Workshops and Tutorials

The list of accepted workshops and tutorials is as follows:

Workshop 1 – Full Day (Great Room 1&2 – Combined Capacity: 320 pax)

Title: Workshop on Machine Learning for Automation – In Memory of Peter B. Luh

Abstract:

There has been tremendous development in machine learning for automation. This is not only
witnessed by the successful workshop under the same title in CASE 2022, but also by the growing
number of related publications in CASE/ICRA/T-ASE as well as in other journals and conferences. We
would like to continue this workshop in CASE2023 to update our review on the exciting research
progress as well as research opportunities in this field. This year, our workshop is unique. We organize
this event in memory of Professor Peter B. Luh, a founding member of the AdHoc on Machine Learning
for Automation, and a beloved friend to many of us, who passed away at the end of 2022. Peter once
enthusiastically identified Machine Learning for Automation as “the next big thing” for our research
community. We intend to use this workshop to share the exciting progress in this field with more
members of our community.

Organizers:

• (Samuel) Qing-Shan Jia, Professor | Tsinghua University, China | E-mail: jiaqs@tsinghua.edu.cn (corresponding organizer)
• Bengt Lennartson, Professor | Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden | E-mail: bengt.lennartson@chalmers.se
• Maria Pia Fanti, Professor | Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy | E-mail: mariapia.fanti@poliba.it
• Bing Yan, Assistant Professor | Rochester Institute of Technology, USA | E-mail: bxyeee@rit.edu

Workshop 2 – Full Day (Great Room 4 – Capacity: 160 pax)

Title: Precise Surgical Robotics: Design, Modeling, Sensing, and Control

Abstract:

The development of surgical robots has led to the widespread acceptance of minimally invasive surgeries
for accessing surgical sites through natural orifices or minimal incisions. While existing abdominal surgical
robots have been well-developed in academic and commercial areas, there is still a great need for more
sophisticated surgical robots, especially in complex and deep anatomies such as transoral surgery, sinus
surgery, and neurosurgery. Therefore, the design, modeling, sensing, and control of precise surgical robots are critical and significant. This workshop aims to bring together professionals from diverse backgrounds, including robotics, medicine, and medical device manufacturing, to share their expertise and insights into the latest technological and business trends in surgical robotics. The workshop will focus on the critical yet contradictory requirements of dexterity and stiffness in surgical robot design, and various actuation methods proposed to meet these requirements, such as cable-driven mechanisms, push-pull rod actuation, concentric pre-curved tubes, pneumatic/hydraulic actuation, smart materials, and magnetic forces. The workshop will also cover the modeling of surgical robots, including kinematic and static analysis, as well as the sensing of shape and interactive force with the environment. The interactive force with the environment is essential for surgical intervention, and force sensors can be used to measure the interaction forces between the robot and tissue. Besides, control is critical for precise surgical robots, and various control strategies have been proposed, including position control, force control, and impedance control. Overall, this workshop will provide a platform for participants to exchange knowledge and build networks to advance the field of precise surgical robotics and improve patient outcomes in complex surgeries.

Organizers:

• Kwok Wai Samuel, Professor | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | E-mail: samuelau@mae.cuhk.edu.hk
• HUANG Kai, Professor | Sun Yat-sen University | huangk36@mail.sysu.edu.cn
• LI Weibing, Associate Professor | Sun Yat-sen University | liwb53@mail.sysu.edu.cn
• ZHOU Jianshu, Research Assistant Professor | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | jszhou@mae.cuhk.edu.hk
• CAO Lin, Assistant Professor | The University of Sheffield | l.cao@sheffield.ac.uk
• MA Xin, Research Assistant Professor | The Chinese University of Hong Kong | E-mail: xinma001@cuhk.edu.hk (corresponding organizer)
• WANG Xuchen, PhD Candidate | The Chinese University of Hong Kong |E-mail: xcwang@mae.cuhk.edu.hk

Tutorial – Half Day (Great Room 3 – Capacity: 80 pax)

Title: Biosignals-based design approaches for the development of human-machine interfaces for shared control of computer applications and robotic devices

Abstract:

Various human machine interfaces (HMI) have been developed employing various control methods to suit
specific needs of the user. These interface can employ various types of biosignals to offer an intuitive and
hands-free method of robotic control. However, biosignals require pre-processing and can vary depending on biological differences of the users leading differences between individuals as well as the same individual between recording sessions. The content covered in this proposed tutorial is based on a very recent work of the authors where they developed semi-autonomous and shared control schemes based on biological signals from the user. Additionally, the tutorial also covers the data collection procedure and data treatment steps in order to train machine learning models to decode these signals. Therefore, the tutorial will provide the participants with all the tools needed to perform data collection, model training and development, and implement control of HMI to perform a semiautonomous and shared control for execution of complex manipulation tasks using robotic devices.

Organizers:

• Bonnie Guan, Doctoral Candidate | New Dexterity Research Group | The University of Auckland, New Zealand, E-mail: bgua324@aucklanduni.ac.nz (corresponding organizer)
• Ricardo Vilela De Godoy, Doctoral Candidate | New Dexterity Research Group, The University of Auckland, New Zealand | E-mail: rdeg264@aucklanduni.ac.nz
• Anany Dwivedi, Postdoctoral Fellow | Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute, University of Waikato, New Zealand | E-mail: dwivedi.anany@gmail.com
• Minas Liarokapis, Associate Professor | New Dexterity Research Group, The Uniiversity of Auckland, New Zealand | E-mail: minas.liarokapis@auckland.ac.nz