The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is sponsoring a Blue Sky Ideas Conference Track at the Material Robotics (MaRo) – Bridging Materials Science and Robotics Workshop on July 15, 2017, which is part of the 2017 Robotics: Science and Systems Conference in Cambridge, MA.
Description of the MaRo Workshop:
The original vision of a ”robot” introduced by Karel Capek in 1920 was that of an autonomous computing machine molded in the image of humans. Interestingly, the play begins with a discussion of the materials that make up the robots and introduces the techniques used to spin and extrude such materials into synthetic body parts and squishy computers. Apparently, it was intuitive to imagine robots not just in our image but also from the same kind of soft materials. Considering robots as closely influenced by and contributing to the study of materials can make this vision a reality. The goal of this workshop is to bring together researchers in robotics and material science to learn from each other and identify the research challenges and applications of robotic materials.
The workshop combines extremely focused spotlight talks (less than 5 minutes) with interactive breakout sessions to facilitate discussion and communication between the domains of materials science and robotics. Keynote talks by Harvard Prof. George Whitesides (confirmed) and Office of Naval Research (ONR) Program Officer Tom McKenna (tentative) will provide context to the history and future of the converging research efforts.
Call for Papers:
Workshop organizers are soliciting extended abstracts in the RSS format (1-2 pages plus references). Accepted contributions may be presented either as extremely focused short spotlight talks or in poster sessions. Live hands-on demos are strongly encouraged for both contribution formats and will be prioritized in our selection process.
Topics broadly include (but are not limited to):
- Computation, sensing, and (wireless) communication integrated into materials.
- Large-scale distributed computation co-located with signal sources and control targets.
- Autonomous machines that exploit material properties to extend and expand normal robotic operations, such as changing appearance, stiffness or shape in response to the environment.
- Process control capabilities of materials to facilitate making of robots, e.g. additive manufacturing, 4D printing, self-assembly, etc.
- Applications in underwater robots for manipulation, soft adaptive fabrics, structures that self-monitor and morph, and multifunctional everyday objects that change shape or color for the occasion.
Important Dates:
Extended abstract submission: May 31, 2017
Notification of acceptance: June 7, 2017
Distribution-ready papers due: July 5, 2017
Learn more about the workshop here and Blue Sky Ideas here.
