WS#42 Advancing AI-Powered Robotic Cognition, Deliberation and Learning for Real-World Applications

Christian Henkel (Bosch Research), Alessio Caporali (University of Bologna), Roberto Meattini (University of Bologna), Néstor García (EURECAT), Dimitra Triantafyllou (CERTH), Dimitrios Giakoumis (CERTH)Silchersaal

iCal

Questions to be answered

How can we design robotic systems that effectively reason and deliberate to expressively define and adapt their behavior in complex, dynamic environments?
How can robots efficiently learn new manipulation skills in unstructured environments while minimizing human intervention and maximizing adaptability?
How can human-centric interfaces and shared autonomy models be developed to ensure safe and intuitive collaboration between humans and robots, while leveraging prior knowledge and demonstrations?

Description

This workshop will delve into advanced methods for defining robotic behavior, with a focus on deliberation, adaptability, and real-world applications. Attendees will gain insights from leading projects, including Intelliman, CONVINCE, PILLAR-Robots, euROBIN, and MANIBOT, which are at the forefront of cognitive robotics and AI-powered systems. Key discussions will cover the essentials of robotic deliberation, examining how autonomous, context-aware decision-making can be achieved. Attendees will share input on the requirements for effective deliberation, the challenges faced, and the latest technologies enabling these capabilities.

The workshop will also explore data-efficient learning and Sim2Real transfer techniques, showcasing approaches to skill acquisition and task planning in unstructured environments. Projects will demonstrate strategies for minimizing data requirements and bridging the gap between simulated and real-world settings. Additionally, we’ll highlight the role of semantic sensor fusion and control theory to enhance robustness and situational awareness in complex tasks. Through collaborative discussions, participants will address both challenges and opportunities in cognitive robotics, aiming to shape the future of AI-powered robots for dynamic, real-world applications.

Please refer to our workshop website: https://lar-unibo.github.io/erf2025_ws42/

Organisation of the WS

Main Topic 1: High-Level Learning, Task-Level Learning, and Deliberation

14:00 - 14:08 Plan Replanning and Repair at PlanSys2 (Francisco Martín Rico – Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain)
14:09 - 14:17 The Purpose Framework: A Path to Useful Autonomous Robots (Richard J. Duro – Universidade da Coruña, Spain)
14:18 - 14:26 How do we tell the robot what to do? Deliberation in CONVINCE (Christian Henkel – Bosch Research, Germany)
14:27 - 14:35 Interactive Session / Audience Q&A / Online Polls (Christian Henkel — Bosch Research, Germany)
Audience Q&A + at the same time: Online Polls (Mentimeter)

Main Topic 2: Skill-Level Learning and Manipulation

14:35 - 14:43 Rapid Skill Learning with Hand-Held Grippers in IntelliMan (Néstor García – EURECAT, Spain)
14:44 - 14:52 MANiBOT: Advancing the physical intelligence and performance of robots towards human-like objects manipulation (Dimitrios Giakoumis – CERTH, Greece)
14:53 - 14:59 Leveraging uncertainty and interactive guidance for robot skill acquisition (João Silvério – DLR, Germany)
15:00 - 15:08 euROBIN (Michael Beetz – Bremen University, Germany and Rudolf Triebel – DLR &, Germany)
15:08 - 15:20 Interactive Session (Alessio Caporali — University of Bologna, Italy; Néstor García — EURECAT, Spain)
Audience Q&A + at the same time: Online Polls (Mentimeter)

Intended outcome

Participants will gain a deep understanding of how autonomous robots achieve context-aware decision-making, including key state-of-the-art technologies that enable effective deliberation.
Attendees will explore advanced approaches concerning skill acquisition and robot manipulation, enabling the transition from simulation to real-world applications.