Khalifa University Sets Stage For Global Robotics Competitions At IROS 2024

Khalifa University of Science and Technology has announced that eight global competitions will be a key feature of the 36th IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2024). The event, themed ‘Robotics for Sustainable Development’, will take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) from 14-18 October 2024.

The Falcon Monitoring Challenge aims to advance wildlife tracking and conservation through sophisticated, noninvasive monitoring systems. Additionally, finalists from the Pan-African Robotics Competition (PARC) will present their project concepts, increasing interest in Africa. An IROS Expo and a Career Fair will also be part of this significant gathering of researchers, academics, and industry professionals.

The eight challenges at IROS 2024 include AI Olympics With RealAIGym: Is AI Ready for Athletic Intelligence in the Real World? This competition assesses robots' physical or athletic intelligence. The Earth Rovers Challenge focuses on remote robot navigation, while the Robotic Construction Challenge targets robot manipulation. The euROBIN Manipulation Skill Versatility Challenge ‘MSVC’ Competition also focuses on robot manipulation.

Underwater Robotics Challenges introduce innovation in underwater robotics and artificial intelligence. The Automatic Data Annotation Challenge for ROAD Dataset builds on breakthroughs in perception and sensing. Other competitions include the F1Tenth Autonomous Racing Competition and the IEEE RAS Quadruped Robot Challenge (QRC), both concentrating on navigation.

The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) of Abu Dhabi is a strategic sponsor for IROS 2024. Astribot and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) are Platinum sponsors. The Dubai Future Foundation and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence are gold sponsors, while NOKOV Motion Capture Company and Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) are silver sponsors. The Beijing Institute of Technology is the University partner.

Dr. Jorge Dias, General Chair of IROS 2024 and Director at Khalifa University's Center for Autonomous Robotic Systems, stated, "These eight competitions reflect Khalifa University’s commitment to engaging stakeholders at IROS 2024 to inspire solutions involving robotics and drones. We look forward to intense participation from global researchers and academic institutions."

DEEP Robotics and ITT Project Management Services will join 11 startups showcasing their innovations in robotics at the event.

The diverse nature of these competitions highlights new technologies in robotics that could benefit the global community. Participants are expected to demonstrate how rapidly evolving technologies can be adopted for various applications.

This event marks the first time IROS is being held in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region, bringing together a wide range of experts to discuss advancements in robotics.

With inputs from WAM