Conference Program Overview
RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition is a multifaceted educational forum and trade show dedicated to addressing the technical issues involved with the design and development of commercial robotic products.
The RoboDevelopment Conference Program consists of four distinct tracks (described below) jam-packed with valuable educational sessions designed to impart technical professionals with the information they need to develop the next generation of personal, service and mobile robots.
>>Click here to view the CONFERENCE SESSIONS.
>>Click here to view the CONFERENCE AGENDA.
RoboDevelopment Conference Tracks
Systems, Design and Development Track
How can diverse, specialized robotic structures and subfunctions be integrated to optimize overall system function and achieve maximum compatibility of the parts? What functionality requirements and design issues must be addressed when producing commercial robotics products?
The RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition differs from academic and hobbyist events in that it focuses
on the design and development of ¬commercial robotic systems. Commercial viability adds additional burdens for the robotics developer… the resultant systems must be innovative, robust in the extreme, work as advertised and yet be inexpensive. It is clear that success for such an endeavor requires a thorough understanding of systems, systems engineering, design goals (and the clear delineation of such), a rigorous development process and an adherence to both de jure and de facto standards whenever possible.
Topics covered in the Systems, Design and Development Track include:
- Systems and Systems Engineering Topics:
> Multi-Robot Systems
> Tool, Effector and Manipulator Systems
> Robot Types and Form Factors
> Power Systems
> Mobility Systems
> Control Systems and Control Architectures and Sensing Systems - Design and Development Topics:
> The Robotics Engineering Design Process
> Prototyping, Simulation and Testing
> Human/Machine Interfaces
> Standards for the Development of Robotic Systems
> Systems Engineering
> Manufacturing, Fabrication and Outsourcing Options and Machine Learning
Tools & Platforms Track
What is the state of the art in design and development solutions for the production of robots and robotic technology? What languages and operating systems, as well as hardware and software platforms, should be utilized to optimize the design and development process, as well as deliver a robust commercial product?
The development of robots and robotic technology requires the mastery of multiple disciplines – primarily software development, mechanical and electrical engineering. Robotics development is made even more difficult as it is limited by embedded and real-time constraints. But real-time concerns are only the beginning, especially as robots and robotic technology become more prevalent in the home, the workplace, in public places and on the battlefield. The next generation of robots and robotic devices must also be integrated with other systems in their environment. Solution providers have responded to these difficulties by providing a whole host of robotics design and development tools, as well as ready-made robotic ‘platforms’, that dramatically simplify the job of designing, developing, testing and manufacturing robots and robotic products.
Topics covered in the Tools and Platforms Track include:
- CAD/CAM Tools For Robotics Development
- Simulation and Testing Tools
- Materials and Frames
- Software Development Kits and Modeling Tools
- Bases, Frames and Platforms for Professional Development
- Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, MTOS, VxWorks, QNX, Others
- Robotics Kits and Component Suppliers
- PC Bots and Mini-ITX Solutions
- COTS Solutions for Robotics
- Languages, Libraries and Open Source Solutions
Enabling Technology Track
What are the latest developments and newest products among enabling robotics technology? What emergent technology is coming out of the lab and into the open market that could assist in the development of robotics systems?
Although robotics technology in the various types of commercial, consumer and military robotics systems can differ radically from each other, their areas of
commonality greatly outnumber their differences. That is, enabling technologies suitable for one particular class of products are appropriate and applicable for other types of intelligent, mobile robotics products as well.
Sessions in the Enabling Technology Track will cover the latest advances in the ‘core’ technology that are common to most classes of mobile robots and intelligent systems:
- Actuators – Motors, Gears, Hydraulic and Pneumatic Cylinders, Muscle Wire
- Drive Trains - DC Motors, Servo Motors and Stepper Motors
- Locomotion - Wheeled, Tracked and Legged Systems
- Sensors and Sensing Solutions
- Controllers and Microcontrollers
- Semiconductors and Microcomputers
- Batteries and Power Systems
- Drive Systems
- Communication Solutions
- Manipulators and End Effectors
- Emerging Technology
Achieving Autonomy Track
What is required for robots to navigate with minimal human intervention and be able to detect anomalies and deal with them effectively? How can robots be designed to manage their limited resources, including power and computation, and use them in an efficient manner?
Although the appearance and capabilities of robots can vary greatly, by definition all robots can sense their environment and can also manipulate or interact with objects within it. What differentiates the various types robots and robotic technologies is the degree of autonomy that they exhibit such as:
- Teleoperation - Dedicated, continuous remote operation without exception handling. Human operator makes all decisions.
- Teleoperation w/Exception Handling - Continuous remote operation with exception notification when problems occur (‘wheels spinning, unable to proceed’).
- ‘Directed’ Autonomy - Systems directed to ‘go there’ and ‘go there next’ with minimal, non-continuous, direct control. Operator guidance provided when problems arise.
- Autonomy w/Oversight - Systems ‘go there’ with no direct, continuous control by human operators making path following decisions by themselves.
- Autonomous Operation - Complete autonomy, problem resolution and correction capability (‘go there, perform this task and return’).
Sessions in the Achieving Autonomy Track will cover the latest advances in the ‘core’ technology that are common to most classes of mobile robots and intelligent systems:
- Localization, Navigation and Mapping
- Data Acquisition and Sensor Fusion
- Robot Learning
- Robot Telesupervision
- Real-Time Image Processing
- Motion Planning and Scheduling
- Obstacle Avoidance and Path Planning
- Map Building
- Power Autonomy
>>Click here to view the CONFERENCE SESSIONS.
>>Click here to view the CONFERENCE AGENDA.