Social Events

Welcome Reception

Sunday, Sept 14, 18:00-19:30, Grand/State Ballrooms, Palmer House Hilton

• Meet some friends, have a drink, and kickoff IROS 2014 in style.

Coffee Breaks

Exhibit Hall, Palmer House Hilton

• Most coffee breaks will take place in the Exhibit Hall. Thanks to SCHUNK for their sponsorship of the coffee breaks.

RSJ Power Lunch

Monday, Sept 15, 12:45-13:15, Grand, State, and Red Lacquer Rooms, Palmer House Hilton

• Hear about new technologies and products from representatives of IROS 2014 exhibitors and sponsors while you eat lunch. Lunch is complimentary but first-come first-served. Limited quantities are available. The RSJ Power Lunch Program can be found here.

Explore Chicago Social Events

Monday evening, Sept 15

• More information on the Monday night Explore Chicago social events can be found here.

IEEE RAS Women in Engineering (WiE) Luncheon

Tuesday, Sept 16, 18:30-19:30, Chicago Room, 5th Floor, Palmer House Hilton

• The WiE luncheon provides an opportunity for all female and male professionals who are interested to discuss the subjects of women’s engineering education, career path, career/family choices, and other topics. $5 USD registration required.

Conference Banquet

Tuesday, Sept 16, 18:30-21:30, The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Ave (map)

• The world-famous collection of the Art Institute of Chicago is just a two-block walk from the Palmer House Hilton. Several galleries will be open for viewing, and there will be multiple indoor and outdoor food and drink stations.

Lunch with Leaders (LwL)

Wednesday, Sept 17, 12:10-13:10, Crystal Room, Palmer House Hilton

• Lunch with Leaders (LwL) offers IEEE student members an opportunity to network with RAS leaders and get advice and mentoring on their career and research. $5 USD registration required; please click here to see more student activities.

IEEE RAS Young Professionals Lunch

Wednesday, Sept 17, 12:10-13:10, Chicago Room, 5th Floor, Palmer House Hilton

• This luncheon is open to recent IEEE graduates, so that they can network with peers and find out more about the benefits of RAS. $5 USD registration required.

Farewell Party

Wednesday, Sept 17, 17:20-19:00, Interactive Salons, Palmer House Hilton

• The Farewell Party will be in conjunction with the final interactive session. Robots, beer, and wine, not bad!

Hops ‘n Bots at the Adler Planetarium

Thursday, Sept 18, 18:00-22:00, Adler Planetarium, 1300 S Lake Shore Drive (map)

• In honor of IROS 2014, the Adler Planetarium will be holding an after-hours robot-themed craft beer party on Thursday night. This is part of the Adler After Dark series, a monthly social event popular with young Chicagoans. See the planetarium, listen to bands, try the featured craft beers, and get the best views of the Chicago skyline, while members of the IROS community participate in a panel discussion and other events. The Adler Planetarium sits on the easternmost point of the Museum Campus, right on Lake Michigan, and is a pleasant 3 km walk from the Palmer House through Grant Park. Tickets are $20 at the door. You can find more information at the Adler’s website
  https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/adler-after-dark
  Panel at the Adler, 8:30 PM: Robotic cheetahs, fish, fingers, and bacteria: The coming menagerie of mechanical cohabitants
  Abstract: Humans and animals can perceive the world using their eyes, ears and other senses; they can think about the world using their nervous systems and brains; and finally they can act on the world using their legs, hands, fins and flagella. And so it is with robots. In this panel we’ll describe some remarkable developments in robotic locomotion and manipulation, from a quadruped that takes its speed cues from a cheetah, to nanorobots that corkscrew their way through viscous fluids. Along the way we’ll think about the connections between mind, body and environment, ask how they came to be, and – fueled by hops – speculate on the manner in which those connections will shape the robotic menagerie of tomorrow.
  Panelists:
  • Antonio Bicchi, University of Pisa and Italian Institute of Technology, Italy
  • Sangbae Kim, MIT, USA
  • Malcolm MacIver, Northwestern University, USA
  • Brad Nelson, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  Moderator: Ed Colgate, Northwestern University

Route from the Palmer House Hilton to the Adler Planetarium