CONFERENCE KEYNOTE
Adaptive, Intelligent Robotics Systems: Societal and Commercial Implications
Dr. Rodney Brooks
Director, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In this provocative and compelling keynote address, Dr. Brooks will describe his vision of the cultural and commercial roles adaptive, intelligent robotic systems will play in society. The differences and similarities between human and machine systems will also be discussed, with special emphasis placed on how the interplay between humans and intelligent robots will affect the way in which robotic devices educate, assist, entertain and protect us at home, at work and in the world at large.

Dr. Rodney A. Brooks is Director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and is the Fujitsu Professor of Computer Science. He is also Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of iRobot Corp. His research is concerned with both the engineering of intelligent robots to operate in unstructured environments, and with understanding human intelligence through building humanoid robots.

PLENARY SESSIONS
Toward a Standard Software Platform for Consumer Robotics
Dr. Paolo Pirjanian, Chief Scientist, Evolution Robotics

Today, most robotics products require a great deal custom software development for device drivers and other core software components, along with the applications themselves. This approach stands in stark contrast to the method employed in the software industry where common functionality and components such as graphical interface objects, network connectivity and database access are provided by de facto standardized software objects, frameworks and APIs such as Microsoft’s Windows APIs and .Net framework. This approach allows for the development of more robust and efficient solutions at a much lower cost. In this session, attendees will learn how standard software platforms can be used to build any type of mobile robot application, from vacuum cleaning robots to entertainment robots, faster and with lower, long-term maintenance demands than if they were developed from the ground up.

Dr. Paolo Pirjanian is the Chief Scientist at Evolution Robotics, Inc and heads the R&D efforts in developing core technologies for consumer and commercial robotics products. His main work is focused around vision-based navigation, control architectures, and human-robot interaction.

What’s Next in Mobile Robotics and Automation:
Developments and Applied Research at the Robotics Institute
Dr. Chuck Thorpe, Director, Robotics Institute, Carnegie-Mellon University

In this wide-ranging session, attendees will learn of the ongoing developments in software, sensors and engineering at Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute, including the building of ground-breaking prototypes, and how they might be applied in the commercial realm. Taking a broad view of what constitutes "robotics", Dr. Thorpe will describe devices recognizable as robots - robotic museum tour guides, medical robots, robots that crawl through pipes and over rough terrain - along with robotic technology such as robot arms, minifactories, grippers, sensors, and controllers. Advances in other areas of automation such as speech recognition, process scheduling, computer vision, autonomous vehicles, traffic safety and many other areas will also be discussed.

Dr. Charles E. “Chuck” Thorpe is director of CMU’s Robotics Institute in the School of Computer Science and a founder of the institute’s master’s degree program. Since 1984, he has worked on the development of outdoor robotic vehicles, focusing on computer vision, planning and architectures for these machines. Chuck and his Navlab research group have built a series of 11 robotic cars, trucks, and busses for military and civilian research. Chuck also has been involved in the development of automated helicopters, walking robots and robots that operate under water. He is a Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence.

The Personal, Service and Mobile Robotics Market: Size, Growth and Areas of Opportunity
Dan Kara, Conference Chair and President, Robotics Trends, Inc.

How large is the current and future mobile robotics market, and what is its commercial potential? Also, what is the best way to seize the opportunity? Quantitative research studies provide only a partial answer. Predictors of market growth come from many sources, some quantifiable, while other are more subjective, but real and compelling nonetheless. In this session, Dan Kara will define mobile robotics, provide both quantitative and qualitative analysis to support the widely held belief that the market for intelligent, mobile robots that entertain, educate, assist and protect us, is a totally new market segment, and presents immense opportunities for individuals and corporate entities alike.

Dan Kara is President of Robotics Trends, Inc., an integrated media firm serving the burgeoning personal, service and mobile robotics markets. Prior to forming Robotics Trends, Dan was co-founder, EVP and CTO of Intermedia Group, a leading integrated media company focused on emerging information technology markets. He has over 15 years experience covering emerging technology markets as a leading analyst.

PC Bots: A Versatile, Common Platform for Robotic Innovation
Richard Brown, Associate Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc.

The maturation of key PC industry technologies, notably wireless networking and continued reductions in form factor and costs, along with the wide acceptance of de facto PC standards, is making it possible for robotics to begin to realize its full potential in the commercial, as well as industrial, space, and military environments. In this engaging keynote session, attendees will hear how the massive potential for growth in the robotics space is being realized through the availability of highly integrated, common off-the-shelf (COTS) parts, including low cost, low power x86-based processors, and common PC and wireless standards such as USB, 802.11, Bluetooth etc.

Richard Brown is Associate VP of Marketing for VIA Technologies, Inc. Richard joined VIA in 1999 and has been a key architect in VIA's marketing strategy in transitioning from a core logic chipset design house to leading provider of PC silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions.

CONFERENCE LUNCHEON SPEAKER - SPONSORED BY iROBOT
Technical and Commercial Trends in the Era of Mass Market Robotics Appliances
Colin Angle, CEO and Co-founder, iRobot

Inexpensive robotics technology, coupled with low cost, high volume manufacturing techniques, has led to the emergence and explosive growth of the personal, service and mobile robotics markets, including a mass-market robotic appliances market. This is a worldwide phenomenon that touches consumers, academia, businesses and the government alike, providing product (and revenue) opportunities in the consumer, commercial, civil and military markets. In this insightful keynote, Colin Angle, CEO of iRobot, the makers of the Roomba robotic vacuum, will explain the technical, social and commercial trends driving the robotic appliances mass-market. The opportunities this emerging market presents to the world at large will also be described.

As Co-founder and CEO of iRobot, Colin Angle guides the strategic direction of the company. Colin is a true pioneer in the field of mobile robots, designing the behavior controlled rovers for NASA that led to the Sojourner exploring Mars in 1997. But more importantly Colin has pioneered business models and relationships responsible for the introduction of multiple commercially viable robotic products in commercial and consumer markets.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHT LEADING SPEAKERS

Microsoft Embedded Technologies and Robotics
Dr. Stewart Tansley, Program Manager, Microsoft Research

Microsoft's embedded operating systems, Windows CE .NET and Windows XP Embedded, are popular choices for robotics applications, both commercial and academic. The new SPOT Watch platform, running a native .NET engine, offers tantalizing in robotics if presented in a generic development board form. As Microsoft encourages developers, including embedded system developers and educators, to leverage higher-level software APIs in the form of .NET managed code, there is an opportunity to empower today's robotics engineers with faster software development cycles and more powerful tools, allowing them to focus on the actual application in hand, hardware and other system issues -- or just the process of teaching and learning. Stewart's presentation will highlight some of the academic robotics projects he is involved with through his University Relations position, and explore where software engineering trends might take robotics in the next few years, focusing on the education domain.

Stewart is responsible for Embedded Systems technical advocacy as part of the University Relations team in Redmond. Before this, he was responsible for Microsoft's production IPv6 software as part of the Windows Networking team. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2001, Stewart spent 13 years in the telecommunications industry in various technical and management positions in network software research and development, focusing on technology transfer. Stewart has a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence applied to Engineering from the University of Technology, Loughborough, UK. He has published a variety of papers in artificial intelligence and network management, several patents, and co-authored a book on software engineering for artificial intelligence applications.

The Centibots Project: Potential Applications of Collaborative Robotic Technology
Dr. Regis Vincent, Stanford Research Institute International

The DARPA funded Centibots project is the state-of-the-art in mobile sensor networks and large team robotic collaboration. The goal of the project is to design, implement, and demonstrate a computational framework for the coordination of very large number of resource limited mobile robots (at least 100) or robotic teams on a search and rescue task. To date, Centibots has successfully demonstrated 50 robots in a search and rescue scenario in an area of 24,000 sq. ft. The final experiment in January 2004 will employ over 100 robots during a period of 6 hours. In this session attendees will learn of the innovative methods and technology behind the Centibot project, as well as the potential for use for mobile sensor networks and robotic collaboration in search and rescue operations, as well as employment in other robotic solutions.

Dr. Regis Vincent is a research scientist at SRI International. He is the integration manager for the Centibots project. He has worked on robots and Unmanned Air Vehicle for DARPA and ONR for several years. Regis has published over 20 papers in multi-agent systems and on robot collaboration.

The Consumer Market for Household Robotics: Technological Zeitgeist, Practicality and the Bottom Line

Brookstone Inc., a nationwide specialty retailer with sales exceeding $350 million, offers an wide assortment of high quality, distinctive consumer products sold through 248 stores in 39 states and the District of Columbia, as well as online. In this session attendees will hear firsthand of Brookstone's experiences selling the Roomba robotic vacuum, including sales growth and consumer reactions.

PANEL: Is Mobile Robotics Ready to Roll?
Moderator: Dan Kara, President, Robotics Trends, Inc.

Has the time come for serious investment in the mobile robotics market? The military’s plan to spend up to $34B on robotics projects would seem to make the question moot. Moreover, technical advancements have increased functionality and margins have dramatically improved through reduced prices for core technology, while the barriers of entry remain high for any type of serious play in all but the hobbyist or academic robotics markets (such as the military, consumer or business markets). But military spending cycles are notoriously slow, and the consumer and business markets are not yet aware of the effectiveness and reliability of agile robotic solutions and the possible cost savings of using them. In this panel session, attendees will hear from investment professionals knowledgeable about the robotics industry, and get their opinion on the potential and timeliness of investing in the emerging agile robotics market.

Opportunities in Healthcare Robotics: Assistive Technology, Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy Robotics
Richard M. Mahoney, Ph.D., Director of Business Development, Advanced Rehabilitation Technologies

A rapidly aging population, soaring healthcare costs and a projected shortage of healthcare professionals are crucial problems faced by today's society. Traditional labor-intensive services will no longer be affordable, yet demands for quality care continue to increase. The application of robots and robotic technology has the potential for overcoming these difficulties. In this session, attendees will learn how robotic technology has been applied in healthcare including market evolution, commercial applications and support for new initiatives from various federal agencies. Special emphasis will be placed on robotic therapy including clinical results showing the benefits of robotic therapy, preliminary commercial applications and key players.

Richard Mahoney, Ph.D., is Director of Business Development for Advanced Rehabilitation Technologies. He served as Co-Director of the Robotics Lab of the Applied Science and Engineering Laboratories, was Chair of the RESNA Special Interest Group on Robotics, and has authored numerous conference and journal publications on rehabilitation robotics. Richard, who is a past keynote speaker for the International Conference on Rehabilitation, received his PhD from Cambridge University, England, where he also attended on a Fulbright Scholarship.

Should You Add Robots to Your Product Line?
Jeanne Dietsch, CEO, ActivMedia Robotics

This practical session is designed for OEM's, integrators, consultants, VARs and others considering adding robots or robotic technology to enhance their products and services in areas like building, security, loss prevention, IT, automation or other related specialties. Attendees will learn of the technology's readiness for new product development and incorporation into existing product lines, as well strategies for maximizing the advantages of being first to market. Attendees will also be presented with real-world examples of robotic installations, with emphasis placed on opportunities and potential pitfalls. Current and emerging robotic technology will also be reviewed. The session will end with Q&A.

Jeanne Dietsch, CEO of ActivMedia Robotics, is a serial surfer of new trends. She became a personal computer industry pundit in 1981, before the introduction of the first IBM PC. She wrote the first market research report predicting Internet Commerce’s five-year surge to a $10 billion dollar industry in 1995. At that time, Yahoo listed only 1,100 commercial websites worldwide, with total sales of $10 million. Ms. Dietsch is now CEO of ActivMedia Robotics, a designer and manufacturer at the forefront of applied intelligent mobile robotics.

Robots on Duty: Current and Future Roles for Land-Based Military Robots
Colonel Bruce Jette, PhD, Deputy of Operations, Objective Force Task Force, U.S. Army

Attendees at this provocative session will hear firsthand from Army Colonel Bruce Jette, who is Deputy of Operations for the Army agency charged with a broad mandate of revolutionizing the battlefield, how land-based service robots are being employed in the U.S. military as tools for combat to reduce causalities and reduce operational costs. The uses for military robots, along with their battlefield effectiveness will be described. Other uses for robots in the military, as well as in civilian life, including as security monitors and listening posts, will also be discussed.

Venture Capital and Robotics: Trickle or Tidal Wave?
Kishore Rao, Senior Associate, Trident Capital

The VC industry, while still recovering from the excesses of the late 90s, has ample capital to invest. A few venture firms have recently made investments in robotics. This session will focus on the state of the venture business today and what the robotics industry can do to receive more venture funding. The session will also include a market segmentation and opportunity analysis, including funding stats and trends as they apply to robotics. Highlights include:

• The dollar opportunity for various robotic segments,
• Overview of basic VC stats and trends (e.g large capital overhang, later stage preference),
• Highlight some VC investments in robotics,
• Analysis and summary of the common investment criteria for robotics investment.
  
  

As a Senior Associate at Trident Capital, Kishore focuses on enterprise software, business services, and robotics companies. He has been actively involved with the firm’s investments in iRobot, CCBN, Cymfony, Centrport and Aptegrity among others. He holds a B.S. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University and a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Commercial Application of Vision Guided Autonomous Flying Robots
Omead Amidi, Senior Systems Scientist, co-founder of Autonomous Helicopter Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute

The combination of several emerging enabling technologies such as vision-based object detection and tracking, optical position estimation, inertial navigation, GPS, and non-linear system modeling, have made it possible to have robots serve as intelligent eyes-in-the-sky suitable for numerous commercial applications in areas such as law enforcement, search and rescue, aerial mapping and inspection, movie making, etc. In this session, Omead Amidi will describe the results of his efforts in outdoor vision-guided flight research, as well as the commercial application of the vision guided flying robots that are the result of that research.

PANEL: Robotics Investment Rapid-Fire: Emerging Robotics Technologies Investment Opportunities
Moderator: Dan Kara, President, Robotics Trends, Inc.
Panelists include:

• Aldo Zini, VP Sales, Aethon
• Dean Pomerleau, VP and co-founder, AssistWare Technology
• Kerian Fitzpatrick, Founder, HyperActive Technologies
• Scott Friedman, Founder, SEEGRID Corporation
• Tom Burick, Founder, Whitebox Robotics
  
  

In this fast-moving and free-wheeling session, especially designed for investment professionals (or simply those who want to see the very latest in robotic and sensor technology), representatives from a variety of entrepreneurial robotics and robotic technologies start-ups will describe their companies and the markets they serve in a series of short rapid fire presentations. The information will come fast, and hard, and straight to the point.

PANEL: The New Robotics Market: Lessons From the Front Line
Moderator: Dan Kara, President, Robotics Trends, Inc.

The past few years have witnessed major breakthroughs in sensor systems, computing power, mobility and software with the result that there has been a dramatic increase in the use of robotics around the globe. The resounding success of the older industrial robotics market has been well documented, but less well known has been the emergence of a new robotics market composed of highly intelligent, mobile robots that interact with the world around them, and that will soon dwarf the industrial robotics market in size as new products find their way into the home, the community, the workplace and the battlefield.

In this panel session, attendees will hear from representatives of emerging robotics companies, as well as more mature firms, on the personal, service and mobile robotics market, where they see the marketing going and their secrets for success in the market.