Dear TC Co-Chairs,

Hope everyone is well. ICRA 2024 in YOKOHAMA is approaching. 

I am pleased to announce upcoming TAB main events and encourage your active participation. Below, you will find 3 RSVP links for these events. Additional information will be provided by our AVPs shortly. My goal is to ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of the upcoming events through a series of follow-up emails.

1. Online TAB Meeting

We are inviting you to join the online TAB meeting, where we will report and discuss TAB-related matters to gather your insights and feedback. 

Date: Wednesday, April 24th 

Time: 11 PM (KST) / 10 AM (EST) / 4 PM (CET)  

Duration: 90 minutes

* Please fill out the RSVP by April 23rd.

* At least one of the TC Co-chairs should attend the online meeting. 

* TAB assistant will send you the Google calendar invite and meeting agenda before the meeting.

2. Online Cluster Meeting

We would like to switch the Offline Cluster Meetings to Online Meetings from April 29 to May 3rd. Please submit the RSVP. 

The schedule of theclustermeetingsis as follows: 

* Cluster Meetings will be hosted online at 10 PM KST / 9 AM EST /  3 PM CET /  6 AM PDT

- Monday, April 29: Robotics Foundation Cluster

- Tuesday, April 30: Automation Cluster

- Wednesday, May 1: Human-centered and Life-like Robotics Cluster

- Thursday, May 2: Robotics for Unstructured Environment Cluster

- Friday, May 3: Health and Medical Robotics Cluster

3. TAB Lunch at IROS 2024

We would like to invite you for each cluster to share what they discussed from online cluster meetings at TAB Lunch during ICRA 2024. Please join us in-person. We will reach you for more details.

- Date: Tuesday, May 14th

- Venue: Conference Center Room 413

- Time: 12 PM-1:30 PM

* Please fill out the RSVP by May 12th.

4. TABxSAC DINNER Announcement

TAB successfully held the first TABxSAC Dinner at IROS 2023 to introduce RAS and TCs to the students and encourage them to be more actively involved in TCs, giving them opportunities to become future leaders in the RAS society. Amy Han, the AVP of TAB is cooperating with SAC members to hold another TABxSAC Dinner at ICRA 2024 on May 12th, 2024, 5-8 PM. 

We would like to invite you to join this event in person as a mentor and leader in your field and to join the effort to grow potential leaders in the RAS community. Like the last event, we will assign 1 TC co-chair to each round table. We are hoping to have ~40 TC co-chairs join as we are inviting ~350 students and postdocs. We kindly ask each TC to recommend at least one TC co-chair to attend the TABxSAC dinner.

Please fill out this RSVP. For more details, Amy Han, the AVP of TAB, will contact you soon.

Thank you.

Call for student leaders: Technical Committee Student Representatives

 Apply to be a Student Representative for Technical Committee by April 15 

We are excited to share an excellent opportunity for you to become a student leader in the RAS community by working as a student representative for a Technical Committee (TC). There are five TCs looking for student representatives, and the applications are due April 15, 2024. Please see each call for the details on the responsibilities and application process:

• TC on Computer & Robot Vision's call: https://bit.ly/49558cR
• TC on Software Engineering for Robotics and Automation's call: https://bit.ly/4aaPBto
• TC on Multi-Robot Systems's call: https://bit.ly/43Ab4JO
• TC on Automation in Logistics's call: https://bit.ly/3PCqyH9
• TC on Machine Learning for Automation: https://bit.ly/3vF9p93

Rewards for student reps: 

1. Complimentary student registration to a RAS sponsored conference within one year.
2. Priority access to the TABxSAC event during ICRA/IROS: We organize a TABxSAC dinner every ICRA/IROS to promote student/postdoc engagement in TC. You will have a chance to meet with leaders in RAS including TC co-chairs and network with students and postdocs. 

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Han, the AVP of TAB (amyhan@snu.ac.kr).

February 5th, 2024

Dear TC Co-Chairs,

I'm honored to announce that I will be serving as the VP of TAB for another 2 years under our new president, Prof. Aude Billard. 

I would like to extend my gratitude to Prof. Frank Park, the past president, for his passion for reinvigorating the TCs, which is a vital part of RAS, and for giving me the freedom to initiate new systems. 

Over the last two years, we have made significant strides, including the following. 

1. Restructuring TAB:  

TC Clusters, Technical Communities, and Blue Ribbon TCs have been launched to foster deeper collaboration between TCs and empower active TCs.  

2. Enhancing operational efficiency: 

TC Operating guide, TC request forms, a TC database, and the dedicated TAB assistant and RAS staff to support the co-chairs have been established.

3. Empowering TCs with financial support:

To foster a better community through happy hours, workshop speaker dinners, awards, and so on. 

4. Fostering next-generation TC members: 

We started TABxSAC Dinner to increase student involvement and invite students to TC activities. 

Please find a presentation summarizing the new initiatives for the RAS Long Range Planning Meeting earlier this year. [Link to the Presentation]

Looking ahead to the next two years, here are some new initiatives: 

1. Annual plan submission

We aim to collect annual plans from all TCs to streamline our objectives. Prof. Biyun Xie, our AVP, will provide more information and a draft form shortly. A draft of the request form is here. 

2. TC activities report and TC website update

RAS Staff will regularly update the TC website with your activity reports. Please submit these reports after following major conferences like ICRA and IROS. 

Here are some examples that we started after IROS. 

Examples: Model-based, Haptics, Multi-Robot Systems, Agricultural Robotics and Automation

We will request a TC activities report after ICRA, IROS, and other major TC conferences. Please submit them whenever there are activities by the TC.  [link to the form]

3. Restructuring Triennial Review 

We have revised the Triennial Review process to group similar TCs. Please review the new plan for your TC's scheduled review dates. We are planning to change the format to improve the discussion on how we can assist the TCs’ operation. Josie Hughes, our AVP, will coordinate this. [link to the new plan]

4. New TC Co-chairs 

Identifying passionate TC Co-chairs who can lead the TC is crucial for the successful operation of the TCs.  Please refer to the RAS TC Operating Guide for information on updating TC co-chairs for retirement and recruitment. Recruiting Associate Co-chairs is also recommended. 

5. Student Representatives and Conference Welcome Kit

We encourage TCs to involve students more, including assigning them to create a welcome kit for TC members attending major conferences like ICRA.  We are currently developing a guideline and Amy Han, our AVP will announce this soon. 

Also, updates on cluster forums, meetings, and TABxSAC dinners will be communicated in due course. You can expect more detailed communications from our AVPs soon.

Our continued efforts will further strengthen these initiatives, vitalize our TCs, and nurture the smaller communities within RAS. Your feedback, ideas, or suggestions are highly valued. Please do not hesitate to reach out via email. (ras.tab.vp@ieee.org)

Thank you once again for your unwavering support.

Kyujin Cho

Professor

Director, Soft Robotics Research Center, Biorobotics Laboratory

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Seoul National University, Korea  

VP of Technical Activities Board, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society

General Chair of ICRA 2027

December 27, 2023

TAB(Technical Activity Board) has taken a significant step in promoting growth and visibility among its Technical Committees (TCs). TAB has introduced new classifications for its most active TCs, termed "Technical Communities" and "Blue Ribbon TCs."

What are “Super TCs”?

TAB has redefined its highly successful TCs, now known as "Super TCs" (previously Special TCs). These Super TCs, chosen from the most active and established TCs, will enjoy enhanced opportunities for growth and increased support from TAB. Various names are being considered for these groups, including Super TCs (STCs), Foundation TCs (FTCs), Technical Communities (TCs), and Large TCs (LTCs).

Review Process for Super TCs:

TCs are invited to submit a one-page intention letter during an annual call for proposals. Applications are reviewed by the TAB against established criteria. Successful TCs will be notified by email, with immediate updates to the budget and online presence.  The next call for Super TCs will be in Spring 2024.

Technical Communities and Blue Ribbon TCs

Technical Communities are designed for TCs with established communities and ties to RAS Conferences or Journals. These communities will receive additional support and visibility enhancements.

Blue Ribbon TCs cater to growing and active TCs that do not have a dedicated conference or journal. These TCs will also benefit from increased support and enhanced visibility.  In 2023 the TAB has elected 2 Technical Communities and 3 Blue Ribbon TCs:

Technical Communities:

* Haptics

* Soft Robotics

Blue Ribbon TCs:

* Agricultural Robotics and Automation

* Model-Based Optimization for Robotics

* Multi-Robot Systems

More details on all TCs ca be found here

* Link: https://www.ieee-ras.org/technical-committees

This innovative approach by TAB is a significant step in acknowledging and supporting the diverse and dynamic activities of its Technical Committees.

Date: December 12, 2023

To highlight TCs' excellent and growing activities and the relevance of their research area, here is the link to read the RAM and TC Sptlight Articles. 

* Link to RAM (Robotics & Automation Magazine): Click here

* For more about TC Spolight article on the latest recent issue, click here.  (Written by TC on Cognitive Robotics).