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Raphael Thys
At the European Robotics Forum, the stars of the show were not the speakers or guests, but the incredible range of robots themselves.
At this world-class conference, a robot exhibition hall displayed more than 50 booths offering interactive robot displays, including mobile robots, teleoperated robots, or robot manipulators being used in a multitude of settings. These included healthcare delivery, solutions for the energy industry, or those providing situational awareness to first responders. At the AI for Good booth, hundreds of visitors were able to learn how ITU and the UN are using AI-powered robots for social good, and how to engage with the Robotics for Good activities organized as part of the AI for Good global platform.
The event was a great opportunity to see state-of-the-art robots in different fields, with five plenaries and sixty workshops distributed spread across 25 different thematic areas. This year’s overarching theme was sustainability, with a focus on how autonomous robots can influence and help advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
The ERF 2022 conference, held from 28-30 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, brought together researchers, companies, entrepreneurs and the public sector to share the latest advances in AI and robotics and how to capitalize on them for the benefit of humanity. As part of the academic track, researchers were able to present their latest findings in a poster exhibition, and students put their coding skills in practice in the Hackathon that was organized. The industry side brought small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and companies together to show their latest developments to the public.
“As autonomous robots increasingly take center stage in our lives, our participation at ERF 2022 shows the AI for Good community’s growing interest and engagement in robotics. Robotics for Good is the fastest growing programming track in AI for Good, and we have prepared a dynamic program to attract a very diverse audience interested in the different applications of robotics for good. We highlight recent breakthroughs and how the scientific community is overcoming technical challenges”, said Guillem Martínez Roura, AI and Robotics Coordinator.
AI for Good has already unveiled its robotics plans commencing in the second half of 2022 featuring more than 10 new webinars planned. Stay tuned for the launch of the first Robotics for Good Innovation Factory, a series of global start-up pitching sessions throughout the year to find the most promising solutions using AI and robotics to solve sustainable development challenges.
