Why this workshop?
Robotics is changing, coming into our homes, doing the housework, improving our quality of life, saving time, and even helping the elderly. Tomorrow, robots will have an important part in our everyday's life. Currently, this is the common view. But are we prepared to these changes? How will robots change our lifestyle?
Today's PhD students are tomorrow's researchers. They will have the responsibility to orient their research works for the future of robotics, as discussed in European Robotics Forum 2013. What is the opinion of these young researchers on this topic? Do they have a common vision of the future of robotics? Based on their experience and their participation to ERF and Innorobo, do they agree with the proposed developments for robotics?
How was it organized?
In order to shed some light on those questions, the first part of the workshop consisted of a series of 10 minutes-long targeted presentations. Speakers (PhD students or young postdocs) summed up some presentations of ERF and Innorobo they attended to and gave their opinion on the developed topic. The last hour was dedicated to discussion with the audience. Everyone (students, researchers, industrialists, etc) was able to give their point of view, remarks, opinions, comments and questions.
Agenda
The workshop toke place on March, 21st 2013 in Lyon at Centre des Congrès.
- 13:30 Introduction by the moderators
- 13:40 Presentations by 6 speakers
- 14:40 Open Round-Table Discussion
How were recruited speakers?
Speakers were volunteer PhD students and junior postdocs. Six speakers were recruited through:
- explicit e-mails to robotic lists such as euron-dist or gdr-robotique
- recruitment at the very beginning of the ERF
- direct recruitment based on relationships