Control and Robotics (CtrlRobot) Lab

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AIM2024 Workshop: Future of Work in the Age of Robotics and AI

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AIM2024 Workshop


AIM2024 Workshop

Future of Work in the Age of Robotics and AI

Date: July 15, 2024

Time: Half-day workshop (09:30 – 13:00 EST)

ABSTRACT:

While robotics and AI are rapidly changing the landscape of jobs and work, there are numerous obstacles to overcome to establish new industries and job roles, all while striving to improve productivity and the overall quality of work life. This workshop is designed to bring together individuals involved in robotics across various sectors. Its goal is to facilitate discussions on cutting-edge robotics research, including topics like human-robot collaboration, motion planning and control, and artificial intelligence. By examining these advancements, we seek to understand how robotics and AI will impact future work across industries such as manufacturing, construction, transportation, warehousing, and more. Through collaborative exploration and discussion, the workshop aims to shed light on the potential implications of these technologies for the workforce of tomorrow.

ORGANIZERS:

Minghui Zheng

Minghui Zheng
Associate Professor
Texas A&M University

Hao Su

Hao Su
Associate Professor
North Carolina State University

Tan Chen

Tan Chen
Assistant Professor
Michigan Technological University

Ellen Mazumdar

Ellen Mazumdar
Assistant Professor
Georgia Institute of Technology

Jingang Yi

Jingang Yi
Professor
Rutgers University

SPEAKERS:

This workshop will be about 3 hours and may consist of 6-8 presentations (20 minutes per talk). Here are the confirmed speakers to date.:

Ben Armstrong

Ben Armstrong,
Executive Director and Research Scientist
MIT’s Industrial Performance Center

Taskin Padir

Taskin Padir
Professor
Northeastern University
Awardee of FW-HTF-RL: Co-worker Robots to Impact Seafood Processing (CRISP): Designs, Tools and Methods for Enhanced Worker Experience)

Dr. Yi

Jingang Yi
Professor
Rutgers University
Awardee of FW-HTF-R:Wearable Safety Sensing and Assistive Robot-Worker Collaboration for an Augmented Workforce in Construction

Dr. Toumi

Kamal Youcef-Toumi
Professor
MIT

Dr. Alightam

Jonathon E. Slightam
Postdoctoral appointee
Sandia National Laboratories

Dr. Chen MIT

Yufeng (Kevin) Chen
Associate Professor
MIT

TENTATIVE PROGRAM:

Time Talk Comments
09:30 – 09:40 Welcoming Remarks
09:40 – 10:00 TBD Invited Speaker #1
10:00 – 10:20 TBD Invited Speaker #2
10:20 – 10:40 TBD Invited Speaker #3
10:40 – 11:00 Coffee break, poster/demo session Selected posters
11:00 – 11:20 TBD Invited Speaker #4
11:20 – 11:40 TBD Invited Speaker #5
11:40 – 12:00 TBD Invited Speaker #6
12:00 – 12:20 TBD Invited Speaker #7
12:20 – 13:00 Lunch Discussion


Dr. Minghui Zheng joins Texas A&M University!

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Welcome to the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Zheng!

Dr. Zheng is joining the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University this Spring.

Dr. Minghui Zheng’s primary area is control and robotics. One of her research directions is task sequence and robotic motion planning in a human-robot collaborative environment. She is particularly interested in such developments to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the disassembly, recycling, and remanufacturing of end-of-use products such as e-wastes. Another research direction is learning-based control to enable learning among heterogeneous drones toward their mass customization and application. Her research interests also include collaborative estimation using connected vehicles, optimization and control for power and energy storage systems, as well as iterative learning control for high-precision systems.

Dr. Zheng received her Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Mechanics from Beihang University in 2008. After, she pursued a Master’s degree in Control Science and Engineering in 2011. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkley in 2017. Upon graduation, she began her career at the University of Buffalo within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department. In 2021, she received two distinguished awards: the NSF CAREER Award and the SEAS Early Career Researcher of the Year from UB. Dr. Zheng’s research has been supported by part of an approximate $6.5M total funding of which she is the PI or university PI. So far her share of the research funding is more than $2M. She has been working on six NSF grants as the PI.

Dr. Zheng has authored/co-authored 34 journal articles. She has published papers in major journals in her field, such as IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, and Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing. These publications documented discoveries and insights in learning, planning, and control algorithms for collaborative robots, drones, high-precision data and energy storage systems, etc.. Dr. Zheng has authored/co-authored 36 peer-reviewed conference papers, of which two are selected among the best conference (student) paper finalists and one is selected as the best student paper on vibrations of the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division. Additionally, she owns two patents.

She has also taken part in many professional activities to further her leadership skills, such as being a reviewer for the NSF, organizing workshops, reviewing journals and conferences.

Her research interests include:

  • Robotics, control and mechatronics
  • Task sequence and robotic motion planning in a human-robot collaborative environment
  • Lerarning-based control to enable learning among heterogeneous robots toward their mass customization and application
  • Collaborative estimation using connected vehicles, optimization and control for power and energy storage systems
  • Iterative learning control for high-precision systems