Khalifa University hosted world renowned Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Dean of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania Dr. Vijay Kumar as part of their Distinguished Speakers Series on January 20 2016 at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The event was attended by Khalifa University’s senior management members of faculty students and the general public.
Dr. Kumar who is an expert in the collective behaviors of biological and robotic systems discussed ways in which robotics and automated systems have changed the way humans interact with the world around us and how current research might affect robotics in the future.
“The demand for UAV’s has grown dramatically ” said Dr. Kumar. “Currently there are over 15 000 UAV’s being sold in the USA every month and this explosion means that there are now more people working on development which will lead to greater advancements in the field. The future is also in smaller safer and more maneuverable UAV’s particularly those that are able to ‘swarm’ like birds and insects do.”
“Khalifa University has taken a keen interest in Robotics over the past few years with many of our students participating in the Drones for Good competitions and with Khalifa University hosting the inaugural Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotic Challenge (MBZIRC) ” said Khalifa University President Dr. Tod Laursen. “So it’s very rewarding for our students and faculty to have the opportunity to listen to a world expert in the field. Especially one that is involved with novel research and the development of new systems and architectures. Undoubtedly our students will take away a lot from this lecture and feel inspired to pursue careers or innovations in the robotics field.”
The next Khalifa University Distinguished Speakers Series event will be held on February 28 2016 at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) and feature Elias Zerhouni President of Global Research and Development for Sanofi he will discuss Biomedical research and development: Current and future directions.
