Architectural Robotics - An International Workshop

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators

Abstract

This is funding to support a one-day international workshop of researchers from academia and industry, along with graduate students, to be held in conjunction with the 11th International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing (Ubicomp 2009), which will take place September 30-October 3, 2009, in Orlando, Florida, and which is sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Ubicomp is the premier outlet for novel research contributions that advance the state of the art in the design, development, deployment, evaluation and understanding of ubiquitous computing systems. Ubicomp is an interdisciplinary field of research and development that utilizes and integrates pervasive, wireless, embedded, wearable and/or mobile technologies to bridge the gaps between the digital and physical worlds. More information about the conference is available online at http://www.ubicomp.org/ubicomp2009. This interdisciplinary workshop, the first of its kind in the United States, will bring together researchers from a variety of scientific domains, from engineering, and from architecture, to identify opportunities and challenges in the emerging field of architectural robotics, that is to say robotics technologies embedded in the built environment. Throughout history the emergence of new technologies has reshaped our built environment and so, society. Workshop participants, about 20 of them supported under this award, will share their research and teaching, and explore issues relating to the design of complex engineered systems that respond to human needs and wants. They will wrestle with questions such as: What new vocabularies of design need to be cultivated, and what theories of self-reconfigurability defined, in order to lay the foundation for sophisticated algorithms that will sense and infer the occupancy, activities, and external conditions of a building so as to trigger change that improves life, enhances existing places, and supports human interaction? And: How can we educate students from different academic backgrounds to collaborate productively in teams, and what tools could further teaching and learning in the design and implementation of architectural robotics? The PIs expect the workshop to launch a viable new research community, by serving as a catalyst for future knowledge exchange, collaboration and growth. To these ends, event outcomes will include publication of a collection of position papers and set of references (including academic papers), as well as Web sites and other media that pertain to this new field of research. Broader Impacts: The gradual embedding of robotics throughout the built environment will have a broad impact on society as these technologies support and, in some cases, augment everyday work, school, entertainment, and leisure. Early applications will likely be in health care, in support for persons with physical disabilities, in the empowerment of a growing populating wishing to age in place, and in intelligent work spaces that are responsive to changing needs, that consume less floor space, and that reduce energy costs. The educational activities in the workshop will explore methods of teaching multidisciplinary classes that bridge the academic cultural gaps that separate engineering, human-centered design, and architecture and its allied design and art practices. The PIs will make every effort to ensure a diverse group of participants including representatives of underrepresented groups in science and engineering such as minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.