2025 TORONTO ROBOTICS CONFERENCE

15-16 July 2025
University of Toronto Mississauga
Maanjiwe nendamowinan, 1535 Outer Circle, Mississauga

WE'RE SOLD OUT! REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

From logistics and mobility to healthcare, bright futures in robotics start here.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

RESEARCH TALKS

GETTING TO UTM

EXHIBITORS

KEYNOTES AND MINI-TALKS

Join University of Toronto's expert network for a two-day, dual-track showcase of the latest AI-robotics research in mobility and manipulation

Hear from U of T robotics experts in mobility and manipulation

Gain insight from the researchers leading breakthroughs in robotics — from autonomous driving and surgical robots to mobile manipulation, soft robotics and computer vision.

Tour world-class research and teaching labs and experience demos of the latest tech

Explore cutting-edge robotics facilities at the University of Toronto Mississauga and attend indoor and outdoor demos of AI-robotics research from labs and student teams across the university.

Network with experts, trainees and partners

Connect with U of T's robotics research and talent network to learn about partnerships opportunities or recruit talent.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND MINI-TALKS

Tuesday, July 15

KEYNOTE

THE MESSAGE IN THE MEDIUM: ADVANCING HUMAN-ROBOT COMMUNICATION

Elizabeth Croft

Vice-President Academic and Provost

Professor, Department of Mechanical and Electrical and Computer Engineering

Abstract

A major barrier to realizing the long-promised productivity benefits of robotics is their limited usability for non-expert users. For service robots to be successfully integrated into everyday environments—such as sidewalks, homes, hospitals, and factories—humans must be able to interact with them quickly, safely, and effectively, often in unstructured and dynamic settings.

Despite impressive technical progress, most service robots still depend heavily on human oversight and support. In these situations, communications between humans and robots remains an underexplored and failure-prone aspect of interaction. Enabling more natural, fluent, and multimodal communication between people and robots is critical to improving both their utility and societal acceptance.

While large language models and reinforcement learning have enhanced the capabilities of verbal interfaces and chatbots, nonverbal communication modalities—such as gestures, motion, and non-linguistic sound—remain significantly underdeveloped. In this talk, I will present recent research projects that aim to bridge this gap by enabling robots to detect, generate, and coordinate expressive communication cues, and by supporting users to provide better input. Together, these efforts work toward a more collaborative, responsive, and human-centric approach to human-robot interaction.

Bio

Professor Elizabeth Croft is the Vice-President Academic and Provost at the University of Victoria (UVic) in British Columbia, Canada, a research-intensive comprehensive university leading the world in climate action, sustainability, rights of indigenous peoples, health equity, and international research collaborations. She is internationally recognised for her leadership in research and education innovation and for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in academia and industry.

Professor Croft holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of British Columbia, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo, and a doctoral degree in robotics from the University of Toronto. She is an expert in the field of human-robot interaction. Her work advances the design of intelligent controllers and interaction methods that underpin how people and autonomous, collaborative systems can work together in a safe, predictable, and helpful manner. She has led large-scale collaborative research projects utilising robots alongside people in manufacturing and guided multidisciplinary initiatives with automotive and aerospace industry partners. Her outstanding contributions have earned Professor Croft considerable recognition, including the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Alan Blizzard Award, WXN’s Top 100 most powerful women in Canada award, and the Engineers and Geoscientists BC RA McLachlan Award.

Professor Croft is a fellow of the American Society of Engineers, the Institute of Engineers Australia, Engineers Canada, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

INDUSTRY MINI-TALK

PHYSICAL AI AT MAGNA

Jim Quesenberry

Director, R&D

Magna International

Abstract

As one of the world's largest and most trusted suppliers to the auto industry, Magna's world class manufacturing and global footprint hold tremendous promise for future mobility systems. Many of these systems and the process to manufacture them will require large scale AI deployments and the infrastructure to support human safe collaborative robotic systems. This presentation will detail how physical AI is enabling machines to be more capable in complex environments and how Magna is developing solutions that serve critical business needs with it.

Bio

Jim Quesenberry returned to Magna in December 2018 as Director of Research and Development. In this role he is responsible for the direction and implementation of Magna’s research and development policies, objectives and initiatives at all universities and research labs, making recommendations based on research and product performance to maintain Magna’s competitive position and profitability.

Quesenberry originally started at Magna in 2001 as Product Development Engineer. He left in 2003 and returned as a Systems Engineer with Magna Electronics in 2012. In this role he was instrumental in the direction and development of front-facing camera systems, including lane assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, traffic sign recognition, and brake mitigation.

With more than 20 years in engineering, Quesenberry is “always striving to work on complex system problems and finding emerging technology to solve them,” he explains. “It’s a big plus when those solutions have a positive impact on society. Being a servant leader to teams of highly qualified people and fostering a learning culture yields a high rate of satisfaction, and at Magna International and through university partnerships, I have the privilege to pursue all the above, and learn from the best and brightest minds in any part of the world.”

Quesenberry has also worked for Ford Motor Company, Webasto, ESG Automotive, Autoliv, and Aptiv.

A life-long Michigan resident, Quesenberry holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University.

SPONSORED BY:

INDUSTRY MINI-TALK

LIDAR AT SPEED - IMPROVING SAFETY AND AUTONOMY IN THE MIDST OF THE RAPID LEARNING CYCLES OF AI AND PERCEPTION

Matt Fisch

CEO and Board Chair

AEye

Abstract

Autonomy is developing at a rapid pace and is reliant on advanced sensing technology such as Lidar to reach its full potential. In the automotive sector, expanding autonomous capabilities beyond low-speed urban and Sun Belt environments requires object detection and classification at much longer distances than radar or cameras can achieve.

AEye, a Silicon Valley-based technology leader, has developed Apollo, a production-ready, next-generation lidar sensor. Apollo delivers industry-leading detection at distances up to 1 kilometer and features an unprecedented level of software programmability through its SmartScan architecture. This software-based architecture is especially critical in today’s phase of rapid learning and evolution in autonomy, where perception systems must continuously adapt to changing environments, making Apollo ideally suited for this dynamic stage of development. Apollo’s flexible architecture also allows a single hardware SKU to support a wide range of applications, including passenger vehicles, security, traffic intersection management, rail, and defense.

Apollo’s extended-range capabilities also support Level 3 and higher autonomous driving and enable safe automatic braking at speeds exceeding 140 kph, even when mounted behind a windshield. Additionally, its “open data” architecture provides unique lidar return data, which, in collaboration with the University of Toronto’s WinTOR program, is helping to enable autonomous driving in adverse weather conditions.

Bio

Matt Fisch is a seasoned technology executive with over 30 years of experience driving innovation and leading high-performance engineering teams across the automotive, consumer electronics, and payments industries. Currently CEO of AEye since February 2023, Matt brings a unique blend of deep technical expertise and strategic leadership to the role.

Prior to AEye, Matt served as Chief Technology Officer at Gentherm, a $2B global leader in thermal management technologies. There, he led the company’s transformation toward electrification, software, and systems integration in line with the evolving priorities of major automakers. He also launched Gentherm’s first technology investment portfolio to accelerate innovation.

Previously, Matt was EVP of Global Engineering at Verifone, where he spearheaded a complete overhaul of the company’s product line—delivering a new generation of software-driven payment services widely adopted by top retailers, banks, and hospitality brands.

Earlier in his career, he was VP of R&D at HARMAN International, where he led global teams that launched the automotive industry's first services-based premium car-audio platform. He also significantly improved product quality and delivery and established HARMAN’s largest R&D hub for car audio in Suzhou, China.

Matt began his career at Intel, spending over two decades in increasingly senior engineering roles. As GM of Android and Windows Software Engineering, he managed product development and strategic partnerships with Apple, Google, and Microsoft across a broad spectrum of consumer and mobile platforms.

He holds a Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, both from Cornell University.

SPONSORED BY:

Wednesday, July 16

KEYNOTE

ACHIEVING FINE ROBOTIC MANIPULATION IN A COMPLEX DYNAMIC WORLD

Michael Yip

Associate Professor

Director, Advanced Robotics and Controls Lab

Director, Medical Robotics Collaboratory, Contextual Robotics Institute

Abstract

Robots are becoming increasingly independent, capable of operating effectively in structured environments — from grasping household objects to opening doors and drawers. While tasks like picking up rigid items or interacting with appliances have seen impressive progress, far less attention has been given to fine manipulationskills: tasks that demand precise, steady, and delicate control. Examples include threading a needle, controlling and moving liquids, inserting delicate components, or manipulating soft tissue — activities that require not just coordination, but careful handling of small forces, complex contacts, and dynamic surfaces. Developing such capabilities is especially challenging, as these skills are both difficult to collect in real-world demonstrations and difficult to simulate due to the intricate interactions, unpredictable collisions, and rich physical complexity of real environments.

In this talk, I will present how robots can acquire fine manipulation skills by learning the right representations for observation and control. I will show how advances in pseudo-physical modeling, differentiable rendering, and perception-driven policy learning — together with the standardization of robotic platforms — are closing the gap between vision foundation models and the demands of precise, autonomous manipulation. Through examples ranging from household tasks to autonomous surgery, I will highlight key challenges, describe emerging solutions, and offer my perspective on what it will take to enable robots to perform highly skilled, sensitive tasks in dynamic and unstructured environments.

Bio

Michael Yip is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC San Diego, IEEE RAS Distinguished Lecturer, Hellman Fellow, Senior Member of the IEEE and the National Academy of Inventors, and Director of the Advanced Robotics and Controls Laboratory (ARCLab).

His group currently focuses on surgical robots, biomimetic design, and robot learning. His research has received several best paper awards and nominations at ICRA and IROS and RA-L, and he has been recognized by the NSF CAREER award and the NIH Trailblazer award. Several of his research has led to founded startups, and he was named the Faculty Innovator of the Year at UCSD in 2024.

Dr. Yip was previously a Disney Research in 2014 and Amazon Robotics in 2018. He received a B.Sc. in Mechatronics Engineering from the University of Waterloo, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Stanford University.

KEYNOTE

ROBOTICS AND EMBODIED AI: FROM SILICON TO INTELLIGENCE

Chris Smith

Corporate Vice President, Platform Software

AMD

Mehdi Saeedi

Principle Member of Technical Staff Software Engineer

AMD

Abstract

This talk highlights the growing importance of robotics in shaping intelligent and interactive systems that can perceive, reason, and act in the physical world. As robotics continues to evolve, it demands a tightly integrated stack—from compute and acceleration to simulation and control.

We’ll explore how AMD’s ecosystem—including high-performance CPUs, GPUs, adaptive SoCs, software frameworks, and digital twin technologies—enables scalable, real-time robotics solutions. From simulation to deployment, AMD provides the foundational technologies that power next-generation robotic platforms across industries.

The session will then turn to embodied AI, showcasing new initiatives that bring together perception, learning, and control. We’ll discuss emerging possibilities at the intersection of robotics and AI, and how AMD is helping to drive this from silicon to intelligence.

Bios

Chris Smith

Chris leads the Platform Software team within the GPU Technologies and Engineering Software Group at AMD. The Platform Software team is responsible for defining and delivering the complete software stack including firmware, drivers, frameworks, libraries and APIs for AMDs market-leading portfolio of products across the Windows, Chrome, Linux and Android ecosystems. Chris also leads the Advanced Technology Group that drives next generation technology exploration for the AMD software organization.

Based in Toronto, Canada, Chris joined AMD in 2014, bringing 20+ years of experience driving technology innovation and leading global engineering teams.

Prior to joining AMD, Chris spent more than ten years at BlackBerry in various executive and technical leadership roles. He also spent time at Nortel Networks, IBM and ABB delivering a broad range of software products and services. Chris studied at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Waterloo in his native Canada.

Mehdi Saeedi

Dr. Mehdi Saeedi is a Principle Member of Technical Staff at AMD in Markham, where he has been working since 2013. He earned his Ph.D. in 2010, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Southern California (USC).

Dr. Saeedi holds over 25 granted patents and has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications spanning AI, intelligent agents, and compute systems. His research has featured in top-tier venues including ACM Computing Surveys, DAC, TCAD, ICCAD, Physical Review A, Quantum Information and Computation, and Quantum Information Processing, with over 2,000 citations to date.

At AMD, he has worked across both hardware and software development in areas such as video games, inference acceleration, and robotics. He is a Senior Member of IEEE, a member of AMD’s AI/ML Patent Committee, and has served as a Review Editor, Technical Program Committee (TPC) member, and track chair for several leading conferences and journals.

SPONSORED BY:

EXHIBITORS

ROBOTICS RESEARCH TALKS

Directed by:

Tim Barfoot

Directed by:

Jessica Burgner-Kahrs

Directed by:

Eric Diller

Directed by:

Hugh Liu

Directed by:

Dale Podolsky

Directed by:

Nick Rhinehart

Directed by:

Lueder Kahrs

Co-directed by:

Dale Podolsky

Co-lead, surgical robotics:

Thomas Looi

Directed by:

Milos Popovic

ROBOTICS AND INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS LAB

Directed by:

Pakpong Chirarattananon

Directed by:

Directed by:

Directed by:

Directed by:

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, July 15

Time and Location	Activity	Speakers
8 a.m. Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)	Coach buses leave from St. George Campus
9 a.m. Maanjiwe nendamowinan (MN) Grand Hall	Registration Coffee, tea, light refreshments
9:30 a.m. MN 1210	Welcome Remarks	Lueder Kahrs, Conference Co-Chair, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Mississauga
9:35 a.m. MN 1210	Opening Remarks	Principal Alexandra Gillespie, Vice-President and Principal, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)
9:45 a.m.	Remarks	MP Fares Al Soud, Member of Parliament for Mississauga Centre
9:55 a.m. MN 1210	Keynote: The Message is the Medium: Advancing Human-Robot Communication	Elizabeth Croft Vice-President Academic and Provost Professor, Department of Mechanical and Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Victoria
10:55 a.m.	Break
11:05 a.m. MN 1210	Industry Mini-Talk: Physical AI at Magna Sponsored by Magna International	Jim Quesenberry, Director, R&D, Magna International
11:35 a.m. MN 1210	Industry Mini-Talk Sponsored by AEye	Matt Fisch, CEO, AEye
12 p.m. MN Grand Hall	Lunch and Exhibition Sponsored by Exhilarare and InDro Robotics
1 p.m.	Lab Talks	MOBILITY - MN 1210 See session details » MEDICAL, MICRO and CONTINUUM ROBOTICS - MN 1270 See session details »
3:15 p.m.	Break
3:45 p.m. MN 1270	Graduate Student Poster Session
5:15 p.m. The Blind Duck UTM Student Centre	Networking Social and Poster Session Awards	Welcome remarks and poster awards presented by Tim Barfoot, Director, Robotics Institute
5:15 p.m. MN north entrance (2nd floor)	First coach bus leaves UTM campus
7:00 p.m. MN north entrance (2nd floor)	Second coach bus leaves UTM campus
7:30 p.m. MN north entrance (2nd floor)	Third coach bus leaves UTM campus

Wednesday, July 16

Time and Location	Activity	Speakers
8:30 a.m. Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)	Coach buses leave St. George Campus
9 a.m.	Robotics Institute AGM INVITE ONLY
9:30 a.m. Maanjiwe nendamowinan (MN) Grand Hall	Registration Coffee, tea and light refreshments
10 a.m. MN 1210	Welcome Remarks
10:15 a.m. MN 1210	Keynote: Achieving Fine Robotic Manipulation in a Complex Dynamic World	Michael Yip Associate Professor, Director, Advanced Robotics and Controls Lab Director, Medical Robotics Collaboratory, Contextual Robotics Institute University of California San Diego
11:15 a.m.	Break
11:30 a.m. MN Third Floor MN Patio	Lab Tours Mobility Exhibit and Demos	Medical Computer Vision and Robotics Lab Continuum Robotics Lab Robotics Teaching Lab Autonomous Space Robotics Lab aUToronto Magna International Toronto Intelligent Systems Lab
12:30 p.m. MN Grand Hall	Lunch Break Sponsored by: Exhilarare
1:30 p.m.	Keynote: Robotics and Embodied AI with AMD: From Silicon to Intelligence Sponsored by: AMD	Chris Smith, Corporate VP Software Development, AMD Mehdi Saeedi, Principal Staff, AMD
2:15 p.m.	Lab Talks	MOBILITY - MN 1210 See session details » AERIAL AND MEDICAL ROBOTICS - MN 1270 See session details »
3:15 p.m.	Break
3:45 p.m.	Lab Talks	MOBILITY - MN 1210 See session details » MANIPULATION - MN 1270 See session details »
4:45 p.m.	Closing Remarks
5 p.m. MN north entrance (2nd floor)	Coach buses leave UTM campus

GETTING TO UTM

Coach Bus Schedule

Reminder for attendees: Since this is a sold-out event, coach bus seating will be first-come, first-serve.

Date	Coach Bus	Pick-up Location	Departure Time	Drop-off Location
July 15	Morning Bus 1	Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)	8 a.m.	Maanjiwe nendamowinan (MN) North Entrance (2nd floor)
July 15	Morning Bus 2	Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)	8 a.m.	MN North Entrance (2nd floor)
July 15	Evening Bus 1	MN North Entrance (2nd floor)	5:15 p.m.	Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)
July 15	Evening Bus 2	MN North Entrance (2nd floor)	7 p.m.	Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)
July 15	Evening Bus 3	MN North Entrance (2nd floor)	7:30 p.m.	Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)
July 16	Morning Bus 1	Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)	8:30 a.m.	MN North Entrance (2nd floor)
July 16	Morning Bus 2	Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)	8:30 a.m.	MN North Entrance (2nd floor)
July 16	Evening Bus 1	MN North Entrance (2nd floor)	5 p.m.	Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)
July 16	Evening Bus 2	MN North Entrance (2nd floor)	5 p.m.	Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall)

Parking at UTM

If you plan on driving to the conference, we recommend parking in Lots P9 or P8, as they are closest to the conference venue, Maanjiwe nendamowinan (MN). We will have signs directing you from the parking lots to MN. Please note these are paid parking lots.

Lot P9 address: 1650 Outer Cir, Mississauga, ON L5L 3E2

Other ways of getting to UTM

If you plan to take transit to the conference, you can find more information on other modes of transportation on the UTM Transportation page.

Map to Maanjiwe nendamowinan (MN)

Contact us

For questions about the conference, please contact robotics@utoronto.ca.

Whether you would like to connect with top Robotics Institute graduate students, showcase your latest technology, demonstrate your thought leadership or promote your brand, there's a sponsorship package for you. Sponsorship can include:

Speaking opportunities

ORGANIZERS

PROGRAM CHAIR - MOBILITY - Steve Waslander

PROGRAM CHAIR - MANIPULATION - Lueder Kahrs

COMMUNICATIONS - Amanda Hacio

PARTNERSHIPS - Tongjia Zheng

OPERATIONS - Tongjia Zheng, Jessica Bailey

2025 TORONTO ROBOTICS CONFERENCE

15-16 July 2025 University of Toronto Mississauga Maanjiwe nendamowinan, 1535 Outer Circle, Mississauga

From logistics and mobility to healthcare, bright futures in robotics start here.

Join University of Toronto's expert network for a two-day, dual-track showcase of the latest AI-robotics research in mobility and manipulation

Hear from U of T robotics experts in mobility and manipulation

Tour world-class research and teaching labs and experience demos of the latest tech

Network with experts, trainees and partners

SPONSORS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND MINI-TALKS

Tuesday, July 15

THE MESSAGE IN THE MEDIUM: ADVANCING HUMAN-ROBOT COMMUNICATION

PHYSICAL AI AT MAGNA

LIDAR AT SPEED - IMPROVING SAFETY AND AUTONOMY IN THE MIDST OF THE RAPID LEARNING CYCLES OF AI AND PERCEPTION

Wednesday, July 16

ACHIEVING FINE ROBOTIC MANIPULATION IN A COMPLEX DYNAMIC WORLD

ROBOTICS AND EMBODIED AI: FROM SILICON TO INTELLIGENCE

EXHIBITORS

ROBOTICS RESEARCH TALKS

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, July 15

Wednesday, July 16

GETTING TO UTM

Coach Bus Schedule

Parking at UTM

Other ways of getting to UTM

Map to Maanjiwe nendamowinan (MN)

Contact us

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: CLOSED

ORGANIZERS

15-16 July 2025
University of Toronto Mississauga
Maanjiwe nendamowinan, 1535 Outer Circle, Mississauga