Reflection on hybrid seminar: AI- and Robotics-enabled Systems, a Forward Leap Into Real Life Applications

Seminar Abstract: AI- and Robotics-enabled systems are becoming more and more relevant for real life applications. This technology may enable society to a conceptual leap forward especially concerning demanding real-life scenarios. In this talk, different scenarios will be considered, including AI- and robotics-enabled systems for the Industry 4.0, wearable robotics, intelligent health, human-robot interaction/collaboration, and search-and-rescue (SAR).

When: Tuesday 13 June 2023, 2:00pm – 3:00pm Seminar / Q&A 

International Guest Speaker: Professor Filippo Sanfilippo, Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Agder, Norway | OpenInnoTrain Secondee

Seminar host: Professor Fabio Zambetta, Associate Dean, Artificial Intelligence in the School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University, Melbourne

Reflection: In this seminar, Professor Filippo Sanfilippo shared some of his work in Industry 4.0 and 5.0, specifically concerning human-robot collaboration and teaming. Filippo says the fifth revolution of industrial automation is occurring with the convergence of artificial intelligence and the presence of sensors everywhere – on and around the machine and on humans through wearables, providing the possibility for machines and humans to share workspaces and to work hand in hand.Obstacles to this revolution include that robotics producers currently utilise proprietary software with limitations in useability however, Filippo says that opensource middleware used as a bridge between a proprietary server and a user program provides a way forward. The concept of 'digital twins' where real labs and digital labs are connected is an another trend that will enable the evolution of Industry 5.0.During the seminar Filippo spoke about the challenges for human-robot collaborations including the trade-off between control and mechanical/software design. He also shared case studies of human-robot interaction and collaboration with regards to applications for intelligent health, along with the work his team has progressed around potential applications for search-and-research collaborations.​​​​​​​

Following the seminar, Professor Zambetta shared his thoughts on the seminar and Professor Sanfilippo’s OpenInnoTrain secondment to RMIT Melbourne: We are very happy to be hosting Professor Sanfilippo at RMIT and we would like to thank OpenInnoTrain for providing us with a new collaboration opportunity. Fililppo's expertise in robotics, mechatronics and control is complementary to the Ai Discipline expertise in machine learning (reinforcement learning), automated planning, evolutionary computing and AR/VR simulation. More opportunities for collaboration in the School also include potential opportunities with staff whose expertise lies in data science as well as IoT and smart sensing.

Seminar participant, Jenny Hedley, also shared: Seeing how agile and responsive the robot snake is compared with robot hands/grabbers is an eye opener! As an avid hiker I imagine how useful this would be in wilderness rescue situations when someone triggers an emergency transponder.

Filippo's Bio: Filippo Sanfilippo holds a PhD in Engineering Cybernetics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway, with a focus on alternative and flexible control approaches for robotic manipulators. His research interests include robotics, wearables, human-robot collaboration, collaborative robotics, artificial intelligence and control theory. He is currently appointed as a Professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Agder (UiA), Grimstad, Norway. He is also an adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Informatics, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania. He carries a vast experience in participating to European research programs and various national projects from the Research Council of Norway (RCN). He is an IEEE Senior Member. He is the former Chair of the IEEE Norway Section. He is also the Chair of the IEEE Robotics and Automation, Control Systems and Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Chapter. He is currently a member of the IEEE Region 8 Chapter Coordination Committee. He is a Member of the IEEE Public Visibility Committee, and of the IEEE R8 Awards & Recognitions (A&R) Committee. He is also the Treasurer of the Norsk Forening for Kunstig Intelligens (NAIS), the Norwegian Association for Artificial Intelligence. He has authored and co-authored several technical papers in various journals and conferences. He is a reviewer for several international conferences and journals.

Acknowledgements: OpenInnoTrain Project, is a global network of researchers and industry practitioners across Europe and Australia for promoting the translation of research between university-industry through cooperation and Open Innovation in the sectors of: FinTech, Industry 4.0, CleanTech, FoodTech. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 823971.

RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia – Global Business Innovation Enabling Impact Platform (Director, Professor Anne-Laure Mention).University of Agder ​​​​​​​