
April 2003 From Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon hosts media breakfast to kick off RoboCup What: RoboCup Opening Day Events When: 8 a.m., Friday, May 2, 2003 Where: Danforth Lounge, second floor, University Center, Carnegie Mellon campus.Event: Soccer fans and robotics enthusiasts alike will converge at Carnegie Mellon University May 2-4, 2003, while teams of autonomous soccer playing robots from North and South America go head to head at the International RoboCup Federation�s first American Open. The competition will feature three leagues, small-size wheeled robots, Sony legged Aibo robots and computer simulation. Carnegie Mellon also will showcase search-and-rescue robots in a disaster arena, developed by experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. During demonstrations May 2 and 3, attendees will be able to use a simulator to control a robot as it searches for lifelike victims in the disaster arena. While the RoboCup competition is under way, Carnegie Mellon is also hosting ASIMO, the world�s most advanced humanoid robot, developed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. The RoboCup opening at 10 a.m., Friday, May 2, will be preceded by a media breakfast, which will include brief discussions and a question-and-answer session about robots and robotics. Speakers include: Yoshiaki Sakagami, chief engineer, Sensory and Behavior Research Group, Honda R&D Ltd. John deCuir, manager, software development, Entertainment Robot America, Sony Electronics. Takeo Kanade, Carnegie Mellon professor and vision expert who will talk about his Digital Human Laboratory in Japan. Its goal is to make robots understand people. Manuela Veloso, American Open general chair, professor, Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science. Illah Nourbakhsh, assistant professor of robotics, heading the urban search-and-rescue program. James H. Morris, dean, Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science, will moderate the panel.The following events will take place after the press breakfast: 9:30 a.m. � Opening Ceremony, RoboCup American Open, Rangos Hall, second floor, University Center. 10 a.m. � RoboCup begins. Small-size, Sony Legged League competitions and Urban Search-and-Rescue Demonstrations, Rangos Hall, second floor, University Center. Simulation League competition, Connan Room, first floor, University Center. Competitions and demonstrations continue through May 3 and 4. A complete schedule will be available at the media information desk, Wean Commons, first floor, University Center. Contact: Gretchen Underwood, 412-268-4290, if you wish to attend the breakfast. | |