REGISTER NOW: 13 MARCH 2024 for “Human-robot collaboration and AI – hype or reality?”

In collaboration with fellow EU-funded projects: AI-PRISM, CONVERGING, FELICE and FLUENTLY, we invite you to join and contribute to the “Human-robot collaboration and AI – hype or reality? From pilots to best practices” workshop during the 15th edition of the European Robotics Forum, to be held on 13 March 2024 in Rimini, Italy.

Collaborative robots remain a focal point in Industry 5.0. They are viewed as promising tools to alleviate both physical and mental stress to lower the skill barrier for workers and to boost productivity. As novel human-robot collaboration (HRC) applications emerge, the discourse is shifting towards understanding and consolidating best practices. As a follow-up to last year´s workshop “Human-robot collaboration & AI in challenging industrial applications”, this workshop shifts the focus from generic to specific use case scenarios. Following a bottom-up approach, real use cases will be used to identify the human-centric and societal challenges that come with the adoption of the solutions. The workshop will also explore emerging formal definitions, classifications and standardisations aimed to elevate industry standards and empower workers through HRC. 

The workshop will integrate two expert panels discussing:  

• Key human-centric challenges
• HRC best practices and standards

This dual focus ensures a balanced exploration of both social and technical aspects of Human-robot collaboration. Six keynote speakers from academia and industry will share expert knowledge in their impulse talks.

Workshop agenda

Time	Description
16:30	Introduction and icebreaker  Goals and objectives of the workshop  Recap of the latest progress made by the participating projects (AI-PRISM, FELICE, CONVERGING, SOPRANO, COGNIMAN, and FLUENTLY)  Significance of human-robot collaboration (HRC) and AI in Industry 5.0  Ice-breaker activity
16:40	Pilot applications of HRC and AI  Real-world case studies of successful HRC and AI integration  Unveiling the intricacies of industries and applications where HRC and AI have demonstrated task comprehension and collaborative decision-making Examining the impact on productivity, worker well-being and skill barrier reduction in cross-cutting scenarios common in different projects
17:00	Challenges and barriers to HRC and AI adoption  Exploration of the primary human-centric challenges faced in the implementation of HRC and AI in industrial settings  Identification of societal challenges and ethical considerations Discussion on barriers hindering widespread adoption and acceptance by the workforce
17:10	Interactive Q&A session with the audience
17:15	Emerging frameworks   Overview of current developments focused on emerging frameworks for robot programming and HRC application deployment  Programming frameworks  Comprehensive overview of approaches across participating projects  HRC application deployment  General overview and usage examples from the participating projects
17:30	Future trends, collaborative and standardisation initiatives  Exploration of ongoing efforts to establish unified guidelines for HRC and AI integration  Discussion on potential future trends in standardisation and their implications
17:40	Interactive Q&A session with the audience
17:45	Closing remarks and key takeaways

About the European Robotics Forum (ERF)

The European Robotics Forum (ERF) is the most influential meeting of the robotics community in Europe, spanning academia, industry and society. It aims to foster communication and knowledge transfer and covers technology, applications and the impact of robotics. The ERF provides a podium to discuss recent and future advances in robotics in the context of applications, societal impact, ethical and legal considerations.

Research on the applications of Robotics and AI to the industrial scenario is leading to a very fast-growing innovation in Europe. Thus, it is more and more important to foster the discussion between researchers and industry to create a synergy that will drive the future of research and industrial innovation.

ERF2024 introduces an industrial scientific track for strengthening the scientific component of ERF. Industrial scientific sessions will present the latest results about advanced industrial applications of modern robotics.