KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Tuesday, July 21
Wednesday, July 22
Wednesday, July 22
KEYNOTE
Enabling Advancements in Medical Care Through the Design of Soft Robots and Haptic Interfaces
Tania Morimoto
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Department of Surgery
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KEYNOTE
Bridging the Interaction Gap in Embodied Search: Low-Level Control in Large-Scale Procedural Worlds
Bernadette Bucher
Assistant Professor
Robotics Department
Computer Science and Engineering Department

KEYNOTE
Physical AI, Simulations and Safety
Chris Pal
Professor
Canada CIFAR AI Chair

PANEL
Tuesday, July 21
Are robotaxis really safer than humans? First steps to a post-driving world
After 20 years of development and over $200 billion USD in investment, robotaxis are starting to gain traction in multiple markets, with thousands of successful trips per week and passengers often preferring the quiet convenience and smooth ride of a self-driving car. Industry leaders Waymo have reported impressive safety numbers, showing large reductions in both property damage and injuries over 70 million miles driven.
In this panel, we'll dive into the details of these claims, investigate when self-driving vehicles will come to Toronto, and discuss broader implications on our society now that the long-standing dream of autonomous vehicles is becoming reality.
PANELIST
Mona Eghanian
Assistant Vice-President, Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)
Deputy Head, Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)
PANELIST
Andrew Miller
Author, The End of Driving
Author, Changing Lanes
PANELIST
Kristen Thomasen
Associate Professor, Senior Chair in Law, Robotics, and Society
INDUSTRY MINI-TALKS
Wednesday, July 22
INDUSTRY MINI-TALK
Andreas Dellantonio
Vice President of Engineering, AEye
SPONSORED BY:
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INDUSTRY MINI-TALK
Yasaman Soudagar
Co-founder & CEO, Exhilarare
SPONSORED BY:

INDUSTRY MINI-TALK
Bidhan Roy
Founder & CEO, Bagel Labs
SPONSORED BY:

SCHEDULE
Tuesday, July 21
| 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. | Registration Coffee, tea, light refreshments | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Welcome Remarks | Lueder Kahrs, Conference Co-Chair Principal Alexandra Gillespie, Vice-President and Principal, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) |
| 9:35 a.m. | Keynote | Tania Morimoto Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Department of Surgery, UC San Diego |
| 10:30 a.m. | Break | |
| 11 a.m. | Panel: Are robotaxis really safer than humans? First steps to a post-driving world | Panelists: Mona Eghanian Matt Fisch Andrew Miller Kristen Thomasen Moderator: Steven Waslander |
| 12 p.m. | Lunch Break | |
| 1 p.m. | PARALLEL SESSION: Research Talks | Session 1: Single-Track Faculty Talks Topics: mobility, continuum, manipulation |
| 1 p.m. | PARALLEL SESSION: Two Small Fish Pitch Competition | Opening Remarks: Albert Chen, Partner, Two Small Fish |
| 2 p.m. | PARALLEL SESSION: Research Talks | Session 2: Multi-Track Student and Postdoc Talks Topics: aerial, bio-inspired, continuum |
| 2 p.m. | PARALLEL SESSION: Research Talks | Session 3: Multi-Track Student and Postdoc Talks Topics: medical, surgical, neuro |
| 3:15 p.m. | Break | |
| 3:45 p.m. | PARALLEL SESSION: Research Talks | Session 4: Multi-Track Student and Postdoc Talks Topics: mobility, multi-robot coordination, navigation, human-robot interaction |
| 3:45 p.m. | PARALLEL SESSION: Research Talks | Session 5: Multi-Track Student and Postdoc Talks Topics: aerial manipulation, aerial |
| 5:15 p.m. The Blind Duck | Networking Social and Two Small Fish Pitch Competition Awards | |
| 5:30 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 |
Wednesday, July 22
| 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. | Registration Coffee, tea, light refreshments | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Welcome Remarks | Steven Waslander, Conference Co-Chair; Director, Robotics Institute Minister Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security Chris Yip, Dean, U of T Engineering |
| 9:35 a.m. | Keynote | Bernadette Bucher Assistant Professor, Robotics Department, Computer Science and Engineering Department, University of Michigan |
| 10:30 a.m. | Break | |
| 11 a.m. | Industry Mini-talks | Andreas Dellantonio, VP Engineering, AEye Yasaman Soudagar, Co-founder & CEO, Exhilarare Bidhan Roy, Founder & CEO, Bagel Labs |
| 12 p.m. | Lunch Break Lab Demos Poster Session | |
| 1:30 p.m. | Keynote | Chris Pal Professor, Canada CIFAR AI Chair, Polytechnique Montréal |
| 2:30 p.m. | Break | |
| 3 p.m. | Research Talks | Session 6: Single-Track Faculty Talks Topics: mobility, bio-inspired |
| 4 p.m. | PARALLEL SESSION: Research Talks | Session 7: Multi-Track Student and Postdoc Talks Topics: localization, vision, human-robot interaction |
| 4 p.m. | PARALLEL SESSION: Research Talks | Session 8: Multi-Track Student and Postdoc Talks Topics: bio-inspired, material, surgical |
| 5:15 p.m. | Closing Remarks and Poster Session Winners Announcement | Lueder Kahrs, Conference Co-Chair Steven Waslander, Conference Co-Chair, Director, Robotics Institute |
| 5:30 p.m. MN north entrance (2nd floor) | First coach bus leaves UTM campus | |
| 5:30 p.m. MN north entrance (2nd floor) | Second coach bus leaves 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 21 | Morning Bus | Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall) | 8 a.m. | Maanjiwe nendamowinan (MN) North Entrance (2nd floor) |
| July 21 | Morning Bus 2 | Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall) | 8 a.m. | MN North Entrance (2nd floor) |
| July 21 | Evening Bus 1 | MN North Entrance (2nd floor) | 5:30 p.m. | Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall) |
| July 21 | Evening Bus 2 | MN North Entrance (2nd floor) | 7 p.m. | Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall) |
| July 22 | Morning Bus 1 | Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall) | 8 a.m. | MN North Entrance (2nd floor) |
| July 22 | Morning Bus 2 | Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall) | 8 a.m. | MN North Entrance (2nd floor) |
| July 22 | Evening Bus 1 | MN North Entrance (2nd floor) | 5:30 p.m. | Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall) |
| July 22 | Evening Bus 2 | MN North Entrance (2nd floor) | 5:30 p.m. | Top of King's College Road (near Convocation Hall) |
Map to King's College Road
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.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: CLOSED
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
EXHIBIT SPACE
BRAND RECOGNITION
Are you a micro-, small-, or mid-sized Canadian robotics start-up? Ask us about our SME and custom sponsorship packages
ORGANIZERS
PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS - Professor Lueder Kahrs, Professor Steven Waslander
COMMUNICATIONS - Amanda Hacio
PARTNERSHIPS - Tongjia Zheng
OPERATIONS - Tongjia Zheng, Jessica K. Bailey, Amanda Hacio