ABU DHABI, 15th July, 2024 (WAM) -- Khalifa University of Science and Technology (Khalifa University) will host the 36th edition of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2024) in Abu Dhabi, highlighting the MENA region's rapidly advancing capabilities in the robotics and intelligent transport systems.

Coming to the MENA region for the first time, IROS 2024 will be hosted from 14th to 18th October at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. It will gather worldwide researchers, academics, leading corporate majors, and industry professionals.

One of the largest and most important annual robotics research conferences in the world, IROS provides a platform for the international robotics community to exchange knowledge and ideas about the latest advances in intelligent robots and smart machines.

Under the theme "Robotics for Sustainable Development," the IROS 2024 Organising Committee and its Editorial Board is currently receiving papers for presentations. The event will offer a platform for Khalifa University to display its research and innovation activities and initiatives in robotics.

The event is sponsored by IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, Abu Dhabi Convention and Exhibition Bureau, the Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ), the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE), the New Technology Foundation, and the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES).

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, IROS 2024 General Co-Chair, said, "By hosting IROS 2024, Khalifa University aims to reaffirm the UAE's status as a global innovation hub and destination for all industry stakeholders to collaborate on research, and explore business opportunities within the country's innovation ecosystem.

He added that the organising committee of IROS 2024 has received a total of 3,753 submissions representing 60 countries, with China leading with 1,029 papers, followed by the US (777), Germany (302), and Japan (253), as well as the UK and the Repblic of Korea (173 each). The UAE, with a total of 68 papers, comes atop in the Arab region.

IROS 2024 will also include nine global-level competitions and challenges covering various aspects of robotics and AI, an IROS Expo, and an exclusive Career Fair. The challenges and competitions will focus on robots' physical or athletic intelligence, remote robot navigation, robot manipulation, underwater robotics, and perception and sensing.

A major component of the conference will be the exhibits of the latest robotics technologies and products, while poster sessions, keynotes, panel discussions, and networking events are also being planned.

The Khalifa University Centre for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (KU-CARS) drives innovation with around 50 researchers and state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, including a vibrant multidisciplinary environment for conducting robotics and autonomous vehicle-related research and innovation.