Events

Feb 27 - Mar 6, 2022

Nawaf Alotaibi: Vision Approach for Position Estimation Using Moiré Patterns and Convolutional Neural Networks

Nawaf Alotaibi , M.S. Student, Mechanical Engineering

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

B19 H1

Poster Sessions

Abstract In order for a robot to operate autonomously in an environment, it must be able to locate itself within it. A robot’s position and orientation cannot be directly measured by physical sensors, so estimating it is a non-trivial problem. There are sensors that provide this information, such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Motion capture (Mo-cap). Nevertheless, these sensors are expensive to set up, or they are not useful in environments where autonomous vehicles are often deployed. Our proposal utilizes one vision sensor and a fiducial Moiré marker to estimate the
Arman Ibrayeva: Walking Robot with decoupled motion. Optimal design and synthesis

Arman Ibrayeva, Ph.D. Student, Mechanical Engineering

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Walking Robot with decoupled motion. Optimal design and synthesis Abstract Legged machines that can adapt to off-road conditions have a number of advantages over traditional wheeled and tracked vehicles. In particular, they cause the least damage to the soil, in comparison with other vehicles, due to the discrete track on the ground, what make them beneficial in agricultural application. Meanwhile, attaining to increase productivity of agricultural machines leads to increase of machine weight that cause increased soil pressure and unfavorable conditions for plant growth. However, many of
Yasmine Marani: How can drones develop sea-legs in a moving environment?

Yasmine Marani, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

How can drones develop sea-legs in a moving environment? Abstract As surprising as it seems, drones and mobile robots in general experience sea-sickness when put in a moving environment. Several examples of robotic sea-sickness go from the simple case of operating a robot on a moving platform, such as a truck to operating a robot inside an airplane, or even a spacecraft. For the specific case of drones, two famous examples come to mind: flying a drone inside an elevator, and flying a drone inside a boat for surveillance purposes. The fate of drones experiencing sea-sickness is still uncertain
Joori Bin Jardan: QuPWM: Quantization-Based Position Weight Matrix Feature Extraction Method for Epileptic Spikes Detection

Joori Bin Jardan, SRSI, CEMSE, KAUST, KSA

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

QuPWM: Quantization-Based Position Weight Matrix Feature Extraction Method for Epileptic Spikes Detection Abstract Globally, epilepsy is one of the major neurological disorders. According to World Health Organization, it is estimated that approximately 70% of people who suffer epilepsy could live seizure-free life if it was diagnosed and treated properly. After an epileptic seizure, an abnormal neuronal discharge that originates from one or more cranial lobes happens in the brain known as inter-ictal spiking. Often, this abnormal activity interferes with the affected lobe’s normal activity
Renzo Caballero: Experiments in Robotic Self-Repair

Renzo Caballero, Ph.D. Student, Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Experiments in Robotic Self-Repair To register for in-person participation fill in the form. Abstract We observe an experiment for self-repair in robots that can fabricate their own parts. A challenge emerges when imperfections or degradations in the robot impact its ability to fabricate ideal components to guarantee self-repair. In the proposed experiment, we start with a defective or degraded component. We do not fabricate an ideal part initially, but only after a sequence of increasing-in-quality parts. We construct and validate two mathematical models to describe the experiment and match
Brian Parrott: Constructing the Future: Intelligent, Building-Scale Additive Manufacturing

Brian Parrott, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Constructing the Future: Intelligent, Building-Scale Additive Manufacturing Abstract The building and construction sector is far less automated and mechanized than most industries. While the unstructured environment and lack of assembly-line repeatability provide some justification for the sector’s historical reliance on skilled laborers, advancements in robotics, especially in additive manufacturing technologies, are enabling breakthroughs that may enable high-quality, low-cost and customizable construction using intelligent, building-scale additive manufacturing systems. However, current
Dr. Hussein Nesser: RFID Sensing Method Using Signal Crack Capacitor For Untethered Soft Robotic

Hussein Nesser, Mechanics of Composites for Energy and Mobility Laboratory, PSE, KAUST, KSA

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

RFID Sensing Method Using Signal Crack Capacitor For Untethered Soft Robotic Abstract Due to their softness, soft robots are inherently safe and adapt well to unstructured environments. However, they can be prone to various damage types. Therefore, Soft robots require soft, stretchable, and conformable sensors to preserve their adaptivity and safety. Soft sensors can help a soft robot perceive and act upon its immediate environment. The concept of integrating sensing capabilities into soft robotic systems is becoming increasingly important. One challenge is that most of the existing soft
Dr. Jun Chen: The semantic PHD filter for multi-class target tracking

Jun Chen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

The semantic PHD filter for multi-class target tracking Abstract In order for a mobile robot to be able to effectively operate in complex, dynamic environments it must be capable of understanding both where and what the objects around them are. In this paper we introduce the semantic probability hypothesis density (SPHD) filter, which allows robots to simultaneously track multiple classes of targets despite measurement uncertainty, including false positive detections, false negative detections, measurement noise, and target misclassification. The SPHD filter is capable of incorporating a
Abdullah Alghamdi: Advanced SIRD model for predicting epidemic propagation

Abdullah Alghamdi, CEMSE, KAUST, KSA

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Advanced SIRD model for predicting epidemic propagation Abstract The sudden outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has created a public health crisis and impacted the world economy. We could contain the virus and have a low virus death rate if the cases were less than the capacity of hospitals. Hence, the forecast of the virus evolution is crucial. However, tackling the spread of this virus is very challenging. This has increased the interest in mathematical models that help health officials and governments implement measures that mitigate the spread of COVID-19. One well-known model
Salman Ghori: Onboard Software Based on High Reliability Coding Standards for AstroBio 3U CUBESAT (ABCS) Mission

Salman Sarfaraz Ghori, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Onboard Software Based on High Reliability Coding Standards for AstroBio 3U CUBESAT (ABCS) Mission Abstract The work focuses on the development and testing of firmware for the onboard computer of AstroBio CubeSat, a satellite that will be put into orbit on the occasion of the inaugural flight of the Vega-C launcher. This satellite will be used to validate new lab-on-chip technologies for the automatic execution of experiments in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry and biology. The particular orbit envisaged for the inaugural mission of Vega-C, characterized by a particularly high dose of
Zainab Khan: 3D Printing and Robotics for Coral Restoration

Zainab Khan, Laboratory for Nanomedicine, KAUST

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

3D Printing and Robotics for Coral Restoration Abstract The fields of robotics and additive manufacturing are rapidly converging to reach new heights in several industries, including construction, automation and large-scale manufacturing. Given the added degrees-of-freedom in robotic arms, combined with the automated production of 3D printing, many applications can emerge with hybrid technologies for quicker, more accurate results. Tapping into this new niche, this research aims to merge the technologies of 3D printing and robotics for coral restoration. Coral reef degradation is a key area of
Abdulrahman Fayoumi: Meta-Active-Learning For Imbalanced Data Classification

Abdulrahman Fayoumi, SRSI, CBRC, CEMSE, KAUST, KSA

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Meta-Active-Learning For Imbalanced Data Classification Abstract Classification algorithms are known to perform poorly when training with imbalanced datasets. We propose a learning approach that utilizes active learning and meta-learning to overcome the class imbalance problem. While the standard active learning approach for classification with imbalanced data works by iteratively (a) undersampling through selecting the most informative samples of the majority class or classes and (b) training with a more balanced dataset, our meta-active-learning approach does this while also accounting for
Bilal Maassarani: The TetraDart: A Modular Fractal VTOL UAS

Bilal Maassarani, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

The TetraDart: A Modular Fractal VTOL UAS Abstract We introduce the TetraheDrone, a hover-capable module in the shape of a tetrahedron that can be assembled in larger tetrahedral configurations and can transition to winged flight. Inspired by earlier designs by Alexander Graham Bell, the TetraheDrone can become a large vehicle while keeping an inherent ability for easy transportation, either via its own means or in a cargo bay. Brief Biography Bilal Maassarani is a PhD student supervised by Professor Eric Feron (previously by Professor Jeff Shamma). He received his Masters degree in Electrical
Khouzama Bin Jardan: Neural Network-based Carotid-to-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Estimation Using PPG Signal

Khouzama Bin Jardan, SRSI, CEMSE, KAUST, KSA

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Neural Network-based Carotid-to-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Estimation Using PPG Signal Abstract The number of annual mortalities have been significantly increasing, with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) accounting for third of them globally and becoming the leading cause of this phenomenon. Early Diagnosis of CVDs offers early intervention and consequently death prevention. Therefore, developing fast, accurate, and easily accessible diagnostic techniques is essential. For determining CVDs onset and development, several cardiovascular clinical features are utilized. The increment in arterial
Obadah Wali: Tetracopter: a modular fractal drone

Obadah Wali, Ph.D. Student, Physical Science and Engineering

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Tetracopter: a modular fractal drone Abstract A Tetracopter is a fractal modular drone. A characteristic of fractals is to have a geometry that can be assembled to generate the same geometry with larger scale. To achieve this feature in drones a tetrahedron geometry has been used, where a tetrahedron shape is a three side facets pyramid. The advantage of this drone structure is to have modular drones that have an assembly in vertical direction, which will increase the rigidity of the structure, as well as to reduce the wake interaction of the elevated propellers in the assembly. This work
Faisal Almulla: Forecasting Indoor Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Concentrations via Exponential Smoothing Approach

Faisal Almulla, SRSI, CEMSE, KAUST, KSA

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Forecasting indoor particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations via exponential smoothing approach Abstract Particulate matter (PM2.5), is among the most harmful pollutants that negatively affect human health. It has been linked to various respiratory and cardiovascular problems such as coughing, aggravated asthma, strokes, heart failure, and irritation of the airways. Forecasting indoor PM2.5 concentrations is essential to achieve acceptable indoor air quality. In this study, exponential smoothing (ES)-based forecasting approach has been employed for the prediction of indoor PM2.5 concentrations
Alexander Valle-Perez: Robotic-Assisted Organ Bioprinting

Alexander Valle-Perez, Laboratory for Nanomedicine, BESE, KAUST, KSA

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Robotic-Assisted Organ Bioprinting Abstract Advances in robotics have enabled the development of novel applications for pressing societal demands, in particular, the combination of robotics and biology, which has resulted in interesting newly developed techniques. For instance, organ bioprinting is on the forefront of health-related applications. This technology aims to reconstruct biological tissues by depositing cells on scaffolds through bioinks. In our research, we used an in-house developed robotic-assisted bioprinter to deposit stem cells, aiming to reconstruct human tissue. Initially
Yi-Hsuan Chen: Control Design for Reduced-G Atmospheric Flights

Yi-Hsuan Chen, M.S. Student, Mechanical Engineering

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Poster Session

Control Design for Reduced-G Atmospheric Flights Abstract This work presents a longitudinal flight control algorithm to direct the aircraft to achieve microgravity through parabolic flight. The proposed control strategy makes an aircraft follow the desired trajectory by eliminating the local position errors between aircraft and proof mass. As an aircraft flies along the parabolic trajectories, it will be in a free-fall stage, thus causing the sensation of weightlessness. Moreover, triple-integral control is developed to reject the unknown, quadratically increasing aerodynamic drag. The
Sohailh Marie: Underwater turbulence on scintillating-fiber based omnidirectional underwater wireless optical communication system

Sohailh Marie, SRSI, CEMSE, KAUST, KSA

Mar 1, 17:00 - 19:00

KAUST Library

Poster Sessions

Underwater turbulence on scintillating-fiber based omnidirectional underwater wireless optical communication system Abstract The underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) technology is vastly developing due to its advantages of high bandwidth, large capacity, and low latency. However, the complex underwater channel characteristics and strict requirements on pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) systems reduce the performance of UWOC. A large-area scintillating-fiber-based UWOC system is proposed to solve the PAT issue while offering high-speed, omnidirectional data detection over
Dr. Hariri: Smart Dust Mitigation Solutions for PV Systems

Prof. Nasir Hariri: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, KSA

Mar 1, 15:45 - 16:15

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

Smart Dust Mitigation Solutions for PV Systems Abstract Dust accumulations on PV surfaces remain a critical issue for the overall performance of these solar applications. Cleaning methods such as automatic robots provide effective solutions to overcome this issue. In this talk, developments of two methods in the form of the low-cost automatic robot as well as self-driven PV cleaning systems are presented. Biography Nasir Hariri is an assistant professor and Chair of the mechanical and energy engineering department at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU). Nasir obtained his Ph.D. degree
Ahmed Daoud: Heritage Next: Robotics & AI in Heritage

Ahmed Daoud, Director, Innovation Futures, Royal Commission for AlUla, KSA

Mar 1, 15:15 - 15:45

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

Heritage Next: Robotics & AI in Heritage Abstract In an industry that has stagnated for generations, we are identifying a multitude of ways to bring delight, personalization, and deeper empathy into the heritage guest experience by using Robotics, AI, and mixed reality. At AlUla, we are faced with a plethora of challenges that traditional methods cannot solve. How do we make our destination guest-friendly and accessible while having our heritage sites spread out over a large expanse of space? How can we differentiate ourselves as a leading heritage destination globally, when we are very new to
Dr. Mohanad Al Shaikh, Chief Executive Officer Al Salem Johnson Controls, KSA

Dr. Mohanad Al Shaikh, Chief Executive OfficerAl Salem Johnson Controls, KSA

Mar 1, 14:30 - 15:00

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

Biography Named CEO of ASJC in 2014, Mohanad has been overseeing all operations in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen. Previously, he held the role of Director of Operations in 2010 where he was responsible for the Company’s day-to-day operations, including recruitment, IT, strategy, marketing and customer relationships. Since becoming the CEO, Mohanad has been driving the Company’s geographical expansion to include Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen, with more countries to come. He also expanded the product offerings to not only include HVAC products but also fire and security systems, building
Dr. Julian Turner, CEO, Westfield Technology Group, UK

Dr. Julian Turner, CEO, Westfield Technology Group, UK

Mar 1, 14:00 - 14:30

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

Brief Biography Julian Turner is the CEO of Westfield Technology Group – Consisting of Westfield Sportscars, Westfield Autonomous Vehicles and the National Engineering Academy. He joined Westfield in 2006 as MD after previously working, and living, around the globe for The Boeing Company (Seattle), BAE Systems (Airbus), Mott MacDonald Engineering Consultancy, Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), Emirates (Dubai), SRTechnics, Aero Inventory and British Midland. Julian has been involved in the Acquisition, Risk Management and Integration of a number of companies in both the Global Aviation and Automotive
Prof. Hauser, Prof Park: Coral 3D Printing

Shinkyu Park, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mar 1, 13:45 - 14:00

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

Coral 3D Printing Abstract Coral reef degradation has been a major threat to our marine ecosystem. As a remedy to this rising issue, through the collaboration between RISC Lab and the Laboratory for Nanomedicine at KAUST, an innovative solution for coral reef restoration combining robotics and bioprinting technologies is being developed. The key concepts, system development, and demonstration of an earlier iteration of our system will be presented and how the new solution improves the restoration capacity in terms of scale, effectiveness, and cost-efficiency will be discussed. The system
Eng. Sarhan: Technologies and Applications of Drone Autonomy

Eng. Sami I. Sarhan, KAUST Innovation, KSA

Mar 1, 11:45 - 12:15

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Technologies and Applications of Drone Autonomy Abstract Fifteen years ago drone started as toy, it developed to become one of the most sophisticated flaying machine. The development in drone technologies went ahead in every direction, the advancement in the industry helped the drone to become a tools for every professional. Drones have three main parts: the hardware, the software and the payload. However, a fourth part is being introduced, in my opinion, is the autotomy. Self-flying is moving from nice-to-have to must-to-have; the applications of autonomous flights are growing every day
Dr. Gariel: Xwing: the journey to deploying autonomous cargo aircraft

Dr. Maxime Gariel, Xwing, USA

Mar 1, 11:15 - 11:45

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Xwing: the journey to deploying autonomous cargo aircraft Abstract Xwing is on a mission to build the world’s smartest, cleanest and most advanced aviation system. We're transforming the way airplanes fly— so regional air mobility will be radically safer, more efficient, more accessible and more sustainable than it’s ever been. Our work begins with converting today’s cargo aircraft into remotely-operated self-flying airplanes so every regional route can be serviced frequently and reliably— so every person in every corner of the world can have improved access to all the goods and supplies that
Ian Bernstein: Robotics Startup Opportunities: Lessons from Misty II and the Sphero Star Wars BB-8

Ian Bernstein: Misty Robotics

Mar 1, 10:45 - 11:15

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Robotics Startup Opportunities: Lessons from Misty II and the Sphero Star Wars BB-8 Abstract Many of the systems, sensors, and software frameworks in robotics today have originated from academia. But, what happens when you want to commercialize an idea and turn it into a viable business. Sphero was founded in 2010 and has shipped over 4 million robots around the world. Misty Robotics (acquired in January 2022 by Furhat Robotics) has shipped thousands of robots to both companies and researchers. In this session, I share both lessons learned from these two companies in going from an idea to
Prof. Koubaa: Aerial Systems for Delivery and Surveillance: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Prof. Anis Koubaa, Prince Sultan University, KSA

Mar 1, 10:00 - 10:30

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Aerial Systems for Delivery and Surveillance: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities Abstract The development of aerial systems is nowadays a significant trend in the industry. Delivery and surveillance applications are among the most important in drones' business. However, the development of drones applications encompasses several technical challenges, both from hardware and software perspectives. In this talk, I present the benefits of delivery and surveillance applications using aerial vehicles and discuss the main challenges from different perspectives, including technical, regulatory, and
Prof. Zexiang Li: From Drones to Consumer Robotics: Reinvent Engineering Education

Prof. Zexiang Li, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Mar 1, 09:30 - 10:00

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

From Drones to Consumer Robotics: Reinvent Engineering Education Abstract Society certainly will be shaped by technology-driven innovation for the coming decades, and the biggest challenge is that we will need many more innovators. To address this challenge, we believe in starting with education. Education has the greatest influence on the innovative capacities of young people. There is no doubt that our education system at all levels needs radical change for more innovators to emerge. I will share the exploration of engineering education with real examples, from drones to consumer robotics
Prof. Hovakimyan: Safe Learning for Autonomous Systems

Prof. Naira Hovakimyan, UIUC, USA

Mar 1, 09:00 - 09:30

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Safe Learning for Autonomous Systems Abstract Learning-based control paradigms have seen many success stories with various robots and co-robots in recent years. However, as these robots prepare to enter the real world, operating safely in the presence of imperfect model knowledge and external disturbances is going to be vital to ensure mission success. In the first part of the talk, we present an overview of L1 adaptive control, how it enables safety in autonomous robots, and discuss some of its success stories in the aerospace industry. In the second part of the talk, we present some of our
Dr. Roche: CYBORG-NLP: Patching “Soft” deep learning methods with “Hard” symbolic processing in NLP

Dr. Emmanuel Roche, Natural Language Processing, Clover.AI, USA

Mar 1, 08:30 - 09:00

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

CYBORG-NLP: Patching “Soft” deep learning methods with “Hard” symbolic processing in NLP Abstract In this talk, we will explore the apparent opposition, in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP), between deep learning and symbolic processing as it relates to human-robot communication. Human-robot communication, because it is constrained by the physical world, provides a unique insight into what the word “understanding” means in the context of NLP, a concept that has been elusive to NLP since its inception. We will also discuss how, contrary to the famous assertion “symbolic processing
Prof. Coogan: Formal Probabilistic Guarantees for Safe Learning in Autonomous Systems

Prof. Sam Coogan, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Feb 28, 18:15 - 18:45

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

Formal Probabilistic Guarantees for Safe Learning in Autonomous Systems Abstract For complex autonomous systems subject to stochastic dynamics, providing absolute assurances of performance may not be possible. Instead, probabilistic guarantees that assure, for example, desirable performance with high probability are often more appropriate. In this talk, we first describe how interval-valued Markov Decision Processes (IMDP) are able to model stochastic dynamical systems. Unlike classical Markov Decision Processes, IMDPs allow for a range of transition intervals between any two states. We then
Prof. Tsiotras: Recent Advances in Optimal Motion Planning for Autonomous Systems

Prof. Panagiotis Tsiotras, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Feb 28, 17:45 - 18:15

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Recent Advances in Optimal Motion Planning for Autonomous Systems Abstract Computing efficiently a feasible or optimal trajectory between two given states lies at the core of all autonomous systems. Traditional techniques, based on optimal control and trajectory optimization, or utilizing suitable discrete abstractions of the problem, have been used for many years with great success to solve a variety of problems, especially in aerospace applications. However, most of these methods are best suited for off-line computations and their usefulness diminishes very quickly when one wants to plan
Prof. Khamvilai: Towards intelligent middleware for more resilient robots

Dr. Thanakorn Khamvilai, Aerospace Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, USA

Feb 28, 17:15 - 17:45

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Towards intelligent middleware for more resilient robots Abstract Integrated modular avionics is the primary system architecture used in modern aircraft. It is designed upon a strict principle of fixed and static allocation of redundant tasks on redundant hardware for safety assurance. However, in the event of hardware or communication failures, the safety can be improved if the reallocation of tasks to another hardware is allowed, leading to a concept of reconfigurable integrated modular avionics. One of the challenges for the reconfiguration problem is the way to ensure the feasibility of
Prof. Lubineau: Super-sensitivity in resistive and capacitive strain sensing

Prof. Gilles Lubineau, Composites Lab, PSE, KAUST

Feb 28, 16:45 - 17:15

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Super-sensitivity in resistive and capacitive strain sensing Abstract Advanced composite materials are a key enabling technology for new solutions in energy production, transportation and storage. It is critical to develop monitoring techniques that are viable for a large scale/distributed sensing, which can inform us about the critical condition of the structures, localize and identify their degradation mechanism. Capacitive sensors are usually preferred for local strain sensing. Yet, the sensitivity of such sensors is guided only by the geometrical change, with a gauge factor close to one
Prof. Abdelhedi: Optimized and stable F2 -based motion planning approach for mobile robots

Prof. Fatma Abdelhedi, King Abdulaziz University, KSA

Feb 28, 16:00 - 16:30

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Optimized and stable F2 -based motion planning approach for mobile robots Abstract Mobile robotics has contributed significantly to the intelligent development of human society, where motion planning is an essential requirement that refers to the ability of a mobile robot to automatically plan its motions. OSF2 is a motion planning strategy based on the Dynamic Variable Speed Force Field method to control mobile robot movements. It ensures motion planning effectiveness against collision risks and instability mainly in dynamic environments. The flexibility of the mobile robot motion is provided
Prof. Katzschmann: Creation and Control of Soft Robots Tackling Manipulation and Locomotion Challenges

Prof. Robert Katzschmann, Soft Robotics Lab, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Feb 28, 15:30 - 16:00

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

Creation and Control of Soft Robots Tackling Manipulation and Locomotion Challenges Abstract As a scientist and educator, I build robots that safely interact with Nature. Living organisms are flexible, versatile, and adaptive due to their soft, deformable, and integrative characteristics. These features inspire my robotic fish, walkers, hands, and flying machines. My robots comprise soft and rigid functional materials, and they sense the world through intelligent and flexible electronics. They can move dynamically under internal fluidic pressure or electrostatic stimulation. They can
Prof. Prorok: Multi-Robot Learning: Leveraging Communication and Explanations

Prof. Amanda Prorok, University of Cambridge, UK

Feb 28, 15:00 - 15:30

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Multi-Robot Learning: Leveraging Communication and Explanations Abstract Effective communication is key to successful coordination. Yet, it is far from obvious what information is crucial to the task at hand, and how and when it must be shared among agents. In this talk, I first discuss how we leverage machine learning methods to generate effective communication strategies to solve hard coordination tasks. I present some pioneering real-robot experiments that demonstrate the transfer of our methods to the physical world. The learning process itself, however, remains challenging, especially in
Prof. Low: Learning with Less Data: Automated Machine Learning and Bayesian Optimization

Prof. Bryan Low, National University of Singapore

Feb 28, 14:30 - 15:00

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Learning with Less Data: Automated Machine Learning and Bayesian Optimization Abstract In this talk, I will briefly describe our research efforts on learning with less data and automated machine learning. Then, I will discuss in greater detail on one of such efforts: Bayesian optimization (BO), specifically, in how we have progressed from tackling some of the fundamental challenges/issues in BO to applying BO to more complex blackbox optimization problems such as in robotics. Biography Dr. Bryan Low is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the National University of Singapore and the
Dr. Shageer: Run-time assurance via real-time generation of trajectory and transverse dynamics regulation law

Dr. Hesham Shageer, Center of Excellence for Aeronautics and Astronautics, KACST

Feb 28, 12:15 - 12:45

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

Run-time assurance via real-time generation of trajectory and transverse dynamics regulation law Abstract In safety or mission-critical environments run-time assurance is about performing actions with full consciousness of opt-out options and the willingness to exercise such options when they are about to run-out. Autonomy in aerospace systems is one of the most delicate challenges in control theory due to the blatant catastrophic and tragic outcomes of control failures. This talk proposes a new framework for run-time assurance and closed-loop trajectory generation for nonlinear dynamical
Prof. Gao: AI robotics for sustainable space exploration and exploitation

Prof. Yang Gao, University of Surrey, UK

Feb 28, 11:45 - 12:15

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

Risclab

AI robotics for sustainable space exploration and exploitation Abstract The global space sector moves toward the New Space era driven by commercialization and resource exploitation, where AI robotics will play central roles and be directly responsible for meeting stringent requirements in cost, operability, reusability, and sustainability of long-lived assets in the harsh space environments. The invited talk present some latest research work and technology development involving robotic vision, machine learning and biomimetic mechanisms, appliable to mission scenarios such as formation flying
Prof. Kayacan: Future of Smaller, Faster, More Agile, Yet Safer Aerial Robots: Challenges & Opportunities

Prof. Erdal Kayacan, Aarhus University, Denmark

Feb 28, 11:15 - 11:45

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Future of Smaller, Faster, More Agile, Yet Safer Aerial Robots: Challenges & Opportunities Abstract Request for increased, almost perfect, accuracy and efficiency of aerial robots pushes the operation to the boundaries of the performance envelope and, thus, induces a need for reliable operation at the very limits of attainable performance. The use of advanced learning algorithms, which can learn the operational dynamics online and adjust the operational parameters accordingly, might be a candidate solution to all the aforementioned problems. This talk will focus on both model-based and model
Dr. Watanabe: Safe path planning for UAV urban operation under GNSS signal occlusion risk

Dr. Yoko Watanabe, ONERA, France

Feb 28, 10:45 - 11:15

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Safe path planning for UAV urban operation under GNSS signal occlusion risk Abstract Flying UAVs or drones in an urban or peri-urban environment is yet quite a challenge. This presentation introduces a concept of safe path planning for UAV's autonomous operation in an urban environment where GNSS-positioning may become unreliable or even unavailable. Given a geo-referenced environment model, it is possible to predict GNSS signal occlusions and hence to generate a map of local quality/availability of its positioning solution. Motivated from this, our main idea is to utilize such sensor
Abdellatif: Robotic Systems for Oil & Gas Applications

Fadl Abdellatif, Saudi Aramco, KSA

Feb 28, 10:00 - 10:30

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Robotic Systems for Oil & Gas Applications Abstract Robotic systems have been gaining increased traction in the oil and gas industry over the last few years. They are especially popular in applications that involve performing tasks that are repetitive, hazardous or laborious. Robotic systems spanning the land, sea and air domains have been proven useful in oil and gas applications including underwater robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, magnetic crawlers and legged robots. Applications cover routine rounds, inspection jobs, light maintenance, exploration, and surveillance. Such systems reduce
Dr. Alonazi: 3D Perception for Autonomous System

Dr. Amani Alonazi, Boeing Research and Technology, KSA

Feb 28, 09:30 - 10:00

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

3D Perception for Autonomous System Abstract Perception module enables the autonomous system with increased intelligence and the ability to adaptively collect and process sensor data into useful and actionable information, with the goal of minimizing or eliminating human intervention. Despite the continuous remarkable acceleration of deep learning solutions for computer vision, there are many challenges when applying deep learning to autonomous system in an open environment. In this talk, we will discuss current trends and challenges in 3D perception with a focus on point cloud scene
Prof. Acikmese: Optimization Based Control - An Aerospace Perspective

Prof. Behcet Acikmese, Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Washington, USA

Feb 28, 09:00 - 09:30

B19 H1

Featured Sessions

RobotoKAUST

Optimization Based Control - An Aerospace Perspective Abstract Many future aerospace engineering applications will require dramatic increases in our existing autonomous control capabilities. These include robotic sample return missions to planets, comets, and asteroids, formation flying spacecraft, swarms of autonomous spacecraft, unmanned aerial, ground, and underwater vehicles, and autonomous commercial robotic applications. A key control challenge for many autonomous systems is to achieve the performance goals safely with minimal resource use in the presence of mission constraints and
The KAUST Research Conference on Robotics and Autonomy 2022

Eric Feron, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Feb 28, 08:00 - Mar 2, 20:00

B19 H1

robotics

KAUST Robotics, Intelligent Systems and Control Lab (RISC Lab) will host the KAUST Research Conference on Robotics and Autonomy 2022 (#RobotoKAUST) from February 28 until March 2, 2022. The conference will address the most recent trends of robotics application in a range of disciplines. To attend RobotoKAUST Gala, please, read more about the event and follow the event registration instructions.

Jan 23 - Jan 30, 2022

RobotoKAUST 2022 Call for Poster Abstracts

Prof. Eric Feron, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Jan 25, 12:00 - Jan 31, 17:00

KAUST

RobotoKAUST

We are excited to announce the KAUST Research Conference on Robotics and Autonomy 2022, which will be held on Feb 28 - March 2, 2022 (#RobotoKAUST). The conference will address the most recent trends of robotics application in a range of disciplines. The conference will give space for presentations and discussions of systems, items, and methods related to robotics and autonomy. As part of this event, we are accepting poster abstract submissions.

Nov 21 - Nov 28, 2021

High Agility and other Aerial Robots

Eric Feron, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, KAUST, Saudi Arabia

Nov 23, 16:30 - 17:30

KAUST

Abstract Robotic flight is as old as aviation itself. It might be argued that today, the only robots to whom humans are OK trusting their lives are Airplanes, Air Trains, Elevators, and Escalators. Flying Robots can take many shapes, motions, and missions. Flying robots where dynamics matters constitute the core of this presentation. To begin with, the aerobatic flight will be discussed as it happened at a time when computer power was limited and flying machines were still running with gas engines. Then, atmospheric reduced-gravity autonomous test platforms will follow, introducing the initial

Jun 13 - Jun 20, 2021

Recordings of the talks are available!

Jun 15, 11:50 - Jun 30, 12:50

KAUST

RobotoKAUST robotics autonomy

#RobotoKAUST21. The recordings of the talks from the KAUST Research Conference on Robotics and Autonomy 2021 are available! Please check our website https://cemse.kaust.edu.sa/risc/robotokaust21. To subscribe to RISC Lab YouTube Channel, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/c/KAUSTRISCLab