Leading robotics event visits UK for first time

Set to be the largest ever gathering of the world's top academics, researchers, and industry representatives in the fields of robotics and automation, ICRA 2023 will feature more than 100 organisations pushing the boundaries in robotics and automation showcasing the latest robotic technology and equipment.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Embracing the future: Making robots for humans’ with some of the most influential and innovative figures in the world of robotics delivering plenary speeches. Keynote interactive sessions from leading academics will cover a range of topics from Robots for Society, Healthcare Robotics, Morphological Computation to AI in Robotics.

Some of the industry’s most innovative companies including the UK’s Engineered Arts, Hong Kong’s Hanson Robotics and Japan’s ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories will discuss Human-like Robots, with Tortuga AgTech, RightHand Robotics and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology exploring Agrifood Robots.

Kaspar Althoefer, Professor of Robotics Engineering, Head of Centre for Advanced Robotics at Queen Mary University of London; General Chair of ICRA 2023 said: “ICRA 2023 will showcase the latest innovations in robotics technology and research and offers unparalleled access to the industry’s leading minds, technology and research from around the world, all under one roof.”

“The UK is perfectly placed to host the world’s largest ever ICRA conference. It’s home to some of the world’s leading research hubs and – combined with the government’s ambitions for the UK to be a world-leading ‘science superpower’ – has a unique opportunity to accelerate innovation in robotics.”

Another key feature of the ICRA programme are the competitions for university students from around the world, which include the Autonomous Grand Prix, Humanoid Robot Wrestling, Autonomous Quadruped challenge and Robot Manipulation and Grasping.

Delegates attending ICRA 2023 will also have the opportunity to visit robot labs at world-leading research universities, including Queen Mary University of London, University College London, Imperial College London, King’s College London, and the University of Oxford. In another first for ICRA, remote hubs will live stream the event at universities in low-income countries, to ensure that the global community can participate in this unmissable event.

Helge Wurdemann, Professor and Chair of Robotics at UCL (University College London); Co-General Chair of ICRA 2023, said: “The rise in robotics and automation technology has never been more relevant. Our vision for ICRA 2023 is to demonstrate how robotics and automation can contribute positively to society and work alongside us for the benefit of humankind, driving advancements in healthcare, transportation, agriculture and the environment – and we’re excited to showcase and debate the potential and possibilities that robots can offer for human progress.”

Young people in London are also benefitting through ICRA 2023’s outreach programme with three local London schools, where 1 in 3 students are disadvantaged. The programme aims to inspire the next generation of roboticists and automation engineers –practical sessions with robotic equipment have been held at three academies run by The Harris Foundation.** A number of these students are also being invited to spend a day at ICRA 2023 on Wednesday 31st May, where they will take part in robotics challenges and the Give a Hand workshop, where they’ll assemble prosthetic hands that will ultimately be sent to recipients in low-income countries around the world.

www.icra2023.org