Join Us for the next Waterloo RoboHub Symposium
Join us on campus on April 17th for our next symposium: an interdisciplinary event where thought leaders from across the private and public sectors will come together to discuss and learn about both current and future applications of human-centric robotics and related technologies, including the current attention surrounding humanoid robots.
The day will include talks and panels from experts in diverse fields with critical insights into human-centric robotics, as well as exhibitors and lightning talks from across our community.
Click the button below to jump to our registration form at the end of the page, or feel free to continue scrolling to learn more about our confirmed speakers, attendees, and exhibitors.
Speakers and Panelists
The talks and panels held throughout the day will include experts from across academia and industry who are either actively working directly in the field of human-centric robotics, including developing humanoids and social robots, or making a significant interdisciplinary impact in the field through their contributions in adjacent fields.
They will discuss and respond to questions related to the potential impact of robotics and related technologies on our personal and professional lives over the next 5 - 10 years.
Expert Panel on Humanoid and Biomimetic Robotics
Our panel of experts on humanoid and biomimetic robots will discuss the impact that they believe these systems and related technologies will have on our personal and professional lives over the coming 5 - 10 years. This panel session will also include an audience Q&A section, where attendees will have the chance to ask our experts questions to dig deeper into this rapidly expanding field.
This panel will be moderated by Jim Beretta, Host of The Robot Industry Podcast and President of Customer Attraction Industrial Marketing.
Lightning Talks
Throughout the day, we will have "Lightning Talks" sessions presented by thought leaders in the field drawn from our professional partnership program, industrial collaborators, and members of our research team.
These talks will provide an avenue for speakers to talk about their organizations, labs, and technologies, as well as share what they see as the impact of human-centric robotics and related technologies over the next 5 - 10 years.
These talks aim to introduce these organizations and speakers to the broader RoboHub community and to plant seeds for potential collaborations.
Lightning Talks: Industry, Impact, and Innovation
This session will include lightning talks by domain experts which focus on the current state of the robotics industry, the impact that robots will have over the coming 5-10 years on our personal and professional lives, and innovations coming out of RoboHub members' and partners' labs that will have a critical impact on the robotics industry.
This session includes speakers from the following organizations (in alphabetical order):
- Active & Interactive Robotics (AIR) Lab, University of Waterloo
- Cybermedia Technologies
- Ecological and Resilient Autonomous roBots (ERAB) Lab, University of Waterloo
- Human in Motion Robotics
- Indro Robotics
- Kinova Robotics
- Maglev Microrobotics Lab, University of Waterloo
- Robotics Centre of Excellence, Rockwell Automation
Lightning Talks: Starting, Supporting, and Scaling
This session will include lightning talks by domain experts who will provide insights and resources focused on starting, supporting, and scaling robotics companies and organizations.
This session includes speakers from the following organizations (in alphabetical order):
- AXIBO
- Cybersecure Robotics and Future Talent (CRAFT) Program, University of Waterloo
- Georgian Partners
- Mitacs
- Ontario Centre for Innovation’s Critical Industrial Technologies Initiative (OCI CIT)
- Polymatvericks Engineering
- Open Roboethics Institute (ORI)
- Two Small Fish Ventures
Lightning Talks: Social Robotics and HRI
This session will include lightning talks by domain experts in the field of social robotics and human-robot interaction (HRI), who will provide insights focused on the social, physical, and ethical challenges and opportunities of working and living with robots.
This session includes speakers from the following organizations (in alphabetical order):
- BioAdaptive Interface Lab (BAIL), Wilfred Laurier University
- Contact-Based Human-Robot Collaboration (CHRC) Lab, University of Calgary
- Emotionally Intelligent and Trustworthy Agents (EITA) Lab, University of Waterloo
- Haptic Experience Lab (HXLab), University of Waterloo
- Human in Motion Robotics
- Responsible Autonomy and Intelligent System Ethics (RAISE) Lab, McGill University
- Social and Intelligent Robotics Research Lab (SIRRL), University of Waterloo
- Social Robots / Urban Robotics Foundation (URF)
Domain Experts
In addition to our speakers and panellists, we have invited experts from across a diverse set of interdisciplinary fields to take part in our event. These experts will be providing questions for our speakers and panellists throughout the more formal elements of the symposium, as well as being available throughout the networking sessions to chat with all of our other attendees.
Exhibitors
As part of the symposium, members of our Research Team, from on- and off-campus, and organizations taking part in our Professional Partnership Program will have booths set up where you can talk to experts across our community, learn what their labs and organizations are all about, and see some exciting demos of robots, sensors, and other technology.
This exhibition is open to both symposium attendees and the public, and is advertised to thousands of undergraduate and graduate students from universities and colleges in the area.
Throughout the day, as a registered attendee of the symposium, you will have several opportunities to network with our exhibitors without missing any of our talks, including during the extended networking break over lunch and after the last talk of the day.
We will also have a special dedicated showcase space in the main IDEAs Clinic room which is only open to registered attendees. This showcase includes a diverse selection of engineering design team projects and undergraduate fourth-year design projects in robotics from across the entire faculty, which have been developed as part of the capstone program here at Waterloo Engineering with the support of the RoboHub team.
Industry Exhibitors
Our industry exhibitors typically bring robots, sensors, and other related technology for our attendees to learn more about, are recruiting for co-op and full-time positions, and/or are looking for partnerships, suppliers, and customers to help them grow their impact on the wider world.
Community Exhibitors
These organizations offer a range of programs and services that help to educate, support, and grow our students, member labs, partner organizations, and people and groups across the RoboHub community in general.
Research Lab Exhibitors
These labs and groups, all led by RoboHub Research Team members, will be demonstrating some of the latest research in their respective fields, initiating collaborations with external stakeholders, and recruiting students to join their labs to work on their research projects as undergraduate research assistants, co-op students, and grad students.
Invited Organizations
In addition to the organizations hosting booths as part of our exhibition and career fair, we have invited members of our research team, our partners, and a host of other organizations to join us for the symposium, either as speakers throughout the day or to facilitate connections between our attendees and these organizations.
Registration
We hope you're excited to join us at the next Waterloo RoboHub Symposium! If you would like to join us at the symposium on April 17th, please fill out the contact form below, and we will be in touch to provide you with the next steps. Please note: due to space constraints, only RoboHub Research Team members and Professional Partners are guaranteed a seat at the talks and panels.
For more information about the symposium, including details about sponsoring the event, hosting a booth, and/or taking part in the lightning talks, please reach out to us directly at robohub@uwaterloo.ca.