From August 5th to 8th, 2024, the city of Kristiansand, Norway, hosted the 19th IEEE Conference on Industrial Electronics and Applications (ICIEA 2024). Among the distinguished participants were Tapio Heikkilä and his team from VTT, partner of the INVERSE consortium.
Showcasing INVERSE
One of the highlights of the conference was a presentation by PhD student Taneli Lohi from VTT, titled “Programming of Skill-based Robots.” His talk showcased partial results from the INVERSE project, focusing on how robots can be programmed quickly and efficiently using a skill library. Lohi also introduced the audience to the development of user-friendly interfaces for programming robots, which are innovatively based on CAD models or operator tracking.
Conference topic in perfect alignment with INVERSE
ICIEA 2024 had a strong focus on robotics, aligning perfectly with the themes of the INVERSE project. Prof. Bruno Siciliano of the University of Naples Federico II delivered a fascinating keynote on “Robotics Meets AI & 5G – The Future is Now!” He discussed the distinct physical nature of robots compared to the abstract domain of AI and noted the significant shift from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to Interaction Technology (IAT). Prof. Siciliano underscored the role of 5G technology in transforming robotics, facilitating real-time sensor data access and enhancing the integration with cloud computing and storage.
Another notable presentation was by Prof. Ren C. Luo from National Taiwan University, titled “AI Enhanced Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Automation with Multi-Modal Generative Adversarial Network Image Caption System.” Prof. Luo delved into the challenges and opportunities in robotics, sharing insights and video demonstrations from NTU’s iCeiRA Lab that illustrated leading-edge practices in intelligent robotics and manufacturing automation.
Both Prof. Siciliano and Prof. Luo highlighted the critical role of generative AI in advancing the field of robotics, pointing to a vibrant and transformative future for the industry.
Successful participation
The participation of VTT at ICIEA 2024 not only highlighted their ongoing contributions to robotics research but also promoted the INVERSE project to an international audience full of experts and potential stakeholders.
VTT visits Hokarob AS
The colleagues from VTT made the most of their time in Norway and shortly visited Hokarob AS, a company located in the city of Grimstad, about 45 km from Kristiansand. Hokarob designs and manufactures parallel kinematic machines with associated software and services, and even more interestingly, also has a Software product for robot programming, iRBCAM.
During the visit, prof. Geir Hovland, the CEO of Hokarob AS, with his colleagues introduced their products and services, while VTT presented the INVERSE project. Discussions focused on robot programming, specifically how Hokarob approaches and manages it using their IRBCAM software.
Hokarob’s innovative approach of delivering their software via a web interface, which relies on browser plug-ins, is particularly intriguing.