Those submitting final papers, need to register at the time of the submission. The deadline for final submission has been moved to Friday January 20th. Thank you.

Luis Sentis (General Chair)

On Friday afternoon, we will have a robotics tour to the labs at The University of Texas at Austin. UT Robotics is a comprehensive group performing cutting-edge research in robotics across aerospace, computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Please, send me an email, lsentis@austin.utexas.edu for inquiries and to sign up for the tour.

• Nuclear and Applied Robotics Tour
• The Human-Centered Research Lab
• Socially Intelligent Machines Lab
• Learning Agents Research Group
• Rehabilitation with Insight from Robotics and Engineering

Having the venue inside The Domain offers a myriad of options within walking distance for enjoying after the workday:

• Rock Rose District: 0.5 Mile Away. Uptown’s destination for up late – bringing the best of Austin. Featuring an art-infused streetscape surrounded by unexpected discoveries and bustling with visitors.
• iPic Movie Theater: 0.2 Miles Away. Upscale cinema chain with plush seating, gourmet light bites & cocktails, plus in-theater service.
• The Domain Shopping Center: 0 Mile Away. An outdoor gem consisting of a massive mall with many high end stores. It is also an eclectic and dynamic community.
• Whole Foods Market: 0.7 Mile Away.  From great food to live music and special events, this store truly has something for everyone. Grab a cup of coffee or smoothie before work, pick up a quick lunch from Snap Kitchen or our chef-prepared selections, or enjoy a pint of craft beer from one of our two bars!
• TopGolf: 0.7 Mile Away. The premier entertainment and event venue in Austin with fun point-scoring golf games for all skill levels, upscale bar food and drinks, music and more!

Peter Stone

Talk Title: Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030

Date and Location: Thursday March 9, 4:30pm, Maggiano’s, The Domain, Austin

Abstract: The One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence, launched in the fall of 2014, is a long-term investigation of the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its influences on people, their communities, and society. As its core activity, the Standing Committee that oversees the One Hundred Year Study forms a Study Panel every five years to assess the current state of AI. The first Study Panel report, published in September 2016, focusses on eight domains the panelists considered to be most salient: transportation; service robots; healthcare; education; low-resource communities; public safety and security; employment and workplace; and entertainment. In each of these domains, the report both reflects on progress in the past fifteen years and anticipates developments in the coming fifteen years. The report also includes recommendations concerning AI-related policy. This talk by the Study Panel Chair, will briefly describe the process of creating the report and summarize its contents. The floor will then be opened for questions and discussion Attendees are strongly encouraged to read at least the executive summary, overview, and callouts (in the margins) of the report before the session: https://ai100.stanford.edu/2016-report

Dear ARSO 2017 Contributors and Attendees,

As you may know, South by SouthWest (SXSW) has gotten bigger and bigger every year beyond our imagination. This year it is really hard to keep reasonable prices and hotel availability near the university. Instead we decided to relocate ARSO 2017 to The Domain, Austin, Texas. The Domain is a magnificent state-of-the-art mega entertainment, retail, and residential center that will delight everyone. Being at The Domain has many advantages over the University of Texas. The hotel is right next to the workshop venue. And hotel availability and pricing are better than downtown due to being further away from SXSW. We believe everyone will be delighted at The Domain. Since the final panel and semi-plenary talk finish on Friday March 10 at 10:30am, everyone can go downtown with Ride Austin (equivalent to Uber in Austin) or bus to attend SXSW. It will be super!

See you soon at The Domain!

Luis Sentis
General Chair ARSO 2017

The hotel will be the charming Texas style Lone Star Court, an upscale hotel, with pool, outdoor firepits, food trucks, open bar and at the core of The Domain. Room rates are $159 / person (discounted rate). For reservations use the following URL: https://www.lonestarcourt.com. Use the booking code UTAUSTIN2017. You may also book with the Reservations department at +1-855-596-3398 using the same code.

ARSO 2017 will be held at the luxurious and massive residential and retail center called The Domain at Austin, Texas:

The Hotel will be the Lone Star Court. Room rates are $159 / person. A link to the reservation page will be posted later this week.

The venue and banquet will be held at the Maggiano’s event locale:

The registration site is now open. Click in the image or link below to take you there:

https://ras.papercept.net/registration/index.php

SXSW 2017 (March 10-19), which will overlap with ARSO on Friday the 10th, has announced their panel lineup, with 750+ speakers: https://www.sxsw.com/conference/government

We are very happy to announce the 2nd call for papers for the IEEE International Workshop on Advanced Robotics and its Social Impacts. ARSO is a single track workshop with top scientific and social papers gathering an eclectic mix of researchers, scientists, and thinkers intersecting the area of robotics and autonomous systems from various perspectives. Consider submitting your top research studies addressing significant scientific, computational, and experimental questions in advanced robotics and its broader impacts, including:

• Science of autonomous systems
• Comparative studies of humans and robots
• Large-scale software development for robotics
• Data and prediction sciences for just-it-time feedback (social and robotic systems)
• Mission centered robotics for scientific exploration: space and marine environments
• Experimental robotics: robustness, adaptation, safety, and security
• Robotics in education
• Rehabilitation, ortthotic, and prosthetic sciences and devices
• Industrial and manufacturing trends in robotics
• Robotic innovation and startups
• Ethical and legal issues in robotics
• Labour dynamics influenced by robotics
• Robotics in emerging markets: defense, oil and gas, and health
• Robot assistants, companions, and artificial life systems
• Perceptual studies using robotics

Notice that there are various options for submission:

1. Full conference papers (peer reviewed and published in IEEE Xplore, 6 pages, with up to 2 additional pages) on significant research/scientific questions and methods (oral or interactive presentations)
2. Abstracts (2 pages) on all topics (oral or interactive presentations)
3. Proposals for organized sessions (2 pages) on all topics (oral presentations in the style of a panel)

Full papers will published in IEEE Xplore.

ARSO 2017 will feature four influential speakers, which are:

1. Ruzena Bajcsy, Director Emerita of Citrus at the University of California at Berkeley and co-founder of the GRASP laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania ,
2. Sabine Hauert, Professor of Swarm Robotics at the University of Bristol, TED talk speaker, and expert in science communication
3. Mady Delvaux, member of the European Parliament and advocate of increasing digital competences in education systems
4. Alan Manning, a renowned UK labour economist and professor of the London School of Economics.

You can find the biographies of the speakers on this link.

All the best,

ARSO 2017 Organizing Committee