Multimodal data fusion for natural human-robot interaction

Wen QI; Stavros Ntalampiras; Zhengjun Yue; Zhengjun Yue; Salih Ertug Ovur; Yue Chen; Andrea Aliverti

In this special session, we invite submissions that focus on the fusion of multimodal data for improved human-robot interaction. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Multimodal data fusion algorithms for human-robot interaction
• Human-robot interaction in dynamic environments
• Multimodal natural language processing for human-robot interaction
• Multimodal gesture recognition for human-robot interaction
• Multimodal emotion recognition for human-robot interaction
• Multimodal sensor fusion for human-robot interaction in unstructured environments
• Multiple sensors fusion for human data collection
• Data-driven kinematics and dynamics modeling
• Advanced image processing for robotics
• Multimodal signal processing for robotics

Special Session Chairs

Dr. Wen QI, wenqi@scut.edu.cn, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China

Prof. Stavros Ntalampiras, Stavros.Ntalampiras@unimi.it, Department of Computer science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

Prof. Zhengjun Yue, z.yue@tudelft.nl, Technische Universiteit Delft (TU Delft), Dleft, Netherlands

Dr. Salih Ertug Ovur, e.ovur21@imperial.ac.uk, Imperial College London, UK

Prof. Yue Chen, yue.chen@bme.gatech.edu, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

Prof. Andrea Aliverti, andrea.aliverti@polimi.it, Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Special Session Code: g88c9

Intelligent Flying Robot System

Xiuyu He, Yao Zou, Shuyi Shao, Wei He

In recent years, with the vigorous development of artificial intelligence and robotic technology, intelligent flying robots have been widely used in various fields. This special session aims to provide a platform to display the latest aircraft technology and discuss cutting-edge intelligent technology. The topics of this monograph include but are not limited to the following directions:

• Bionic flying robotics,
• Multi-rotor flying robotics
• Fixed-wing flying robotics
• Autonomous flight
• Group intelligence
• Intelligent navigation and control

Special Session Chairs

Dr. Xiuyu He, xiuyuhe@ieee.org, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China

Dr. Yao Zou, zouyao20@126.com, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China

Dr. Shuyi Shao, shaosy@nuaa.edu.cn, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China

Prof. Wei He, weihe@ieee.org, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China

Special Session Code: 93xvg

Wearable Sensors and Robots for Biomedical Applications

Wei Yang; Bo Chen

Recent advances in wearable sensors and robotic exoskeletons have demonstrated great potential for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Despite recent technological progresses, more research is needed to realize the promise of customized, safe, and effective wearable sensors and robots. This session aims to present the latest results in design, test, signal processing, and related algorithms of wearable sensors for biomedical applications. Besides, this session is also expected to have a discussion on design, control, and experiments of the wearable robots for biomedical applications. Combining the experts from the fields of wearable sensors and robots, we believe that this session will yield new questions, ideas, and solutions with the help of advanced robotics and mechatronics. The scopes of the session contain but are not limited to:

• Wearable sensors for diagnosis
• Wearable robots for treatment or rehabilitation
• Robot modelling and control
• Signal processing and pattern recognition for medical applications
• Physiological signal measurement
• Exoskeleton or exosuit

Special Session Chairs

Prof. Wei Yang,  simpleway@zju.edu.cn, Ningbo Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China

Prof. Bo Chen,  bchen@zjut.edu.cn, College of Information Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhejiang, China

Special Session Code: ds835

Recent Advancements in Smart materials-based actuators

Dr. Jie Ling; Dr. Zhao Feng; Dr. Zhao Guo; Prof. Xiaohui Xiao; Prof. Yuchuan Zhu

Precision motion with high resolution, high accuracy and high bandwidth is required in many devices and equipments, such as micro/nanorobots, surgical operating instruments, spacecrafts, aviation hydraulic valves, etc. Smart materials-based actuators (piezoelectric, magnetic, magnetostrictive, electroactive polymers, magnetoactive polymers, shape memory alloys, magnetic shape memory alloys, thermally active materials, etc.) have been proven effective to handle with this issue in recent decades. The advantages of smart materials-based actuators are multiple including high resolution of positioning, or high stiffness, or high range of deformation, or the ease of integration in miniaturized systems. However, several new challenges still exist which require innovative techniques and solutions. Optimal designs, accurate modelling, appropriate control strategies as well as performance maintenance in extreme environments are not fully exploited for reliable applications.

The main objective of this special session is to bring together researchers from both academia and industry areas to present new techniques, technologies, results, principles and surveys for smart materials-based actuators. The session provided an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to present their most recent accomplishments, challenges, advances in this area, and we also encourage future research directions in the field.

We invite authors to submit their original contributions of synthesizing smart materials-based actuators into a variety of applications. Potential topics include, but are not limited to the following:

• Structure design and parameter optimization for smart materials-based actuators
• Modelling methods for smart materials-based actuators
• Nonlinearity compensation and control strategies for smart materials-based actuators
• Simulation analysis methods for systems driven by smart materials-based actuators
• Application tests in medical, military, aeronautics, astronautics or other fields
• Smart materials preparation technology

Special Session Chairs

Dr. Jie Ling, meejling@nuaa.edu.cn, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China

Dr. Zhao Feng, fengzhao@whu.edu.cn, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

Dr. Zhao Guo, guozhao@whu.edu.cn, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

Prof. Xiaohui Xiao, xhxiao@whu.edu.cn, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

Prof. Yuchuan Zhu, meeyczhu@nuaa.edu.cn, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China

Special Session Code: np546

Human-in-the-Loop Sensing and Learning Control for Interactive Robots

Jing Luo; Chao Zeng; Xinbo Yu; Xing Liu; Hui Zhang

Human intervention is a typical loop in the human-robot interaction area, especially in order to meet the increasing demands of robots in many applications, such as telerobots, rehabilitation robots, humanoid robots, and other wearable robot systems. Since these robots interact physically with humans, there exist great challenges in . e.g., system integration, control performances ,user experience, manipulation abilities, and so on. Therefore, it is essential to integrate relevant knowledge of sensing, control and learning, among others, and to seek more advanced system modeling, sensor-based interaction, learning model, and control approaches.

The main objective of this special session is to bring together researchers and professionals interested in human-in-the-loop based sensing and learning control for interactive robots from both academia and industries to present the recent advancement and challenges in relevant areas, including sensing, artificial intelligence (AI), human-robot interaction/collaboration, learning control, etc. The participants will interact with other colleagues in this field and will have the opportunity to enhance knowledge and exchange insights through this session.

We encourage authors to submit their original contributions about human-in-the-loop based robotic systems. Potential topics include, but are not limited to the following:

• Sensor integration and fusion
• Learning control design and optimization
• AI in human-in-the-loop based robotic systems
• Learning models and optimization algorithms for interactive control
• Human factors in human-in-the-loop robotic systems
• Applications in human-in-the-loop based robotic systems
• Human-robot interactive machine learning for robot skill learning

Special Session Chairs

Dr. Jing Luo, jingluo@ieee.org, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China

Dr. Chao Zeng, chao.zeng@uni-hamburg.de, University of Hamburg, Germany

Dr. Xinbo Yu, yuxinbo17@ustb.edu.cn, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing China

Dr. Xing Liu, xingliu@nwpu.edu.cn, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China

Dr. Hui Zhang, zhanghui1983@hnu.edu.cn, Hunan University, Hunan, China

Special Session Code: 1999s

Special Robots in Electric Power Systems

Shaodong Li; Jiannan Zhao; Hongguang Wang; Dehua Zou; Feng Shuang

Power equipment inspection and maintenance tasks are usually carried out at heights, urgently requiring the use of safer and more efficient equipment to replace traditional manual operations. The emergence of power robots has avoided manual climbing and high altitude operations, ensuring the safety and efficiency of the operations, and achieved good applications in power patrol and equipment maintenance (such as
substation inspection, unmanned aerial vehicle inspection, insulator cleaning, etc.). However, open challenges still exist in power robots in both academia and industries, e.g., adaptability under complex environments, autonomous working and humanrobot interactions, modalities of sensors, robot installation and uninstallation, etc.

The main objective of this special session is to bring together researchers and professionals interested in special robots in power systems from both academia and industries to present the recent advancement and challenges in relevant areas.

We encourage authors to submit their original contributions about special robots in electric power systems. Potential topics include, but are not limited to the following:

Cyber-Physical Systems of Intelligent Robots

Ye-Hwa Chen; Shengchao Zhen; Chenming Li; Jin Huang; Jinquan Xu; Hao Sun; Rongrong Yu; Xuanmu Pan

With the development of artificial intelligence technology, the cyber and physical components of robots are being integrated in many network fields such as self-driving vehicles, artificial swarm drones and surgical manipulators. This poses challenges like cyberattack and signal delay to modern robotics system. The speed, accuracy, flexibility, collaboration, and safety characteristics need to be reconsidered under a whole new cybernetics framework. Many valuable issues need to be addressed urgently for the cyber-physical robots including the accuracy of dynamic modeling, the precision of uncertainty description, the rationality of inequality constraint handling, the robustness of controllers, and the practicality of optimization methods. Therefore, it is necessary and timely to explore advanced control methods for complex robotic systems by integrating
relevant knowledge from several disciplines, such as mathematics, mechanics, automation, informatics, and computer science.

This special session aims to provide a platform for communication about cyber-physical robots and their applications. Researchers in related fields are invited to discuss robot dynamic modeling and control problems in complex situations and to explore novel research advancement and develop opportunities in this new field.

Authors are encouraged to submit their original contributions demonstrating the application of various types of advanced modeling and control to complex robotic systems. Potential topics include, but are not limited to the following.

• Multi-body robot dynamical models
• Intelligent controller design
• Cyber-physical robot model
• Controller design and optimization
• Robot system and control optimization
• Swarm system design for robots
• Application of advanced robots

Special Session Chairs

Dr. Ye-Hwa Chen, yehwa.chen@me.gatech.edu, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Dr. Shengchao Zhen, zhenshengchao@qq.com, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China

Dr. Chenming Li, chenmingli@sdust.edu.cn, Shandong University of Science and Technology, China

Dr. Jin Huang, lishaodongyx@126.com, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Dr. Jinquan Xu, xujinquan@buaa.edu.cn, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing, China

Dr. Hao Sun, sunhao.0806@163.com, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, China

Dr. Rongrong Yu, rongrongyu19@sdust.edu.cn, Shandong University of Science and Technology, China

Dr. Xuanmu Pan, muxuan.pan@nuaa.edu.cn, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China

Special Session Code: k2wh4

 Intelligent Robotic Micro Manipulation

Mingchuan Zhou, Changsheng Dai, Linfei Xiong, Zhenshan Bing, Zhongliang Jiang, Hang Su

Due to the aging problem worldwide, how to save labor and make complicated operation automation is a challenge as well as an opportunity for the robotic society. Especially, in many micro-level manipulation scenarios, e.g. cell manipulation, micro-surgery, and microfabrication in medical, industry, and agricultural fields, have not only the delicate manipulation skills but also the precision in the boundaries of human ability, making the robotic manipulation even more challenging. Robotic micro manipulation has been developed rapidly in recent years due to the development of artificial intelligence and automation requirement. Many valuable issues need to be addressed urgently for making robotic micro manipulation more practical and intelligent. Therefore, it is necessary to explore advanced control methods, precision mechanism designs, and medical & life science requirements by integrating relevant knowledge from several disciplines, such as robotics, computer science, mechanics, automation, informatics, agricultural engineering, and medical & life science.

This special session aims to provide a platform for communication about robotic micro manipulation and its applications. Researchers in related fields are welcome to discuss the robotic system design and automation from the micron level down to the nano level, exploring novel research advancement and developing opportunities in this interesting field. Researchers are encouraged to submit their original contributions demonstrating the theories and applications in micro manipulation world.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to the following,

• Robotic system design for micro manipulation
• Multi robots control and cooperation
• Intelligent cell manipulation
• Micro-surgical system design and control
• Robotic micro manipulation for agriculture
• Reinforcement learning for robotic micro manipulation
• Theories and applications for robotic micro manipulation

Special Session Chairs

Dr. Mingchuan Zhou, mczhou@zju.edu.cn, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China;

Dr. Changsheng Dai, changsheng.dai@mail.utoronto.ca, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China;

Dr. Linfei Xiong, linfei@outlook.com, MicroPort MedBot (Group) Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China;

Dr. Zhenshan Bing, bing@in.tum.de, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;

Dr. Zhongliang Jiang, zl.jiang@tum.de, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany;

Dr. Hang Su, hang.su@polimi.it, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy

Special Session Code: g2c93