[robocup-worldwide] CFP - Registrations Open: The Safety, Security and Rescue Robotics Summer School 2012

[Raymond Sheh]

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The Safety, Security and Rescue Robotics Summer School 2012
10-14 September 2012
Alanya Response Robot Test Facility, Alanya, Turkey
http://www.ssrrsummerschool.org/
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CALL FOR PARTICIPATION - REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN!
Please see website for updated information.


The Safety, Security and Rescue Robotics Summer School is a hands-on 
summer school for graduate students and early career researchers on the 
challenges and Best-in-Class solutions for Safety, Security and Rescue 
Robotics (SSRR).

This intensive five-day educational and development summer school has 
been established by members of the SSRR research community, including 
members of the Organising Committee of the International RoboCupRescue 
Robot League, to better address the rapidly growing need for effective 
robotic solutions in emergency response scenarios. The continuation of 
the highly successful Rescue Robotics Camps held in Rome from 2004 to 
2007, it will consist of single tracked lectures and multi-tracked, 
focused, hands-on practical sessions lead by world class researchers, 
developers and responders. It will also leverage the outcomes of the 
preceding ROS RoboCup Rescue Summer School, such as common software 
modules for autonomy and mapping.

This event is open to all graduate students and early career researchers 
interested in a broad understanding of the SSRR field, coupled with 
in-depth knowledge of specific topics of great current relevance. We 
welcome applications from both inside and outside the RoboCupRescue 
Robot League community. In particular we welcome those interested in 
participating in the DARPA Robotics Challenge and who would like to 
leverage the wealth of experience from the RoboCupRescue Robot League 
and the broader SSRR community.

Please visit the website at http://www.ssrrsummerschool.org/ and send 
email to info at ssrrsummerschool.org if you have any further questions or 
if you would like to be added to the low volume SSRR Summer School 
announcements mailing list.


DATES and REGISTRATION:
The main summer school runs from Monday the 10th to Friday the 14th of 
September, 2012. An optional tutorial on the Robot Operating System 
(ROS) and the Gazebo simulator will be held on Sunday the 9th of September.

Registrations are now open! Please visit 
http://registration.ssrrsummerschool.org/ for more information. Note 
that space is limited and we will begin assigning spots to applicants in 
late June so please apply early to ensure your spot at this event! The 
hard cutoff date for applications will be late July but we anticipate 
only a few spots will remain available to those who submit applications 
close to this date.


STRUCTURE:
Over the course of five days, single tracked lectures and multi-tracked, 
hands-on practical sessions will guide researchers through a wide 
spectrum of topics vital to the SSRR field, focusing on the needs of the 
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) 
communities. During the lectures, participants will gain a comprehensive 
overview of the state-of-the-art in crucial areas of research and 
deployed capabilities, as well as the experiences and needs of the end 
users. Participants will also select one of several multi-tracked 
practical sessions where they will work in small groups to generate 
tangible outcomes, such as software implementations of Best-in-Class 
capabilities, simulation components, user interfaces, standard test data 
or new robot designs. Through these practical sessions, participants 
gain an in-depth understanding and help to build an archive of open, 
Best-in-Class implementations that everyone can use in their research. 
Please see the website for a tentative program.


TOPICS:
The Safety, Security and Rescue Robotics Summer School will cover topics 
as diverse as locomotion, sensors, mapping, mobile dexterous 
manipulation, operator interfaces, autonomous behaviours, high fidelity 
simulators, end user experiences and requirements, and standard test 
methods. It will teach Best-in-Class robotic capabilities demonstrated 
in the international RoboCupRescue Robot League, and introduce 
researchers to other emerging technologies and approaches. The Robot 
Operating System (ROS) infrastructure and the Gazebo robot simulator 
will be used as a common platform to ensure that developments at the 
Summer School may be widely disseminated and built upon. The optional 
ROS and Gazebo tutorial, held on the Sunday prior to the start of the 
Summer School, will allow participants to come up to speed with these 
software packages and learn about the latest developments from the 
preceding ROS RoboCup Rescue Summer School. Please consult the website 
for updated information.


VENUE:
This event will be held at the Alanya Response Robot Testing Facility, 
managed by Robolit LLC in the city of Alanya, in the Antalya region of 
Turkey. This soon to be completed facility will be equipped with the 
DHS-NIST-ASTM International Standard Test Methods for Response Robots, 
on which the RoboCupRescue Robot League competition is based. It is 
co-located with the Drita Hotel, a 4-star all-inclusive Mediterranean 
seaside resort. As a venue for technical workshops and summer schools, 
the Drita Hotel will provide both conference and technical workshop 
facilities.


TRAVEL:
Alanya may be reached via regular scheduled flights by Turkish Airlines 
and AtlasJet from Istanbul to Antalya, with connecting coach services to 
Alanya. Local transfers between Alanya and the hotel will be included in 
the Summer School registration. Please consult the website for more 
details about getting to Alanya.


COST:
Attendees will be charged a nominal registration fee of $150USD, payable 
on notification of acceptance in order to guarantee your spot. Attendees 
will also be offered discounted 4-star accommodation at the Drita Hotel, 
including transportation from Alanya, all meals, beverages and snacks, 
for a cost of between $45.00 USD (triple share) and $81.00 USD (single 
room) per person per day. Information on possible travel support will be 
made available shortly, please subscribe to the mailing list by sending 
email to info at ssrrsummerschool.org if you wish to be kept informed.


ORGANISERS:
General Chair:
- Raymond Sheh, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Robolit LLC
Local Chair:
- Haldun Komsuoglu, Robolit LLC, NIST, Drita Hotel
Co-Chairs:
- Tetsuya Kimura, Nagaoka University of Technology
- Gerald Steinbauer, Graz University of Technology
- Johannes Pellenz, Bundeswehr Technical Center for Engineer and Field 
Equipment (WTD 51)
Advisory Committee:
- Adam Jacoff, NIST
- Daniele Nardi, University of Rome "La Sapienza"


We look forward to seeing you in Alanya!

-- 
Dr. Raymond Sheh

raymond.sheh at robolit.com

Associate
Intelligent Systems Division, Engineering Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8230, USA

Research Scientist
Robolit LLC
1829 Pine Street, Suite 404, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA