AI Institute

KU Wins Bid to Host IROS 2024 in Abu Dhabi

November 14, 2019

Abu Dhabi has won the bid led by Khalifa University to host the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) in 2024. IROS is one of the world’s largest (attracting around 4000 attendees) and most prestigious robotics research conferences, and it will be the first time in the conference’s 30+ year history to be hosted outside North America, Europe and far east Asia.

Winning the bid to host IROS 2024 demonstrates Khalifa University’s internationally-recognized expertise in the field of robotics and intelligent systems. KU’s Center for Autonomous Robotic Systems (KUCARS), directed by Professor Lakmal Seneviratne, is a flagship center of the University’s newly launched Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems Institute. With over 50 faculty and staff working on several diverse projects, KUCARS researchers are conducting groundbreaking research to discover new ways to advance robotics for extreme environments, industrial applications, and infrastructure inspection.

In their bid to host IROS 2024, the KUCARS team led by Professor Jorge Dias, highlighted the importance of hosting the event in the Middle East, which has seen tremendous growth in Robotics and AI research in the last decade. The team highlighted the UAE’s growing focus on Robotics and AI, as evidenced by the UAE’s AI Strategy, which was unveiled in October 2017. The support received from the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority was also crucial in winning the bid. The announcement came during IROS 2019, which was held from 4 – 8 November in Macau, China.

Established in 1988 and held annually, IROS provides a forum for the international robotics research community to explore the frontiers in intelligent robots. In addition to technical sessions and multimedia presentations, IROS conferences also hold panel discussions, forums, workshops, tutorials, exhibits, and technical tours to enrich fruitful discussions among conference attendees.

Erica Solomon
Senior Editor
14 November 2019