The following workshops will be held on Tuesday, January 21. Student registration participants and full registration participants can attend the workshops. To register now, click here.
Workshop 1: TEXTILES AND ROBOTICS
Time: Morning / Half-Day
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/textilesandrobotics/home
Room1: "Großer Sall"
Organizers:
John Nassour, Technical University of Munich
Leonardo Cappello, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
Vanessa Sanchez, Rice University
Sophie Skach, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
Koichi Suzumori, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Gordon Cheng, Technical University of Munich
Abstract:
The integration of textile technologies in robotics has been gaining significant attention in recent years due to several key factors that make textiles an appealing choice for robotic applications. Traditional robots are often rigid, which limits their ability to interact safely and effectively with humans and delicate objects. Textiles, being inherently flexible and soft, are ideal for creating soft robotic components like grippers, exoskeletons, and wearable devices. These soft robots can mimic the natural movement of muscles and tendons, making them more adaptable to various tasks and environments. Textile-based robots can bend, stretch, compress, and twist, allowing for a greater range of motion while not compromising on robustness. This flexibility is particularly useful in applications that require robots to navigate complex, irregular, or confined spaces. Textiles can be designed as garments or accessories, directly and naturally following the body's movements, making them ideal for applications that require close contact with the skin. This is particularly important in wearable robotics, where comfort and ergonomics are critical for user acceptance. In this workshop, we address the versatility of textiles in robotics and ignite an exchange between experts and participants for future directions in this emerging domain.
Workshop 2: RECONFIGURABLE MANIPULATION ROBOTS
Time: Afternoon / Half-Day
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/rmr-workshop-sii2025/home
Room1: "Großer Sall"
Organizers:
Takuya Kiyokawa, Osaka University
Korbinian Nottensteiner, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Ismael Rodriguez, Agile Robots
Cristian C. Beltran-Hernandez, OMRON SINIC X Corporation
Tasuku Makabe, The University of Tokyo
Abstract:
Manipulation robot systems today are expected to handle complex environmental changes in an agile and lean manner. Regarding the reconfiguration problem of robotic systems, which has been researched and discussed for over 40 years, this workshop gathers people involved in the research and develop reconfiguration technologies for any robot configuration regarding both hardware and software, such as modular, humanoid-specific, task-specific, and combinations of these configurations. Furthermore, this workshop provides an opportunity to discuss a promising future direction driven by novel technologies to drastically improve the generalizability of manipulation robots. The main topics of interest are practical technologies and methods to solve real problems in service or industrial robotics, particularly regarding reconfiguration methods for robot systems, and generalizable recognition, planning, and control methods in terms of tool selection, system structure, sequence, task, and motion for long-horizon manipulation. Our final goal is to link the results to systematize our scientific knowledge.
Workshop 3: SYSTEMS INTEGRATION ON GARMENT PRODUCTION
Time: Afternoon / Full-Day
Website: https://www.transgp.hk/sii2025-workshop
Room2: "Ballsaal - Forum 9,10,11"
Organizers:
George Q. Huang, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Kazuhiro Kosuge, The University of Hong Kong
Ming Li, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Abstract:
Garment production is considered a special type of extreme manufacturing. Garment materials are highly flexible and soft, thus significantly affecting fashion styles and becoming very difficult to handle. Order sizes and volumes fluctuate drastically with short lead times. Variety, accessibility, scope and scale of garment manufacturing resources, their capabilities and capacities are massive, vary massively over time, and geographically dispersed. It is a grand challenge to discover, match and utilize such resource(s) to fulfil orders. The objective of this workshop is to collate some of the recent research and development efforts resulted from some major projects specifically related to garment and fashion design and manufacturing. This workshop is concerned with systems integration in the fields of garment, fashion and textile manufacturing in its broadest sense ranging from garment design, patterning, production, material handling, supply and logistics. Systems include hardware and software solutions / technologies, and decision support systems. Examples include robotics, AI (Artificial Intelligence) / LLM (Large Language Model), and simulation.
Workshop 4: LEARNING ROBOTIC SYSTEMS: NEXT THEORY, ALGORITHM, AND INTEGRATION
Time: Full-Day
Website: https://prinlab.org/event/sii2025/
Room3: "Ballsaal - Forum 12"
Organizers:
Takamitsu Matsubara, Nara Institute of Science and Technology
Taisuke Kobayashi, National Institute of Informatics
Gustavo Alfonso Garcia Ricardez, Ritsumeikan University
Abstract:
With advancements in computing technologies, sensors, machine learning, and AI, "learning" has become indispensable in robotic systems. Traditionally, robotic systems have relied on modularization, where individual components are independently developed and flexibly reused. However, since the advent of deep learning, a new approach to achieving functionality through end-to-end learning has emerged. Deep learning can be used to learn almost any component for various purposes, such as modeling dynamics and environment, creating perception and recognition capabilities, or controllers when combined with reinforcement learning or imitation learning. Furthermore, foundation models such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI, considered general-purpose AI, have recently gained prominence, potentially reducing the cost of applying learning to robotics. While these approaches have rapidly permeated fields such as image, language, and speech processing, they have not yet achieved the same level of adoption in real-world robotics, primarily due to the lack of sufficient datasets and the complexity of real-world environments. It is essential to advance mathematical theories, approaches, and algorithms to overcome these challenges. Additionally, integrating domain-specific knowledge in robotics and fusing these approaches with traditional system integration techniques are crucial. This workshop, "Learning Robotic Systems: Next Theory, Algorithm, and Integration," will discuss the integration of learning systems within robotic systems and explore new possibilities in theory, algorithms, and system integration.
Workshop 5: PLANETARY SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE EXPLORATION SYSTEM AND TECHNOLOGIES
Time: Full-Day
Website: Comming soon
Room4: "Ballsaal - Forum 13,14"
Organizers:
Yasuharu Kunii, Chuo University
Tetsuo Yoshimitsu, ISAS JAXA
Takashi Kubota, Meiji University
Abstract:
In recent years, space exploration has expanded beyond government programs, with private companies leading lunar missions. In Japan, small rovers called "LEV" were successfully launched to the moon alongside the "SLIM: Moon Sniper" and explored the lunar surface with full autonomy. These advancements, including direct data transmission from the tiny exploration robot to Earth using non-governmental radio stations like armature ones, mark a new phase in private space exploration. Clearly, space exploration is entering a new phase, with advancements accelerating rapidly. As we move toward this next stage, countless research efforts in our field are underway worldwide. We are living through a pivotal moment in human history and the space era, and our work in AI robotics will play a crucial role in shaping the future. For this reason, we aim to share the latest developments and findings in deep space exploration and AI robotics research, particularly on the moon. We also seek to establish international connections and build a community of speakers and audiences who share an interest in this exciting topic.