Connectionists: [meetings] CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: ICRA'17 Full-Day Workshop on The Robotic Sense of Touch: From Sensing to Understanding

[Sophon SOMLOR]

Dear Colleagues,


We are calling for participation on our ICRA 2017 workshop on "*The Robotic
Sense of Touch: From Sensing to Understanding*"


When: ***May 29, 8:30 – 17:00***

Where: ***Room 4613/4713***, Level 4, Sands Expo and Convention Centre

Program: https://roboticsenseoftouchws.wordpress.com/program/


This workshop aims to bring together experts in the fields of tactile
sensor design, tactile data analysis, machine learning and cognitive
modeling to share their knowledge, through a mix of oral presentations,
round-table discussions, poster sessions and live demonstrations.


Abstract:

This workshop (https://roboticsenseoftouchws.wordpress.com) focuses on the
development of novel tactile sensors (i.e. the bodyware) and how they
can contribute to robot intelligence (i.e. the mindware). Robots need touch
to interact with the surroundings (humans and/or objects) safely and
effectively, to learn about the outside world and to develop
self-awareness. To achieve these goals, the artificial skin of the next
generation should measure temperature, vibration, proximity and the
complete force vectors on multiple contact points; also, it should be both
soft and robust to facilitate long-term interactions. Still, major
challenges are posed by the need to analyze and interpret massive amounts
of data in a fast and accurate way, and to combine such sensing information
with other cognitive and perceptual processes to achieve real
understanding. While advanced computational techniques (e.g. deep learning,
Bayesian inference) can critically improve data representations,
bio-inspired strategies for multimodal integration, prediction and
reasoning seem to be necessary as well to revolutionize the robotic sense
of touch. Therefore, the goal of this workshop is to discuss if and how the
recent advancements in tactile technology and data analysis have been
accompanied by an increased understanding of the ways in which tactile
perception can support robot autonomy and cognition.


Content:

Part of human intelligence comes from using the sense of touch to explore
the own-body and learn about the world. Similarly, a humanoid robot can use
tactile sensing to learn about itself and its surroundings, and to improve
its ability in interacting with humans and objects. Indeed, there has been
a remarkable progress in tactile sensors for robotics. Several robotic
platforms and hands are equipped with sensors which allow measuring
pressure, proximity and temperature; also, novel technologies (soft, small,
distributed, stretchable sensors) can be used to cover the entire body of a
humanoid. These sensors can allow robots to actively explore objects and
extract information which is hidden or difficult to extract from vision,
like texture, material and weight; however, this requires the development
of appropriate learning strategies which incorporate explorative behaviors,
signal processing and machine learning.


***Invited Speakers***:

Gordon Cheng, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Jurgen Kosel, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi
Arabia

Katherine J. Kuchenbecker, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems,
Germany, and University of Pennsylvania, USA

Helge Wurdemunn, University College London, United Kingdom

Kaiyu Hang, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

Lorenzo Natale, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Italy

Lorenzo Jamone, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom

Alexander Schmitz and Sophon Somlor, Waseda University, Japan


Organizers:

Sophon Somlor (contact person), Waseda University

Alexander Schmitz, Waseda University

Lorenzo Jamone, The Queen Mary University of London

Lorenzo Natale, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

Gordon Cheng, Technical University of Munich


***URL***

https://roboticsenseoftouchws.wordpress.com/


Looking forward to see you in Singapore!


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Dr. Sophon Somlor
Junior Researcher
Top Global University Project
Unit for Frontier of Embodiment Informatics：ICT and Robotics
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Waseda University

早稲田大学 理工学術院
スーパーグローバル大学創生支援
ICT・ロボット工学拠点
次席研究員
ソムロア ソフォン
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