ECR Academic Dr. Mauro Dragone presents at ScotSoft 2016

Edinburgh Centre for Robotics academic Mauro Dragone spoke at ScotSoft 2016 on the 8th October 2016 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

http://www.scotlandis.com/scotsoft/programme/

Dr. Dragone illustrated the potential of building an Internet of Robotic Things, and discussed the artificial intelligence and software engineering issues associated with its realisation.

Title: From Robotic Ecologies to Internet of Robotic Things: Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering Issues 

Abstract: Building smart spaces combining IoT technology and robotic capabilities is an important and extended challenge for EU R&D&I, and a key enabler for a range of advanced applications, such as home automation, manufacturing, and ambient assisted living (AAL). In my talk I will provide an overview of robotic ecologies, i.e. systems made up of sensors, actuators and (mobile) robots that cooperate to accomplish complex tasks. I will discuss the Robotic Ecology vision and highlight how it shares many similarities with the Internet of Things (IoT): The ideal aim on both fronts is that arbitrary combinations of devices should be able to be deployed in everyday environments, and there efficiently provide useful services. However, while this has the potential to deliver a range of disruptive services and address some of the limitations of current IoT efforts, their effective realization necessitates both novel software engineering solutions and artificial intelligence methods to simplify their large scale application in real world settings. I will illustrate these issues by focusing on the results of the EU project RUBICON (fp7rubicon.eu). RUBICON built robotic ecologies that can learn to adapt to changing and evolving requirements with minimum supervision. The RUBICON approach builds upon a unique combination of methods from cognitive robotics, machine learning, wireless sensor networks and software engineering. I will summarise the lessons learned by adopting such an approach and outline promising directions for future developments.

Biography: 

Mauro Dragone is Assistant Professor with the Research Institute of Signals, Sensors and Systems (ISSS), School of Engineering & Physical Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Dr. Dragone gained more than 12 years of experience as a software architect and project manager in the software industry before his involvement with academia. His research expertise includes robotics, human-robot interaction, wireless sensor networks and software engineering. Dr. Dragone was involved in a number of EU projects investigating Internet of Things (IoT) and intelligent control solutions for smart environments, before initiating and leading the EU project RUBICON (fp7rubicon.eu).