Workshop at RSS 2012 (Sydney, NSW, Australia - July 12, 2012)

Abstract:

In 2008 we proposed a set of general guidelines to improve experimental methodology and reporting in robotics in order to facilitate experiment replication and performance evaluation and comparison.
We are now at a point where it is possible to give concrete directions for experiment planning and execution, potentially affecting the content of obtained results, not only their 'production process'.
One of the raised objections is the huge variety of subfields in robotics.
The objective of this workshop will be to identify and outline the common ground between two subareas of research: Visual Servoing and SLAM.
It is time to pass from theory to practice, we will discuss the issues and provide examples.

Program

08:45 - 09:00

Introduction

09:00 - 9:45

High Precision Positioning for Mobile Robot Applications

J Röwekämper, C Sprunk, D Tipaldi, C Stachniss, W Burgard

University of Friburg

P Pfaff

Kuka Laboratories

9:45 - 10:30

Evaluation of Loop Detection in Visual SLAM 

D Gálvez-López, J D Tardós

University of Zaragoza

10:30 - 11:00

Coffee Break

11:00 - 11:45

Result Replication in Robotics

S Srinivasa

Carnegie Mellon University

11:45 - 12:30

Experiments in Robotics Research: Practical issues
F Bonsignorio

University Carlos III de Madrid and HeronRobots

12:30 - Discussion

Content:

The proposers are co-chairs of three technical committees and interest groups on Good Experimental Methods, Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking: EURON GEM SIG, Euron II Benchmarking WP and IEEE TC PEBRAS. We have organized a significant number of workshops on the topics of performance evaluation, benchmarks, and good experimental methods) in the latest years.

The interest has been growing since the first workshop at IROS 2006, contributors included EU FP7 representatives like Anne Bajart and Libor Kral (head of Challenge 2 unit) and these ideas have been incorporated in the latest FP7 Calls to the effect that many EU-funded projects now include specific workpackages about performance evaluation and benchmarking. In 2008 we proposed a set of general guidelines to improve experimental methodology and reporting in robotics in order to facilitate experiment replication and performance evaluation and comparison. We are now at a point where it is possible to give concrete directions for experiment planning and execution, potentially affecting the content of obtained results, not only their 'production process'.

One of the raised objections is the huge variety of subfields in robotics.

The objective of this workshop will be to identify and outline the common ground between two subareas of research: Visual Servoing and SLAM.This will be done by selecting a few outstanding researchers on these fields who proved sensitive to the issues and ask them to discuss it in detail.

The contributors will be encouraged to provide relevant data and information to evaluate and replicate their results, whereas on the web and/or other digital support.

The post-proceedings including the extended digital material will be part of a prospective  publication, either as a journal special issue or an edited book.

Organizers:

Fabio Bonsignorio
Board Member European Robotics
Network EURON
Co-Chair Euron SIG on Good Experimental Methodologies and Benchmarking
Professor, Banco de Santander Chair
of Excellence in Robotics
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Avda. Universidad, 30
28911 Leganés, Spain
Tel: +34 916246014
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CEO
Heron Robots srl
V.R.Ceccardi 1/18, 16121 Genova,
Italy,
Tel: +39-339-8406011,
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Angel P. del Pobil, Ph.D,
Board Member European Robotics
Network EURON
Co-Chair IEEE-TC PEBRAS
Co-Chair Euron SIG on Good Experimental Methodologies and Benchmarking
Professor, Department of Engineering and Computer Science, Universitat Jaume I
Director, UJI Robotic Intelligence
Laboratory
12071 Castellon, Spain,
Tel:+34-964-728293,
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John Hallam,
Board Member European Robotics Network EURON
Co-Chair Euron SIG on Good Experimental Methodologies and Benchmarking
Mærsk-McKinney Møller Institute,
University of Southern
Denmark,
Odense, Denmark,
Tel: +45-65503546,
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