Keynote Presentations Announced!
The following keynote speakers have been confirmed for the 2008 conference program. Additional presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.
SEBASTIAN THRUN
Winner of DARPA's Grand Challenge!
Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Director, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Stanford University
"Making Cars Drive Themselves"
This inspirational keynote address will focus on the fascinating world of robotics cars. Thrun will present Stanford's research on the basic artificial intelligence behind this new emerging technology. Attendees will gain an understanding of the inner workings of these robots and the impact that self-driving cars will have on society once the technology is sufficiently matured.
Click here for more information on this keynote presentation.
MAJA J. MATARIC
Founding Director
USC Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems
Director
USC Robotics Research Lab
Robots Among Us? -- Inventing the Future of Socially Assistive Robotics
As robots are moving from factories and labs into hospitals, schools, and homes, socially assistive robotics technology has the potential to meet major societal needs and revolutionize the way we live. This session will discuss the vision, challenges, state-of-the-art, and directions for socially assistive robotics as a major emerging robotics trend.
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JEANNE DIETSCH
CEO
MobileRobots Inc
"Opportunities at the Uptick"
Technology watchers have been holding their breath in anticipation of the moment when robots morph from toddling prototypes into robust products. That moment is now! This keynote address will present the various strategies that technical professionals, key participants in the birth of the autonomous service robot industry, can employ to optimize robotics opportunities and avoid potential pitfalls.
Click here for more information on this keynote presentation.