In 1998, Kevin Warwick connected his own nervous system to a computer. The deed transformed the expert in Cybernetics of the University of Reading in the world's first cyborg. The unusual and sometimes controversial English Professor is one of the presences at the Colloquium of Robotics and Cybernetics that the University of Aveiro (UA) organizes on October 13, 2012.

Para a versão portuguesa: Colóquio de Robótica e Cibernética.

The meeting will also bring to Aveiro scientists from FESTO, the German enterprise which has been surprising the world by showing the excellence of their robots. To seduce and motivate students for the scientific areas of robotics and cybernetics is the main goal of the colloquium organized by the Union of Students of Computer and Telematics Engineering (NEECT – Núcleo de Estudantes de Engenharia de Computadores e Telemática) of UA.

Another important highlight of the event is the solidarity campaign which will promote the collecting of plastic covers to aid financing a bionic hand to Rodrigo Hipólito, a boy who was born without the right-hand. The child's mother initiated months ago a help request buy a myoelectric hand (much cheaper than a bionic hand), whose price is over 8500 €. The organization is also going to deliver part of the inscriptions' income to the child.

Schedule


10:00 Opening Ceremony
      Higino Vieira, Coordinator of NEECT
      Tiago Alves, President of AAUAv
      Prof. Arnaldo Martins, Director of Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics
      Prof. Manuel Assunção, Rector of the University of Aveiro

11:00 The Cyborg Experiments
      Prof. Kevin Warwick, University of Reading (UK)
      The World's first cyborg!

12:00 Lunch

13:00 Joana Ferreira, GoBionic
      Responsible for the maintenance of bionic and mioelectrical limbs

14:00 Human-machine cooperation and Bionic-learning from nature
      Elias Knubben and Alexander Hildebrandt, FESTO
      Creators of SmartBirt, CognoGame, ExoHand, AirJelly, amongst others.

15:30 Coffee break

16:00 CAMBADA Project, Univ. of Aveiro
      Former World Champion Team of Robotic Football

17:00 The Portuguese Society of Robotics and the Robotics in Portugal
      Prof. Pedro Fonseca, Univ. of Aveiro


18:00 Workshops CAMBADA 
      ATLASCar
      CAMBADA Multiagent
      CAMBADA @Home
      Humanoids
      CAMBADA robotics soccer team


19:00 Closing Ceremony