Keynotes
BRUNO SICILIANO
Robotics: A new science, a new learning and teaching environment for online higher-education
This talk will discuss the evolution of robotics as a science beyond the boundaries of engineering and technology, marked by the publication of the two editions of the award-winning “Springer Handbook of Robotics”. The challenges of the new emerging InterAction Technology (IAT) will be addressed across human and machine frontiers, with reference to the goal of developing intelligent systems supporting physical AI. The four pillars of modern robotics (knowledge, design, interaction, impact) will be introduced. They are at the forefront of the recent “Robotics Goes MOOC” project, where the four volumes are proactively complemented by the “Robotics and Robots” MOOC course for web- learning education.
BIOGRAPHY – Bruno Siciliano is professor of robotics and control at the University of Naples Federico II. He is also Honorary Professor at the University of Óbuda where he holds the Kálmán Chair. His research interests include manipulation and control, human–robot cooperation, and service robotics. Fellow of the scientific societies IEEE, ASME, IFAC, AAIA, AIIA, he received numerous international prizes and awards, including the recent 2024 IEEE Robotics and Automation Pioneer Award. He was President of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society from 2008 to 2009. He has delivered more than 150 keynotes and has published more than 350 papers and 24 books. His book “Robotics” is among the most adopted academic texts worldwide, while his edited volume “Springer Handbook of Robotics” received the highest recognition for scientific publishing: the 2008 PROSE Award for Excellence in Physical Sciences & Mathematics. His team has received more than 25 million Euro funding in the last 15 years from competitive European research projects, including two ERC grants. “Keep the gradient” is the motto that Siciliano invented, meaning a constant search for new ideas and new solutions. A hymn to complexity to capture challenges and opportunities always in the name of the art of work & play, as stated in his passionate TEDx Talk. More details are available at http://wpage.unina.it/sicilian/.
OLGA C. SANTOS
Learning IN/WITH/ABOUT Motion: Shaping the Future of Online Higher Education through Human Motion Computing
This keynote traces our research journey on how human motion can enrich learning. From embodied learning with martial arts to psychomotor skill acquisition, in the PhyUM Research Center we have explored motion capture through wearables, image-based keypoint detection, and immersive VR environments. Building on this foundation, the MOODTION project focuses on extending online platforms to integrate psychomotor dimensions into course design. By considering learning in, with, and about motion, I will show how AI-based human motion computing opens new paths for online higher education.
BIOGRAPHY – Olga C. Santos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Artificial Intelligence at UNED’s School of Computer Science. She founded and directs the PhyUM Research Center, focusing on intelligent systems for psychomotor learning. Active in the AIED (Artificial Intelligence in Education) and UMAP (User Modeling, Adaptation and Personalization) communities since 2003, she has served as president of the International AIED Society (2023-2025) and is member of the Steering Committee of ACM UMAP. She introduced the SMDD framework in the Journal of AIED in 2016, leading to various prototypes and a patent. Her latest research in the UMUAI Journal involves modeling the performance of martial arts movements using inertial sensor data. Dr. Santos has received multiple awards, including Best Doctoral Thesis (IEEE Spanish Chapter of the Education Society), Young Researcher Award (IEEE Learning Technology Technical Committee), and the Archimedes Engineering Award (Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Spain). She has over 200 publications with 5550+ citations (h-index: 36, i10-index: 103) according to Google Scholar.