News on The First International Reconfigurable Robot Conference (7/1/2009)

The first ASME/IFToMM International Conference on Reconfigurable Mechanisms and Robots (ReMAR) was held at King's College London from the 22 to 24 June 2009.

More than 130 delegates from 24 countries and regions came to present and discuss research on new robots developed in the past decade and their mechanisms. Topics of research and discussion included new properties and uses of robots for domestic, medical, hazardous, out-space and manufacturing environments, and the adaptability and reconfiguration of robots.

Over the past decade, researchers have created new mechanisms and robots with an ability to adapt and reconfigure to different topological and mobility requirements in order to fulfil various tasks. Professor Jian S Dai, Conference Chair and Professor of Mechanisms and Robotics, said: 'The 21st century presents a challenge to mechanisms and robots for adaptability as well as reconfigurability and requires innovation in design, medical application and development.

'Traditional concepts of mechanisms and robot development need to keep up with the ongoing innovations in science and technology, particularly in the areas of space exploration, medical application, hazardous environment work, and the requirements of small batch, short run and quick change-over productions.'

A resounding success

ReMAR conference received an overwhelming response from the mechanisms and robotics community. Over 168 submissions were received and 108 papers were selected after a rigorous peer review process. The Conference had seven symposia and 23 sessions with 108 presentations and nine keynote speeches, and included an M-TRAN Reconfigurable Robot demonstration.

Professor Dai commented: 'We are delighted with the successful turnout of the conference. It was a high-level review of the past ten years' development in reconfigurable mechanisms and robotics, and we were pleased that so many international leading experts in this field were able to attend. The conference provided an excellent forum to discuss the future direction of research in this field in both academic and industrial communities, and we surely aim to repeat it in the future.'

The conference was sponsored by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Control Group, Design Division and Mechanisms and Robotics Committee, by the IFToMM (International Federation of the Promotion of Mechanisms and Machines), and by the Automation and Robotics Society of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), the IMechE and IMechE Mechatronics Forum. For more information about the conference visit the ReMAR website.

The opening session

The opening session speech was give by Professor Rick Trainor the Principal of King's College London and the President of Universities UK. This was followed by Professor Rod Smith of the Deputy of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and by Professor John Gray of the UK Robotics Society Chairman and the Representative of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). The Conference received congratulation letters from the Professor Marco Ceccarelli of the President of the International Federation for Promotion of Mechanisms and Machines (IFToMM), Mr Burt Dicht of the Managing Director of the ASME Knowledge and Community, and Professor Gordon Pennock of the Chair of the ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Conference. Professor Jian Dai of the Conference chair presented the past ten-year development of the reconfigurable mechanisms and robots, the three-year preparation of the conference and the delegation distribution and topics distribution of the Conference.

The Monday opening had the following activities:

1. Organizing Chair announcing the opening of the ReMAR 2009 Conference

2. Opening speech by the President (Principal) of King's College London and the President of Universities UK representing the heads of all UK universities

3. Opening speech by the Deputy President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) of United Kingdom

4. Opening speech by the UK robotics society Chairman and the representative of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

5. Letter of congratulation from the President of the IFToMM.

6. Letter of congratulation from the managing director of the ASME knowledge and community.

7. Letter of congratulation from the Chairman of ASME Mechanisms and Robotics Committee.

8. Opening speech by the Conference Chair, Vice-Chair of the ASME UK&I Section.

9. Group photo opportunity

The conference had 7 symposia and 23 sessions with 108 presentations from 22 countries and regions and over 130 delegates. 9 keynote speakers presented the research and topics on reconfigurable mechanisms, origami-inspired mechanisms, reconfigurable machines, reconfigurable robots, humanoid robots and reconfigurable manufacturing systems. The speeches interested audience with their colourful background including current development and future research direction and ancient Chinese mechanisms. A reception was held on Sunday and a banquet was held on Monday night. On Tuesday the award luncheon was held and the delegates went in the evening cruising at River Thames and touring and listening to the debates at Houses of Parliaments. The conference concluded on Wednesday at noon time. A colourful social event was arranged.

The Conference produced hardcover books and CDROM proceedings and 108 papers were selected from the 168 full submission after the rigorous peer-review process. Each paper has at least three reviewers to make the recommendation and the acceptance rate is 64.3%. The final submissions were carefully prepared by all the authors of the accepted papers. These 108 papers were given from professionals who are working in this leading field of reconfigurable mechanisms, machines, robots and manufacturing systems

The conference was sponsored by the ASME Control Group, Design Division and Mechanisms and Robotics Committee, by the IFToMM (International Federation of the Promotion of Mechanisms and Machines), by the Automation and Robotics Society of the IEEE, by the IMechE Mechatronics, Informatics and Control Group and by the Mechatronics Forum.

The conference was a high-level review of the past ten-year development in reconfigurable mechanisms, machines, robots and manufacturing systems and their applications to domestic use, production, health, rescue and outer space exploration. In particular, the conference provided an international forum for presenting and discussing new mechanisms and robots developed in the past decade with their new properties of changing topological structure, therefore the mobility and for discussing their uses for domestic, hazardous, out-space and manufacturing environments with adaptability and reconfiguration.

The conference also provided a forum to discuss the future direction of research in this leading field in both academic and industrial communities.

The 7 symposia and 23 sessions are listed as follows:

1. Reconfiguration Theory

1.1. Reconfiguration Principles and Reviews 1.2. Variable Geometry and Characteristics 1.3. Reconfigurable Truss and Foldable Mechanisms

2. Reconfigurable Mechanism Topology and Design

2.1. Topology and Transformation 2.2. Synthesis Based on Reconfiguration Principles 2.3. Design of Reconfigurable Mechanisms 2.4. Type Synthesis of Multi-Operational Modes

3. Kinematics and Dynamics of Reconfigurable Mechanisms

3.1. Kinematic Analysis of Reconfigurable Mechanisms 3.2. Dynamic Analysis of Reconfigurable Mechanisms 3.3. Force and Torque Modelling of Reconfigurable Mechanisms

4. Bio-Reconfiguration Techniques and Biomedical Devices

4.1. Bio-Reconfiguration and Analysis 4.2. Biomedical Devices and Bio-Design 4.3. Bio-System

5. Origami-Inspired Reconfigurable Mechanisms

5.1. Artmimetics 5.2. Anatomy and Configuration

6. Analysis, Design and Control of Reconfigurable Robots

6.1. Modular Robots 6.2. Analysis and Design of Reconfigurable Robots 6.3. Metamorphic Robots and Applications 6.4. Reconfigurable Parallel Mechanisms 6.5. Control

7. Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems

7.1. Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems

7.2. Reconfigurable Fixtures and Manufacturing Devices

Workshop 1: Climbing and Modular Robots

Workshop 2: Automatic Feeding and Transmission

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by King's College London

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