader(s), and the university/company affiliation(s) of the team and (2) a short statement describing the status/progress of the team. A link to a short video showing robot soccer behaviours and/or game play (using robots or in simulation) may be included if available. Submission and Evaluation All applications with the (pre-)qualification material must be submitted by *15th of February 2024*, by email to rc-spl-tc(a)lists.robocup.org. Please use a subject matching the pattern *RoboCup 2024 Application <team name>*. Applications must not be sent to personal SPL TC/OC email addresses and must not contain video attachments. By submitting your application, you grant the SPL committees the rights to publish the TDP and application video / code release link. Note that applying serves as a statement of commitment to participate in the RoboCup 2024 SPL. If you have doubts regarding the ability of your team to participate (due to funding, visas, etc.), please apply by the deadline but note this in your application email. Declining to participate in any competition after the official early registration period has opened may negatively affect future applications (the later you decline, the worse it will affect future applications). Teams are encouraged to consider joint participation. Joint proposals will be judged on combined merit. Applications will be evaluated by criteria which include: 1. Potential to play competitive games at RoboCup 2024 (demonstrated ability to play soccer, previous results, etc.) 2. Contributions (and potential contributions) to league (code releases/papers, active in organization, developing own code, etc.) 3. Diversity (region, team make-up, unique characteristics, etc.) Since 2023 the competition rules require all teams to release the source code for novel contributions. This ensures that all teams can learn from good solutions and all teams are driven to make improvements each year. More details regarding code releases will be given in the rule book <https://spl.robocup.org/downloads/#2024>. All teams can expect to be required to publish a contribution. The form will be similar to the releases required of pre-qualified teams as stated in the 2023 rulebook. As part of the application phase teams will be assigned into the CC and CS divisions. Assignments will be judged based on previous performance and application material. The organizing committees will do their best to honor teams' preferences. However, the necessity might arise to assign teams into divisions against their preference. All teams applying for CC are expected to be able to compete in CS. Teams will be notified during the application phase if they are assigned into a division against their preference Qualification decisions, including alternate lists, will be announced by 1st of March 2024. Robot Acquisition Teams who submit an intent to participate and become qualified will be eligible for potential future special robot pricing. Special robot pricing for team competing in RoboCup Events are still being discussed. Updates about special prices will be announced if offers and conditions are finalized. /RoboCup 2024 Standard Platform League Technical and Organizing Committees/

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Postdoc Position in RL/imitation learning for robot navigation in simulated environments (University of Edinburgh, UK)
by Stefano V. Albrecht 12 Dec '23

12 Dec '23

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Position “Reinforcement learning and imitation learning for robot navigation in simulated environments” About the position We are seeking a motivated candidate to fill a postdoctoral research fellow position in “Reinforcement learning and imitation learning for robot navigation in simulated environments”. This position will be hosted and located in the Autonomous Agents Research Group (https://agents.inf.ed.ac.uk) in the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. The researcher will be supervised jointly by Prof. Stefano V. Albrecht (University of Edinburgh) and Prof. Concetto Spampinato (University of Catania). What will you be doing Contribute to the project through research activities, including: • Conduct a comprehensive literature review to understand the current state-of-the-art in reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and robot navigation. • Develop novel reinforcement learning and imitation learning algorithms tailored to the specific challenges of robot navigation in our simulated environment MIDGARD (https://midgardsim.org/). • Design, together with engineers, more realistic and diverse simulated environments that capture the complexities of real-world scenarios in MIDGARD. • Develop evaluation metrics and protocols to assess the performance of reinforcement learning and imitation learning algorithms in these environments. • Define and validate methods for sim-to-real challenges that may arise in the transition from simulation to physical robots. This activity will be carried out jointly with robotics researchers. Candidate requirements PhD in AI, machine learning, computer science, or related area. Excellent publication track record in leading conferences for AI/ML/robotics research. Background and expertise in one or more of the following areas: • RL and imitation learning algorithms • Knowledge of robotic systems and challenges in navigation • Solid foundation in machine and deep learning concepts and techniques • Proficient in Python and Pytorch algorithm development Employment package 12 months initially, with option to extend to 36 months subject to performance review. Standard salary for research postdoc in Italy (1.500 Euros/month). Accommodation costs (i.e. rent) are additionally covered. Paid trips to conferences to present work. Desktop/laptop computer. How to apply Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the PeRCeiVe Lab research admin at alessia.spitaleri(a)unict.it<mailto:alessia.spitaleri@unict.it> for further details on how to apply and support with the application process. For questions about the position and research, please contact Prof. Stefano Albrecht (s.albrecht(a)ed.ac.uk<mailto:s.albrecht@ed.ac.uk>) and Prof. Concetto Spampinato (concetto.spampinato(a)unict.it<mailto:concetto.spampinato@unict.it>). Applications close: December 27th 2023 at noon (Italian time) -- Dr. Stefano V. Albrecht Associate Professor, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh Head of Autonomous Agents Research Group (https://agents.inf.ed.ac.uk) Royal Society Industry Fellow, Five AI/Bosch (www.five.ai<http://www.five.ai>) Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellow, Dematic/KION (www.dematic.com<http://www.dematic.com>) The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th’ ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, clàraichte an Alba, àireamh clàraidh SC005336.

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Call for Posters: ISAIM 2024 Special Session on Deep Reinforcement Learning
by Diochnos, Dimitrios 10 Dec '23

10 Dec '23

Call for Posters: International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics (ISAIM) 2024 Special Session on Deep Reinforcement Learning Submission: https://forms.gle/MJuSJHJpuJ3mFevf6 Workshop Theme: "Deep Reinforcement Learning: Bridging Theory and Practice" https://isaim-deeprl.github.io/2024/ Dates & Venue: January 8, 9, 2024, collocated with the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics (ISAIM), Fort Lauderdale, FL. Overview: Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) stands at the forefront of AI research, shaping the future of diverse fields from robotics to finance. However, the journey from theoretical foundations to practical applications in DRL is laden with challenges. Our workshop, a special session of ISAIM 2024, aims to address these challenges by fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the latest advancements in DRL. We will discuss a variety of talks (including but not limited to) sample efficiency, exploration vs. exploitation, transfer learning, stability and convergence, and real-world application barriers. Invited Speakers: Benjamin Eysenbach (Princeton) Aviral Kumar (CMU / Google) Pulkit Agrawal (MIT) Chi Jin (Princeton) Sanjiban Choudhury (Cornell) Wen Sun (Cornell) Kaiqing Zhang (UMD) Max Simchowitz (MIT) Animesh Garg (Georgia Tech) Zhuoran Yang (Yale) Objective: Our goal is to illuminate the connection between the theoretical and practical aspects of DRL, addressing inherent challenges in the field. Participants will gain comprehensive knowledge, backed by expert-led discussions, talks and lively interaction. Target Audience: This workshop is ideal for researchers, AI practitioners, graduate students, and industry professionals keen on exploring the forefront of Deep Reinforcement Learning. Call for Posters: We invite submissions for poster presentations that align with the theme of the workshop. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your research, share novel ideas, and interact with experts in the field. There will be a lot of engaging discussion and all relevant work is welcome! Submission Guidelines: Poster topics should be relevant to DRL and its challenges. But this is defined very broadly, please submit if you think at all relevant! Abstracts should be concise, clearly outlining objectives, methodology, and findings. Include author(s) name, affiliation, and contact information. Flexible on format, 4+ page papers accepted! Submission Deadline: Jan 5, 2024 Contact Information: zhaoranwang(a)gmail.com or abhgupta(a)cs.washington.edu Join us in exploring the intricate world of DRL and contribute to bridging the gap between theory and practice. We look forward to your insightful contributions and lively discussions! Organizers: Abhishek Gupta (UW), Zhaoran Wang (Northwestern), Aldo Pacchiano (Boston University / Broad Institute), Claudio Gentile (Google)

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Robot Fleet Management with Open-RMF Training 2024
by Yuhong Lin 05 Dec '23

05 Dec '23

Final Call for Early Bird: Mastering Robot Fleet Management with Open-RMF Training (01/22-01/24, 2024) Dear Roboticists, Don't miss out on the final chance to secure your spot at the upcoming 4th edition of "Mastering Robot Fleet Management with Open-RMF Training," scheduled to be held online from January 22 to 24, 2024. *Training Details:* - *Dates*: January 22 - 24, 2024 - *Location*: Live Online Classes + Remote Real Robot Practice - *Time*: 9:00 – 18:00 Central European Time (CET) - *Limited Seats:* Only 15 participants - *Website*: https://www.theconstructsim.com/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-traini… <https://www.theconstructsim.com/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-traini…> *About the Training:* Join industry mentors for a 3-Day Live Training: Gain practical skills in configuring, deploying, and managing robot fleets with open-source software (Open-RMF), while learning how to apply it to your real multi-robot scenarios. *What You Will Learn:* - RMF basic structure - How to create a compliant RMF simulation - How to set up Free Fleet for autonomous mobile robots - How to set up basic tasks like Deliver, Clean, Patrol, and Charge - How to create your own custom fleet adapter to integrate API and ROS2 systems of your robot into RMF. - How to dock in RMF - How to clean with RMF - How to create a GUI for humans to interact with RMF *Training Highlights:* - Expert instruction from industry professionals - Hands-on experience with real robots - Interactive exercises with simulated robots - Practical application in a real multi-robot environment – Starbots Coffee Lab *Practical Sessions @ Starbots Coffee Lab:* Throughout the training, you will have the opportunity to apply your newfound knowledge in real-world scenarios at the Starbots Coffee Lab, a multi-robot system application. Learn more at https://www.theconstructsim.com/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-traini… <https://www.theconstructsim.com/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-traini…> . For any inquiries regarding this training, please feel free to contact us at info(a)theconstructsim.com. Best regards, The Construct team

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[meetings] ICSR 2023 - Registration for International Conference on Social Robotics
by Alessandra Rossi 25 Nov '23

25 Nov '23

Dear everyone, we would like to invite you to participate at the 15th International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR 2023) that will be held in Doha, Qatar, on December 3-7, 2023. The theme of this year’s conference is *“Human-Robot Collaboration: Sea, Air, Land, Space and Cyberspace”.* The theme emphasizes on all physical and cyber-physical domains where humans and robots collaborate. Registration is open! It is possible to register for Online-Only Conference Participation (Dec 5-6). Includes: online participation for 1. Plenary conference talks 2. Podium conference talks. Registration info are https://icsr23.qa/registration/ The program details here: https://icsr23.qa/program/ <https://icsr23.qa/program/?fbclid=IwAR22qmwGNE4jV5aBrukQmDEdmRfvhFC4WAG2KN4…> best regards Alessandra

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[meetings][CFP] ICSR 2023: Adaptive Social Interaction based on user’s Mental mOdels and behaVior in HRI - ASIMOV Workshop
by Alessandra Rossi 23 Nov '23

23 Nov '23

****** Apologies for multiple emails - Errata corridge ******* ASIMOV Adaptive Social Interaction based on user’s Mental mOdels and behaVior in HRI the 15th International Conference on Social Robotics <https://icsr23.qa> 03-07 December 2023, Doha (Qatar) Important Dates - Deadline for Paper Submission: November 26th, 2023 - Paper Acceptance Notification: November 30th, 2023 - Camera Ready Paper: December 1st, 2023 - Main Conference Date: December 3rd–7th, 2023 - Workshop Date: December 4th, 2023 (14:00-17:00 - UCT+3) The ability to understand and adapt to people’s mental models is a key objective for enabling natural, efficient, and successful human-robot interaction (HRI), in particular in human-centered scenarios where robots are expected to meet people’s social conventions. Theory of mind and mental models are largely investigated in human-computer interactions, however, it is still unclear what level of others’ mental states a robot should be aware of in order to communicate with people in a transparent and socially acceptable way. The ASIMOV workshop will constitute a unique opportunity to gather roboticists and computer scientists to discuss a variety of current and new approaches aiming at endowing social robots with learning abilities, enhancing cognitive and social abilities based on mutual understanding (i.e. shared Theory of Mind). Target Audience This workshop is intended as a forum for a broad audience, which spans social and assistive robotics, cognitive and behavioral robotics, and social awareness and explainability in HRI. The workshop should be a place to exchange opinions, discuss innovative ideas, and get hints and suggestions on ongoing research, therefore contributing to tackling unresolved issues. The proposed topic brings together researchers working on user behavior and intention detection, human-robot interaction, social and assistive robotics, control interfaces, learning, and ethical and safety issues in human-machine interaction, among others. A large scientific community is involved in such research fields. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: - Mental models in HRI - Human-aware perception-action loop - Emotion and intention recognition - Empathy and Theory of Mind in Robotics - Mutual affective understanding - Real-time monitoring of behavior and mental states - Detection of non-verbal behavioral cues - Online adaptive behavior - Acceptability and personalization - Physiological monitoring and biofeedback systems - BCI (brain-computer interfaces)-enabled adaptive interaction - Short- and Long-term personalization - Human partnership and trust in HRI - Explainable AI in HRI - Security and safety in HRI Submission We welcome prospective participants to submit either full papers (up to 6 pages) or extended abstracts (up to 2 pages). Papers can be on research that the authors would like to discuss during the workshop, especially encouraging papers on new ideas or research that the authors plan to conduct. Possible topics of the submissions will cover a wide view of the state of the art. Workshop papers must clearly indicate that they are part of ASIMOV workshop. All material collected during the Workshop: video, slides, papers, etc. upon approval of the authors, will be made available on the workshop website. Selected papers will be invited to submit an extended/revised version of the papers for a special issue in a recognized international journal. We will propose to either the International Journal of Social Robotics or Paladyn Journal of Behavioural Robotics or Journal of Healthcare Engineering or IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics. It is highly recommended to use the Springer LNCS/LNAI style for the layout. Detailed instructions for paper submission are available on the conference website (https://icsr23.qa/paper-submission/). LNCS style templates are available on the Springer LNCS website. Each paper will receive two reviews. Accepted papers require that at least one of the authors register for the workshop. All submitted papers will be reviewed by two reviewers. The abstracts of the accepted papers will appear on the workshop website. Authors will be able to submit a PDF copy through EasyChair <https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=asimov2023>. Invited Speakers - Prof. Agnieszka Wykowska, Italian Institute of Technology (Genoa, Italy) - Prof. Alessandro Di Nuovo, Sheffield Hallam University (UK) - Dr. Salvatore Anzalone, University of Paris 8 (Paris) Organising Committee - Mariacarla Staffa, University of Naples Parthenope (Italy), email: mariacarla.staffa(a)unipartenope.it - Alessandra Rossi, University of Napled Federico II (Italy), email: alessandra.rossi(a)unina.it - Antonio Andriella, Pal Robotics, Barcellona (Spain), email: antonio.andriella(a)pal-robotics.com - Maryam Alimardani, Tilburg University (The Netherlands), email: m.alimardani(a)tilburguniversity.edu - Lorenzo D'Errico, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II" email: lorenzo.derrico(a)unina.it

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[RoboCup-athome] First Call for Participation | RoboCup@Home 2024 (DSPL · OPL · SSPL)
by Sven Wachsmuth 23 Nov '23

23 Nov '23

Please remind the on-coming deadline at Nov. 27 2023! First Call for Participation RoboCup@Home 2024 (DSPL · OPL · SSPL) July 15 to 21, 2024 (Eindhoven, Netherlands) https://2024.robocup.org https://athome.robocup.org/ https://athome.robocup.org/2024-cfp1-all/ <https://athome.robocup.org/> https://github.com/RoboCupAtHome/RuleBook RoboCup is an international scientific initiative with the goal to advance the state of the art of intelligent robots through competitions (RoboCup@Home, RoboCup Soccer, RoboCup Rescue, RoboCup@Work and RoboCup Junior). The RoboCup@Home league aims to develop service and assistive robot technology with high relevance for future personal domestic applications. It is the largest international annual competition for autonomous service robots and is part of the RoboCup initiative. A set of benchmark tests is used to evaluate the robots’ abilities and performance in a realistic home environment setting. Focus lies on the following domains but is not limited to: Human-Robot-Interaction and Cooperation, Navigation and Mapping in dynamic environments, Computer Vision and Object Recognition under natural light conditions, Object Manipulation, Adaptive Behaviors, Behavior Integration, Ambient Intelligence, Standardization and System Integration. Important dates: Oct. 12, 2023 Publication of the Call for Participation Oct. 30, 2023 Deadline for submission of participation intention (optional). Nov. 27, 2023 Deadline for submission of qualification material (Team Description Paper, Team Video, Team Website). Jan. 08, 2024 Qualification announcement Jan. 29, 2024 Deadline for Participation Confirmation Further information is published in the Call for Participation: https://athome.robocup.org/2024-cfp1-all/ With kind regards, and looking forward to see your team in Eindhoven, The 2024 RoboCup@Home Organizing and Technical Committees

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[meetings][CFP] ICSR 2023: Adaptive Social Interaction based on user’s Mental mOdels and behaVior in HRI - ASIMOV Workshop
by Alessandra Rossi 22 Nov '23

22 Nov '23

ASIMOV Adaptive Social Interaction based on user’s Mental mOdels and behaVior in HRI the 15th International Conference on Social Robotics <http://www.colips.org/conferences/icsr2021/wp/> 03-07 December 2023, Doha (Qatar) Important Dates - Deadline for Paper Submission: November 26th, 2023 - Paper Acceptance Notification: November 30th, 2023 - Camera Ready Paper: December 1st, 2023 - Main Conference Date: December 3rd–7th, 2023 - Workshop Date: December 4th, 2023 (14:00-17:00 - UCT+3) The ability to understand and adapt to people’s mental models is a key objective for enabling natural, efficient, and successful human-robot interaction (HRI), in particular in human-centered scenarios where robots are expected to meet people’s social conventions. Theory of mind and mental models are largely investigated in human-computer interactions, however, it is still unclear what level of others’ mental states a robot should be aware of in order to communicate with people in a transparent and socially acceptable way. The ASIMOV workshop will constitute a unique opportunity to gather roboticists and computer scientists to discuss a variety of current and new approaches aiming at endowing social robots with learning abilities, enhancing cognitive and social abilities based on mutual understanding (i.e. shared Theory of Mind). Target Audience This workshop is intended as a forum for a broad audience, which spans social and assistive robotics, cognitive and behavioral robotics, and social awareness and explainability in HRI. The workshop should be a place to exchange opinions, discuss innovative ideas, and get hints and suggestions on ongoing research, therefore contributing to tackling unresolved issues. The proposed topic brings together researchers working on user behavior and intention detection, human-robot interaction, social and assistive robotics, control interfaces, learning, and ethical and safety issues in human-machine interaction, among others. A large scientific community is involved in such research fields. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: - Mental models in HRI - Human-aware perception-action loop - Emotion and intention recognition - Empathy and Theory of Mind in Robotics - Mutual affective understanding - Real-time monitoring of behavior and mental states - Detection of non-verbal behavioral cues - Online adaptive behavior - Acceptability and personalization - Physiological monitoring and biofeedback systems - BCI (brain-computer interfaces)-enabled adaptive interaction - Short- and Long-term personalization - Human partnership and trust in HRI - Explainable AI in HRI - Security and safety in HRI Submission We welcome prospective participants to submit either full papers (up to 6 pages) or extended abstracts (up to 2 pages). Papers can be on research that the authors would like to discuss during the workshop, especially encouraging papers on new ideas or research that the authors plan to conduct. Possible topics of the submissions will cover a wide view of the state of the art. Workshop papers must clearly indicate that they are part of ASIMOV workshop. All material collected during the Workshop: video, slides, papers, etc. upon approval of the authors, will be made available on the workshop website. Selected papers will be invited to submit an extended/revised version of the papers for a special issue in a recognized international journal. We will propose to either the International Journal of Social Robotics or Paladyn Journal of Behavioural Robotics or Journal of Healthcare Engineering or IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics. It is highly recommended to use the Springer LNCS/LNAI style for the layout. Detailed instructions for paper submission are available on the conference website (https://www.icsr2022.it/paper-submission/). LNCS style templates are available on the Springer LNCS website. Each paper will receive two reviews. Accepted papers require that at least one of the authors register for the workshop. All submitted papers will be reviewed by two reviewers. The abstracts of the accepted papers will appear on the workshop website. Authors will be able to submit a PDF copy through EasyChair <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=asimov2022>. Invited Speakers - Prof. Agnieszka Wykowska, Italian Institute of Technology (Genoa, Italy) - Prof. Alessandro Di Nuovo, Sheffield Hallam University (UK) - Dr. Salvatore Anzalone, University of Paris 8 (Paris) Organising Committee - Mariacarla Staffa, University of Naples Parthenope (Italy), email: mariacarla.staffa(a)unipartenope.it - Alessandra Rossi, University of Napled Federico II (Italy), email: alessandra.rossi(a)unina.it - Antonio Andriella, Pal Robotics, Barcellona (Spain), email: antonio.andriella(a)pal-robotics.com - Maryam Alimardani, Tilburg University (The Netherlands), email: m.alimardani(a)tilburguniversity.edu

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Call for Nominations: ACM/SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award
by Nicholas Mattei 20 Nov '23

20 Nov '23

[Apologies for Multiple Postings] Nominations are solicited for the 2024 ACM SIGAI Autonomous Agents Research Award. This award is made for excellence in research in the area of autonomous agents. It is intended to recognize researchers in autonomous agents whose current work is an important influence on the field. The award is an official ACM award, funded by an endowment created by ACM SIGAI from the proceeds of previous Autonomous Agents conferences. The recipient of the award will receive a monetary prize and a certificate, and will be invited to present a plenary talk at the AAMAS 2024 conference. How to Nominate Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations should be made by filling out the below google form, and should consist of a short (< 1 page) statement that emphasizes not only the research contributions that the individual has made that merit the award but also how the individual’s current work is an important influence on the field. NOTE: a candidate can only be considered for the award if they are explicitly nominated. If you believe that someone deserves the award, then NOMINATE THEM — don’t assume that somebody else will! For any questions please contact Manuela Veloso (Award Chair, mmv(a)cs.cmu.edu) or Nicholas Mattei (SIGAI Vice Chair, nsmattei(a)gmail.com). Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/Fg4StTpk85sNKmdt5 Important Dates - 15 December 2023 — Deadline for nominations - 30 January 2024 — Announcement of winner - 6 – 10 May 2024 — AAMAS-2024 conference in Auckland, New Zealand --Nick -- *Nicholas Mattei* Assistant Professor, Tulane University nsmattei(a)tulane.edu | www.nickmattei.net Stanley Thomas Hall | 305B +1 504 865 5782 Department of Computer Science Tulane University 6823 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

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[meetings][CFP][ICSR 2023] Call For Robot Design Competitions
by Alessandra Rossi 18 Nov '23

18 Nov '23

Dear colleagues, We are very pleased to invite you to participate in the Robot Design Competition at the 15th International Conference of Social Robotics (ICSR 2023 <https://icsr23.qa/>) that will be held in Doha, Qatar on December 4-7, 2023. Please find below the full call. -> https://icsr23.qa/competitions/ More information can also be found on the website and social media: website: https://icsr23.qa/ IG: @icsr23_qa Twitter: @icsr23_qa Facebook: @icsr2023 ICSR 2023 conference Kind regards, Alessandra Rossi Publicity Chair ******************* Apologies for cross-posting ******************** [image: image.png] *International Conference on Social Robotics* December 4-7, 2023, Doha, Qatar https://icsr23.qa IG: @icsr23_qa Twitter: @icsr23_qa Facebook: @icsr2023 ============================================================================== *IMPORTANT DATES* *Entry Submission: November 25, 2023* *Finalists Notification: November 30, 2023 * *Winner Announcement: December 7, 2023* The design and development of various kinds of robots, and their intelligence and behavior have been evolving continuously. The new era of robotics is witnessing the increasing release of new innovative robots with a diverse set of applications. Especially, the past few years have provided more recognition to robots and their importance in various domains of life. - How can robots be part of our life, enrich our life experience, assist, serve and entertain us? - Where is the new generation of these social robots heading? What are the innovative societal applications? What impact are they capable of making? - What are the key enabling technologies that are being improved? - How do we see greater involvement of useful robots in education, wellbeing, space, tourism, and various other sectors? *SUBMISSION* If you have a solid idea/working prototype, send your entries to the flagship Robot Design Competition, organized by ICSR 2023, which is now under the Global Robotics, Art, and Science Synergies (GRASS). We also encourage cross-disciplinary experts/teams to bring impactful solutions for the betterment of society. Each submission should have a (maximum) 2-page summary. The template is flexible; however, it should include a concise abstract/synopsis of a maximum of 50 words, and enough details to judge the technical novelty of the proposed solution and/or innovative applications of robots. A single link of related video can be included. Video link is optional, and the maximum duration of the video should be 3 minutes. Keep in mind it is not a scientific publication, but the description of a robotics innovation with potential to be developed as a project. Competition chairs, with the help from experts and reviewers, will select the finalists. Each finalist is supposed to register and present their entry at a dedicated session in the conference, which will be further evaluated by the Jury of peers. Email your submission at icsr23(a)qu.edu.qa with the subject line starting with: [ICSR 2023 Competition] *REWARDS AND AWARDS* Winners and runners-up in the following categories will be selected : *Innovative Idea*: The entries, which are innovative but are in the early stages of conceptualization will be considered for this category. *Innovative Solution*: The entries, which have demonstrated maturity of the proposed solution through prototypes will be considered for this category. *Innovative Application: *The entries, which have targeted specific applications through robotics solutions will be considered for this category. *Benefits to the finalists:* - Dedicated slot to present during the final round in the conference. - A unique opportunity to exhibit the entry during the conference in the exhibition areas, through looped video display. - Opportunity to have post-event mentorship through industry and academics experts. *Certificate and Prize:* For each category, the winners and runners-up will be awarded with certificates and prize money of USD 300 and USD 200 respectively. *COMPETITION CHAIR* Amit Kumar Pandey, Rovial Space, France

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Initial Call for Participation: The 2024 IEEE-RAS Response Robotics Seasonal School and Workshop
by Raymond Sheh 08 Nov '23

08 Nov '23

Hi All! We are delighted to announce our next Response Robotics Seasonal School and Workshop, to be held in March 2024! Please see below for the current Call for Participation and visit https://responserobotics.org for the latest updates. Please do forward this on to any interested students and researchers and don't hesitate to contact us, either via the mailing list or Discord server on the website, or via email to info(a)responserobotics.org if you have any questions. Cheers! - Raymond Sheh ======== Initial Call for Participation ======== The 2024 IEEE-RAS Response Robotics Seasonal School and Workshop March 4-7, 2024 Reveille Proving Grounds, Burnet, TX, USA and Online Co-located with the 2024 Texas Public Safety Robotics Summit https://responserobotics.org | info(a)responserobotics.org === Introduction: === The 2024 IEEE-RAS Response Robotics Seasonal School and Workshop (RRSS+W) is a 4-day-long immersive academic research event for undergraduate and graduate research students, mentors of high school research robotics teams, and early career researchers, on the challenges and best-in-class solutions for applied response robotics. It is financially sponsored by the IEEE-RAS and student travel support scholarships are available for IEEE-RAS students. It is co-located with the 2024 Texas Public Safety Robotics Summit (TXPS, https://www.txpsrobots.com/ ), a high profile industry event for responders, manufacturers, and government agencies. Attendees of the RRSS+W will have a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from the end users about how their technologies might be used, manufacturers on the challenges of transitioning technologies from the lab into the real world, and various regulatory bodies on the risk management and legal landscape within which these technologies must operate. === Format: === In-person and online participants in the RRSS+W will have the opportunity to participate in lectures and panel discussions on topics ranging from theoretical techniques to real world applications. In addition, in-person participants will have the opportunity to participate in: - Hands-on practical sessions that give attendees an in-depth opportunity learn about a specific topic. - Demonstration and test sessions that allow attendees to deploy their own robots within the test methods and scenarios, and observe other robots being tested. - A workshop poster session that allows attendees to present their work to other attendees as well as the attendees of the TXPS, including those who may have an interest in adopting these technologies. - Social events that promote networking between RRSS+W attendees as well as the rest of the response robotics ecosystem. === Topics: === This year will highlight three topics that have been identified as being of particular up-and-coming interest in the response robotics space. We are particularly soliciting the involvement of students who are interested in these topics. - Novel communication technologies for challenging response environments. - Integration of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (aka UAS, RPAS, or aerial drones) into response robotics applications. - Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Risk Management Challenges for the Response Robotics ecosystem. We are also encouraging students who are interested in broader response robotics topics to attend, including, but not limited to: - 3D mapping and indoor/outdoor navigation in unstructured environments. - Mobility in challenging terrain and among 3D obstacles. - Dexterous manipulation and inspection. - Transition of technologies into real world unstructured environments. - Novel sensors for response robotics. The RRSS+W will also host a roadmap discussion for the RoboCupRescue Robot League, with a focus on engaging with the end user community. We invite past, present, and prospective competitors to join us! === Venue: === The venue hosts both real world scenarios, complete with the uncertainty, weather, and communications challenges that it brings, as well as standard test methods that provide repeatable, reproducible, evaluations of robot capabilities that attendees can replicate in their own labs. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to observe robots of their interest performing in both the scenarios and the test methods, as well as bring their own robots to test and refine over the course of the event. Please check the website and join the mailing list for updates regarding accommodation and transportation arrangements. === Registration and Timelines: === The registration fee for in-person attendance is $300 and includes registration for the broader TXPS. As space is limited, registration is capped and competitive, based on a 1 page cover letter describing their research and how they see their developments assisting responders. Registration will be decided on a rolling basis and closes February 1st, 2024, or when the event reaches capacity so we advise prospective attendees to register early. IEEE-RAS students may use the same letter to apply for a limited number of competitive travel support scholarships that include the fee and a stipend. This is based on a sliding scale, with the goal of partially compensating for the higher travel cost incurred by students from more distant institutions. Travel support applications will be decided on a rolling basis and closes December 31st, 2023, or when all funds have been allocated. Registration details are still being finalized. We encourage interested attendees to email info(a)responserobotics.org with their expression of interest and cover letter. We will follow up when the registration details are finalized. Remote attendance of the lectures will be free of charge, dependent on connectivity. Join the mailing list or keep an eye on the website for details. === Contact: === See https://responserobotics.org for further details, and to join our mailing list and Discord server. Email info(a)responserobotics.org for any questions. -- Dr. Raymond Sheh Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Research Lead and Guest Researcher UAS Portfolio, Public Safety Communications Research Division Communications Technology Laboratory National Institute of Standards and Technology U.S. Department of Commerce 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8230, Gaithersburg MD 20899-8230, USA Adjunct Associate Research Scientist Whiting School of Engineering Johns Hopkins University Columbia MD, USA Trustee, RoboCup Federation

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[news][training] Robot Fleet Management with Open-RMF Training 2024
by Yuhong Lin 06 Nov '23

06 Nov '23

Call for Participation: Mastering Robot Fleet Management with Open-RMF Training (01/22-01/24, 2024) Dear Roboticists, We are thrilled to announce the 4th "Mastering Robot Fleet Management with Open-RMF Training," scheduled to take place online from January 22 to 24, 2024. Join us from anywhere in the world to learn and gain hands-on experience with Open-RMF. *Training Details:* - *Dates*: 22 – 24 January 2024 - *Location*: Live Online Classes + Remote Real Robot Practice - *Time*: 9:00 – 18:00 Central European Time (CET) - *Seats*: Limited to 15 participants - *Website*: https://www.theconstructsim.com/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-traini… <https://www.theconstructsim.com/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-traini…> *About the Training:* Join industry mentors for a 3-Day Live Training: Gain practical skills in configuring, deploying, and managing robot fleets with open-source software (Open-RMF), while learning how to apply it to your real multi-robot scenarios. *What You Will Learn:* - RMF basic structure - How to create a compliant RMF simulation - How to set up Free Fleet for autonomous mobile robots - How to set up basic tasks like Deliver, Clean, Patrol, and Charge - How to create your own custom fleet adapter to integrate API and ROS2 systems of your robot into RMF. - How to dock in RMF - How to clean with RMF - How to create a GUI for humans to interact with RMF *Training Highlights:* - Expert instruction from industry professionals - Hands-on experience with real robots - Interactive exercises with simulated robots - Practical application in a real multi-robot environment – Starbots Coffee Lab *Practical Sessions @ Starbots Coffee Lab:* Throughout the training, you will have the opportunity to apply your newfound knowledge in real-world scenarios at the Starbots Coffee Lab, a multi-robot system application. Learn more at https://www.theconstructsim.com/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-traini… <https://www.theconstructsim.com/robot-fleet-management-ros2-open-rmf-traini…> . For any inquiries regarding this training, please feel free to contact us at info(a)theconstructsim.com. Best regards, The Construct team

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Last call: 1 week left to apply for RCF-MathWorks Grants
by Luca Iocchi 02 Nov '23

02 Nov '23

Last call: RCF and MathWorks Support for Research Projects 2024 The RoboCup Federation (RCF) and MathWorks, a Global Sponsor of RoboCup, are pleased to announce this call for proposals to support research projects in RoboCup. RCF-MathWorks Support for Research Projects 2024 aims at funding robotics research projects that use MATLAB and Simulink software. The goal is to enable collaboration between RoboCup researchers and MathWorks engineers to foster progress of RoboCup and its leagues. For more info or clarification on the details of this call, please contact info(a)robocup.org <mailto:info@robocup.org> or roboticsarena(a)mathworks.com <mailto:roboticsarena@mathworks.com> Proposal Requirements Proposals in this category must meet *ALL* of the following requirements: 1. Work must be associated with one or more of the research topics listed below. 2. Work must primarily utilize MathWorks software such as MATLAB, Simulink, Stateflow, and other add-on products. Preference may be given if using one or more of the development methods listed below. 3. Project team will be assigned MathWorks contacts, and must arrange and participate in at least 3 progress check-in meetings with them during the course of the project. The team is encouraged to reach out to their MathWorks contacts whenever they have questions. 4. Final deliverables shall be posted publicly after review by MathWorks contacts. Research Topics 1. Navigation and Planning   a. Motion planning and collidion avoidance for manipulators and mobile Robots   b. Motion planning and collision avoidance for humanoid robots 2. Perception and Sensor Fusion   a. Object detection and tracking   b. Lidar and vision-based SLAM   c. Point cloud processing   d. Sensor fusion for pose estimation and localization 3. Control Systems   a. Control of humanoid robots   b. Hybrid systems and behavior   c. Multi-agent systems   d. Robot manipulation and grasping 4. Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)   a. Natural language processing   b. Signal and audio processing 5. Applied Learning-Based Techniques For any of the above topics (Navigation, Perception, Controls, HRI) Development Methods 1. Development tools   a. User interfaces and Web applications   b. Hardware initialization and calibration tools 2. Modeling and simulation   a. Model-based design of software components   b. Physical system simulation and design   c. Behavior modeling: finite-state machines, behavior trees, etc.   d. Multi-agent simulation 3. Embedded systems   a. Implementation to reduce memory, power consumption, etc.   b. Targeting microcontrollers, FPGAs, and GPUs   c. Real-time and hardware-in-the-loop simulation 4. Interfaces to standard platforms   a. Robots, e.g., Toyota, SoftBank, FESTO   b. Software frameworks, e.g., ROS   Support Support will be given as a gift between 5,000 and 10,000 USD depending on quantity and quality of accepted proposals in this category. Teams will be notified of the exact amount awarded upon their proposal being accepted. Funding will be provided directly by RCF after the RoboCup Symposium 2024 if the research and deliverables are completed in a satisfactory manner. Submission A single PDF file should be submitted through the easychair system https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rcfsupport2024 <https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rcfsupport2024>. under the Category: RCF and MathWorks Support for Research Projects 2024 The proposal (MAX 6 pages) must include: 1. description of the project, 2. motivations and goals, 3. intended use of MATLAB and/or Simulink software, 4. benefits for RoboCup and for the RoboCup League (not for a single or a few teams), 5. implementation plan and budget. Evaluation Application materials will be evaluated by a committee of RoboCup Trustees and MathWorks engineers. The evaluation of the proposals will be based on (i) the quality of the proposed research; (ii) the research contributions of the applicants, particularly in relation to RoboCup; (iii) the usage of MATLAB and/or Simulink software; and (iv) the impact of the proposed plan on the advancement and visibility of RoboCup. A limited number of awards is expected to be assigned. Deadlines Submission Deadline:   November 10th, 2023 Notification:   November 17th, 2023 Completion of the action: Preliminary work expected to be presented during the RoboCup 2024 Research Symposium, and official content publication by October 2024 Exceptions to this rule must be submitted for approval to the evaluation committee. ** For more information about the call for projects, please contact: info [at] robocup.org **

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Final Version of New Textbook Released: "Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning: Foundations and Modern Approaches" (MIT Press)
by Stefano V. Albrecht 01 Nov '23

01 Nov '23

Dear Colleagues, We're excited to announce that the final version of our new textbook has now been released! Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning: Foundations and Modern Approaches by Stefano V. Albrecht, Filippos Christianos, Lukas Schäfer published by MIT Press, print version scheduled for late 2024 Book website and free download: https://www.marl-book.com Twitter/X announcement: https://twitter.com/UoE_Agents/status/1719656257982804273 New lecture slides for the book will be released in Q1 2024. We hope the book will serve as a useful reference and introduction to the community. -- Dr. Stefano V. Albrecht Associate Professor, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh Head of Autonomous Agents Research Group (https://agents.inf.ed.ac.uk) Royal Society Industry Fellow, Five AI/Bosch (www.five.ai<http://www.five.ai>) Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellow, Dematic/KION (www.dematic.com<http://www.dematic.com>) The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. Is e buidheann carthannais a th’ ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, clàraichte an Alba, àireamh clàraidh SC005336.

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Call for Participation - RoboCup 2024 Soccer Simulation 2D League
by MROA 29 Oct '23

29 Oct '23

Call for Participation RoboCup 2024 Soccer Simulation 2D League July 15 – July 21, 2024 Eindhoven, Netherlands https://2024.robocup.org/ <https://2023.robocup.org/> ===================================== Greetings RoboCuppers, We invite you to participate in the RoboCup 2024 Soccer Simulation League 2D competition, which will take place *July 15 – July 21, 2024*, in *Eindhoven, Netherlands*. The RoboCup Soccer Simulation 2D League is one of the oldest RoboCup Soccer competitions. It is based on the RoboCup Soccer Simulator that enables two teams of 11 simulated autonomous robots plus an autonomous coach agent to play a soccer game with very realistic rules and gameplay. The RoboCup Soccer Simulator is an outstanding research and educational tool for multiagent systems, artificial intelligence, and machine learning due to its stability. ===================================== To view the full Call for Participation document, please visit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O02gc-9HZ3x95NnirHg45S3Z0uiZVIKwIKfXi1G… ===================================== If you are interested in participating, please pre-register your team and submit the required qualification materials. Pre-registration and Qualification Deadline: *February 1st – 23:59 UTC* - Submit information via *the online form* - It is recommended that you pre-register as soon as possible to ensure that you receive the latest update. - Submit* Information, TDP and Log Files *via the online form - https://forms.gle/hGe1gtnqpXrBtD8G8 Qualification Notification: *Feb 15th – 23:59 UTC* ===================================== If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at the address provided in the documentation. Best Regards, Omid Amini, Nader Zare RoboCup2024 Soccer Simulation 2D League Organizing Committee

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[News] Announcing the UT Campus Object Dataset (CODa)
by Joydeep Biswas 25 Oct '23

25 Oct '23

Dear Fellow Roboticists, We are thrilled to announce the release of the UT Campus Object Dataset (CODa) for egocentric perception on urban-scale autonomous mobile robots. CODa is the largest multiclass, multimodal urban mobile robotics dataset to date, with 1.3 million 3D bounding box annotations for 53 object classes, 204 million annotated points for 24 terrain classes, and globally consistent pseudo-ground truth poses. CODa contains 8.5 hours of multimodal sensor data: hardware synchronized high resolution 3D point clouds and stereo RGB cameras, RGB-D videos, and 9-DOF IMU data. We provide 58 minutes of ground-truth annotations containing 3D bounding box annotations with instance IDs, 3D semantic annotations for urban terrain, and globally consistent pseudo-ground truth localization. We repeatedly traverse geographic locations across weather conditions and times of the day. The CODa data collection routes include various types of environments including large indoor atriums, busy food courts, outdoor sidewalks, and mixed-traffic roads. The CODa release includes the labeled multimodal dataset, pretrained 3D object detection models, and dataset development kit. Project website: https://amrl.cs.utexas.edu/coda Paper preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.13549 Regards, Joydeep ---------------- Joydeep Biswas Associate Professor Department of Computer Science The University of Texas at Austin

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[jobs] Multiple Postdoc / Research Intern positions in social and assistive robotics open at PRISCA Lab - University of Naples Federico II (Italy)
by Alessandra Rossi 19 Oct '23

19 Oct '23

------------------------------------------ Apologies for cross-posting ------------------------------------------ Dear colleagues, At the University of Naples Federico II (Italy), we are looking for multiple Research Intern positions / Postdoc in human-robot interaction. Start date: January 2024, from 1 to 2 years Application deadline: November 17th, 2023 We are looking for exceptional and highly motivated candidates for multiple full-time fixed-term research positions to join the PRISCA lab at the University of Naples Federico II in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies. The researcher will focus on one or more of the following fields/topics: - AI for social robotics and assistive robotics - Personalisation in HRI - Legible, predictable and transparent robotics - Trust and Explainability in HRI - Theory of Mind in HRI Requirements: Applicants must have a PhD degree or equivalent research experience in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science or Engineering with a focus on Intelligent Systems, Intelligent Robotics, Machine Learning and Human-Robot Interaction. Applicants with a Master’s degree will be considered in case they have 1 or more years of experience in the field. The candidates must be capable of designing and conducting human-robot studies; experience with both qualitative and quantitative methods; attitude to problem-solving; be strongly motivated for team working; very good scientific writing and presentation skills; strong background in programming with different languages (including C/C++, Python). Preferred Qualifications: strong background in programming and developing applications for robots, collecting and analysing data, conducting literature reviews and scientific track record, writing up academic publications; experience with the robotic frameworks ROS; strong experience with different robots (humanoid and non-humanoid); background in computer vision, machine learning, neural networks, personalisation applied to robotics. Application: Send your complete application documents to silvia.rossi(a)unina.it : - A 2-page motivation letter including a description of previous research experience (1page) and current research interest, outlining the fit for the position, - A full curriculum vitae with details about where you resided or carried out your main activity [work, studies, etc.], - Copies of degree certificate[s], including transcripts of grades obtained for B.Sc., M.Sc. and PhD degrees. In case, PhD is to be completed before the deadline of this application, please provide expected final grade and completion date, - Names and email contacts for two referees who would be willing to write a letter of support for your application, - List of publications (if any), - Any English language and other relevant certificates. Shortlisted candidate will be invited for an interview in November/December 2023. The successful candidate will be working in Naples, Italy. Naples (Italian: Napoli) is the third-largest city in Italy and is the capital of the Campania region. World-known for its rich history, art, culture, architecture, music, and gastronomy, Naples is a lively, exciting and bustling city situated on the southwest coast in a gorgeous gulf, and is surrounded by attractive tourist and archaeological sites such as Capri, Ischia, Amalfi Coast, Pompei, Ercolano, Mount Vesuvius. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naples for further information. For more details on the project, please email Prof. Silvia Rossi at silvia.rossi(a)unina.it. Info about the PRISCA lab can be found on the lab website https://prisca.unina.it best regards Alessandra

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[meetings][CFP][ICSR 2023] 2ND CALL FOR WORKSHOPS AND TUTORIALS PROPOSALS: DEADLINE EXTENSION
by Patrick Holthaus 14 Oct '23

14 Oct '23

******************** Apologies for cross-posting ******************** [cid:13549180221170620198@KDE] International Conference on Social Robotics December 4-7, 2023, Doha, Qatar https://icsr23.qa<https://icsr23.qa> IG: @icsr23_qa Twitter/X: @icsr23_qa Facebook: @icsr2023 ============================================================ *** 2ND ALL FOR WORKSHOPS AND TUTORIALS: DEADLINE EXTENSION *** https://icsr23.qa/workshop-proposals/ The ICSR 2023 Organising Committee invites proposals for Workshops and Tutorials to be held during the 15th International Conference of Social Robotics in Doha, Qatar, from 4 to 7 December 2023. The ICSR conference is a leading forum where state-of-the-art innovative results, the latest developments and future perspectives relating to robot and human interactions are presented and discussed. The conference welcomes original contributions describing technically rigorous scientific and research advances in the area of social robotics and AI: innovative ideas and concepts, new discoveries and improvements, novel applications of the latest fundamental advances in the core technologies that form the backbone of social robotics and distinguished studies and projects pertaining social robotics and its interaction and impact in our society. The theme of this year’s conference is “Human-Robot Collaboration: Sea, Air, Land, Space and Cyberspace”. The theme emphasizes on all physical and cyber-physical domains where humans and robots collaborate. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINES Deadline: October 13, 2023 extended to October 31, 2023 WORKSHOPS/TUTORIALS PROPOSALS Participants are invited to hold workshops on topics relevant to social robotics. We particularly welcome creative, innovative and interactive workshop formats that focus on areas of active research to generate significant discussion and exchange of ideas between participants, as well as interactions between established experts and early-career researchers. We encourage state-of-the-art programs with high levels of interest, impact, creativity and innovation that will attract a broad and active audience. Workshops focusing on academia-industry partnership and technology transfer of robotics research are also welcome, with the aim of making connections to fields outside of robotics and/or connecting academia to industry. Organisers of approved workshops and tutorials will be asked to create and maintain a dedicated webpage, which will be used to promote the workshop/tutorial and disseminate relevant and updated information. Proposals should include the following information: ● Title ● Workshop duration: indicate full or half-day ● Workshop format: online, hybrid, or on-site, and tutorial or workshop ● Organisers: name, affiliation and email of the members of your committee ● Workshop description and objectives: concise description of the content and objectives of the workshop/tutorial ● Intended audience and Plan to solicit participation: describe the intended workshop/tutorial audience, how you plan to solicit participation: (i) ahead of the workshop/tutorial to generate submission and (ii) within the workshop/tutorial in encouraging discussions and exchanges between participants ● List of topics: a bullet list of the topics of interest that will be covered by the workshop/tutorial ● List of invited speakers: list of any invited speakers (if applicable) ● Additional information: any relevant information that could not be captured by the previous sections (e.g. previous workshop organisation) The primary criteria in the evaluation of workshop and tutorial proposals will be the timeliness of the topics, the quality, track record, anticipated level of interest, impact, novelty or creativity, and technical background of the presenters. Submissions should be PDF documents of no more than 3 pages, and they should be sent by email to icsr23(a)qu.edu.qa<mailto:icsr23@qu.edu.qa> FUNDING PROGRAMS FOR COLLABORATION The ICSR Workshops and Tutorials are ideal venues for attendees to discuss and exchange ideas that can result into proposals that can be submitted to the programs of Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council for potential funding. Here are some of QRDI’s programs. QATAR OPEN INNOVATION The Qatar Open Innovation (QOI) program connects strategic entities within Qatar (Opportunity Owners), such as government agencies and large local enterprises with a global pool of innovators and technical experts. Innovators stand to obtain funding of up to USD 100,000 to develop, pilot and test their prototypes in collaboration with a strategic entity in Qatar. Through the program, innovators also gain access to new markets, and can obtain support in establishing their business in Qatar or forming official partnerships to help launch or expand their ventures. More details here: https://connect.qrdi.org.qa/innovation/p<https://connect.qrdi.org.qa/innovation/p> ACADEMIC RESEARCH GRANTS ARG is designed to support investigator-led R&D aimed at generating new knowledge and furthering scientific understanding in topics broadly aligned with any of the national RDI priority areas available at (link<https://qrdi.org.qa/en-us/QRDI2030#National-Priorities>). Furthermore, it aims to enhance Qatar’s reputation and contributions to the global stock of knowledge and contribute to the enhancement of capabilities of the research talent pool. Awarded funding budgets are QAR 900,000 (USD 246,561) per year, for up to 3 years. At least 80% of the total annual budget and 65% of the effort should be expended inside Qatar. Best Regards Patrick -- Dr Patrick Holthaus https://patrick.holthaus.info Senior Research Fellow Robotics Research Group School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science University of Hertfordshire UH Robot House Manager https://robothouse.herts.ac.uk I choose to work flexibly and my work day may look different than your work day. Please do not feel obligated to respond outside of your normal working hours.

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