Lecture looks at how mobile robotic systems are used

York Professor Michael Jenkin will look at how mobile robotic systems have been put to use over the years when he delivers the eighth lecture in York’s U50 College Masters Public Lecture Series, titled "Autonomous Robots in the 21st Century".

Mobile robotic systems have found a wide range of applications, from sensing and survey tasks in dangerous environments to environmental exploration and carpet cleaning.

The lecture will take place Thursday, Nov. 5, from 7 to 9pm at 320 Bethune College, Keele campus.

Right: Michael Jenkin

A professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, Jenkin will discuss the three fundamental tasks underlying mobile robots – sensing, planning and locomotion. He will consider typical solutions to these problems and will review some recent robotic systems that have been successfully deployed on Earth and elsewhere.

Jenkin is the co-author of Computational Principles of Mobile Robotics (Cambridge University Press, 2000).

The college masters have designed this lecture series to highlight a sample of the diverse research in which faculty members at York are involved. Each of York’s nine colleges will host one such talk. The speakers and talks have been selected for the excitement in doing research that each speaker exhibits. The talks will be geared to a general audience, with no technical knowledge of the subject matter or the topic being presupposed.

There is no fee for this lecture, although advance registration is required.

To register or for more information, contact Nisa Haniff, secretary to the master and academic adviser, Bethune College, at 416-736-5164 or nhaniff@yorku.ca.

For more information about upcoming U50 events, visit the U50 Web site.