Guest Researchers
Francesco Mondada
Francesco Mondada is professor at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. After a master and a PhD received at EPFL, he led the design of many miniature mobile robots, commercialized and used worldwide in thousands of schools and universities. He co-founded several companies selling these robots or other educational tools. He is author of more than hundred publications in the field of robot design. He received several awards, including the Swiss Latsis University prize, as best young researcher at EPFL and the Credit Suisse Award for Best Teaching as best teacher at EPFL.
The groups of Francesco Mondada and Thomas Schmickl started working together on the ASSISIbf project, even if Artificial Life Laboratory was working with the e-puck robots already before this project. Between August 2015 and August 2016 Francesco Mondada spent his sabbatical in the lab of Thomas Schmickl, collaborating on various projects like Flora Robotica, ASSISIbf and projects based on the Thymio robot.
Toshifumi Kimura
Assistant Professor at University of Hyogo, Japan
Study Themes:
- Image / Video Processing
- Multiple tracking system of honeybee in a hive
- Tracking system of fine root
- Broadcasting system
- Broadcasting system of the conditions in a bee colony
Istvan Karsai
Professor at Dept. Biological Sciences East Tennessee State University
Istvan Karsai collaborated with Thomas Schmickl on wide variety of projects including research, educational projects and services to the public. Research collaboration is focusing to understand complex pattern formation as a result of self-organizing processes. They attacked two areas: 1) optimal population size and sex ratio evolution and 2) division of labor and task partitioning based on information center (common stomach).
Both Istvan and Thomas were invited guest educators in the corresponding Universities and we also taught courses together at ETSU. Thomas was selected to the prestigious Distinguished Basler Chair position at ETSU, where Istvan was his host and collaborator in this position. The Basler chair role is to connect the University with the public and enhance quality research and education at ETSU. Istvan Karsai also collaborated with Heiko Hammann (PostDoc of Thomas Schmickl) on the effect of time delay on task switching.
Istvan Karsai conducted two research stays at the Artificial Life Lab to collaborate on mathematical models of social insects with the local researchers. Several publications are resulting from these collaborative studies. Istvan is also member of the advisory board of the project ASSISI|bf, which is coordinated by the Artificial Life Lab.
Homepage: http://faculty.etsu.edu/karsai/