Student Activities

There is a composition of serious and fun activities around the regular conference program provided by the Student Activities Committee. Some of these require us to make reservations and in any case we do not want to leave participants behind, so let us know if you want to join! The general conference is co-financed by IEEE RAS and RSJ; please be aware that at the Lunch with Leaders and GOLD Lunch events priority will be given to RAS members. (Indicate your membership in the application email!). See details below.

RAS Continuous Programs

• FIBRS (Fostering Interaction Between Robotists and Students)
  Student/Chair Mentorship Program

  At this year's IROS, students can get involved in a fun way! Get the "behind the scenes" experience of a conference! This program will give you a chance to interact with key researchers in your field. Students will be paired with a Session Chair, where they will learn how to run a conference session. Students who are interested, should start by reading the session guide to decide on a session chair that they would like to be paired with. Please e-mail the name of the session, the date, and your relevant contact information to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Keep in mind that people are occasionally very busy, so you may wish to provide an alternative mentor name.

• Student Photo Contest

  You are invited to submit your photographs taken during the IROS 2011 conference. This is a seasonal amateur photography competition, which is open to IROS undergraduate and graduate student attendees. Evaluation of submitted photographs will be made by the IEEE RAS SAC with involvement of independent judges. Three winners will be announced and awarded after the conference.

  You may upload your photos at the following website: photocontest.ieee-ras.org/iros2011/upload.php. All submitted entries will be retained for archival purposes.

• Student Reporters Program

  This is your chance to become famous with your writing skills: we are calling for entertaining, yet professionally written reports on different sessions at IROS. The best reports will receive awards and will be published in the upcoming issue of the Robotics and Automation magazine. You can sign yourself up to report on a specific session via this link: wiki.ieee-ras.org/mab/iros_student_reporters

Not a RAS Member Yet? Join Us Today!

IEEE is the world's largest professional association. It provides access to the industry's most current and essential technical information, networking opportunities, career development tools, and many other exclusive benefits to its members. Learn more about membership benefits here. In addition, IEEE has 38 societies that represent a wide range of technical interests by providing publications, conferences, and community networking.

The Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) is focused on both applied and theoretical sides of robotics and automation. Here, Robotics is defined to include intelligent machines and systems used in a variety of areas. For example, space exploration, human services, or manufacturing. Automation, on the other hand, includes the use of automated methods in various applications such as in a factory, office, or home setting, and laboratory automation or transportation systems to improve performance. The RAS society aids in promoting close cooperation and exchange of technical information among its members and affiliates. For this reason, the society holds regular meetings for the presentation of papers and their discussion as well as sponsoring appropriate periodicals and special technical publications. The Robotics and Automation Magazine and the Transactions on Robotics are the highest ranked journals in the field. Finally, we do not need to introduce the flagship conferences of the RAS: ICRA and IROS, both provided at a significant discount to IEEE RAS members.

We are inviting you to join the RAS Student Committee to be a part of this great experience: having fun while acquiring new knowledge and developing your career. You can learn more about our current and ongoing activities from the regular RAS SAC newsletter. You are always welcome to join us in all of our endeavors! All in all, IEEE requires a very modest membership fee from student members compared to its direct and indirect benefits. So why wait, get involved now!