Keynotes

In this talk, Ali will showcase his groundbreaking work in robotic microsurgery over the past two years. The talk will highlight the unmet clinical needs and robotics’s role in addressing these needs, present the latest achievements, and discuss the translational challenges of integrating robots into clinics. The talk will conclude with visionary scenarios demonstrating how medical autonomy can tackle existing translational challenges. Ali will discuss the convergence of computer vision, machine intelligence, and mechatronics with clinical progress to achieve optimal autonomy in various medical procedures. Emphasizing the importance of collaboration, he will underscore the necessity of ongoing dialogue between research centers, clinicians, clinical staff, and industry stakeholders.

The overall goal of the work in my lab is to develop intelligent medical devices and innovative rehabilitation interventions that improve function and prevent secondary complications after neural injuries, with particular focus on spinal cord injury. In this talk, I will provide an overview of the various approaches we use for restoring the ability to stand and walk after spinal cord injury. These approaches include innovative rehabilitation interventions that utilize non-invasive neuromodulation for persons with incomplete spinal cord injuries who have some preservation of sensory and motor function. They also include exoskeletons and implantable neuromodulation micro-systems for persons with complete spinal cord injury who have lost all motor function.

The 21st century presents unique challenges related to climate change in the areas of disaster response, urban warfare, and work inside confined spaces. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Search and Rescue operations take place worldwide, involving fire, police, and medical emergency teams. Similarly, tasks associated with urban warfare in densely populated areas require new approaches to keep first responders and military personnel safe.
As the Earth's population continues to grow—projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2025 and increasing by nearly 100 million annually—the strain on disaster and conflict response efforts escalates. Rapid urbanization is leading to the creation of complex systems to support densely populated areas, including underground infrastructure, which poses significant risks to those operating in such environments.
Moreover, nearly all future population growth will occur in urban areas, increasing the impact of both natural disasters and man-made threats, such as terrorist attacks and urban warfare. This growth places more people at risk, intensifying the challenges for response teams.
The increasing frequency and severity of natural and man-made disasters further heighten the need for advanced tools to improve disaster and conflict response strategies. Autonomous robotic systems are crucial for navigating and operating in hazardous geometrically complex environments, such as collapsed buildings and war-torn urban areas.
This presentation will explore innovative aerial and multi-legged robotic systems designed to meet these challenges. These robots, equipped with advanced flying and locomotion capabilities, are being developed to assist in relief operations and perform tasks in confined, GPS-denied urban environments, including those impacted by warfare.
The talk will distinguish between current realities and futuristic possibilities in robotic technology. It will highlight robotic aircraft capable of transitioning between mediums (e.g., air and underwater) and advancements in multi-legged robots, such as humanoids, which are being enhanced to autonomously navigate and perform tasks in complex, hazardous environments, assisting humans in both disaster relief and urban warfare scenarios.