Speakers

Title: To be announced 

Abstract: To be announced 

Title: Advancements in fully-actuated UAVs and cooperative transport. 

Abstract: Novel multirotor platforms are being developed to enhance dexterity and energy  efficiency, enabling capabilities beyond those of conventional UAVs. At the same time, driven by long-endurance autonomous aerial transportation, cooperative manipulation using continuously flying UAVs has been emerging as a promising paradigm. This talk will present recent developments in the design, modeling, and control of fully actuated aerial robots, with a particular focus on their enhanced motion capabilities and interaction with the environment. Additionally, it will highlight efficient strategies for the cooperative transportation of cable-suspended payloads, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities associated with coordinated multi-UAV systems maintaining continuous flight. 

Title: To be announced 

Abstract: To be announced 

Title: To be announced 

Abstract: To be announced 

Prof. Bahadir Kocer 

University of Bristol, UK

Title: Towards more functional aerial robots for environment  

Abstract: Aerial robots offer new ways to monitor and protect ecosystems by accessing dense forest canopies and other fragile habitats that are difficult or risky for humans and environment. Our work develops perching and tethered aerial platforms for long‑duration, minimally invasive environmental sensing, enabling continuous observation with reduced ecological disturbance and energy use. We design compliant grasping mechanisms that safely attach to branches and trunks while minimizing noise and airflow during data collection. In this talk I will highlight recent advances in aerial perching, present case studies in ecology and conservation, and outline open challenges for sustainable, environment‑centered robotic design and long‑term conservation. 

Title: Soft Yet Agile: Rethinking Drone Design 

Abstract: 

To be announced 

Title: Active Perception for Autonomous Drones 

Abstract: Autonomous drones are increasingly used for applications such as environmental monitoring, inspection, mapping, and search and rescue, where effective sensing is as important as motion. This talk explores active perception: enabling aerial robots to reason about how their actions influence the information they acquire. I will introduce the problem of informative path planning and present our work on learning-based perception and mapping. Across these applications, the goal is to move beyond passive data collection towards drones that actively seek useful information, adapt their behaviour as their understanding evolves, and make better decisions under uncertainty.

Title: Shaping the Next Problem: Anticipating and Altering Future Conditions in Aerial Robotics 

Abstract: Autonomous robots are usually designed to answer a recurring question: given a model, an objective, and the available measurements, what should the robot do next? In demanding missions, however, the main limitation may lie in the conditions that will define subsequent decisions. This talk examines how aerial robots can anticipate and influence those conditions. In persistent monitoring, multi-robot NMPC predicts the co-evolution of UAV trajectories and a dynamic urgency field, so each visit modifies the future mission state. In CA-AC-MPC, actor–critic learning adapts the MPC objective to the task context while retaining model-based dynamics and constraints, enabled by CUDA-accelerated differentiable MPC. Finally, preliminary Tom Thumb-inspired work detects VIO degradation and creates visual traces for later use in feature-poor environments. These contributions share a future-oriented principle: identify what may limit the next decision, modify a variable usually treated as given, and solve the resulting problem. 

Title: Beyond Flying in Free Space: Planning, Control, and Interaction with Aerial Robots 

Abstract: Aerial robots are exciting because they can go where other robots cannot—and challenging because every new capability pushes the limits of planning, control, and interaction. In this talk, I will present our work on enabling drones to move through complex environments and interact with the world around them. We begin with ways to represent free space and plan smooth, collision-free motions without restrictive paths. From there, we move toward aerial manipulation, where precise and robust flight control becomes essential. I will highlight our actuated platforms and control framework, and discuss what it takes to turn agile flight into physical interaction. 

Title: Opportunities and limitations of drone applications in agriculture: technological solutions and on-farm transfer.

Abstract: The presentation examines the ongoing evolution of drone applications in agriculture, highlighting their opportunities, limitations, and potential for adoption at farm level. It will address the sector’s main operational needs and the technological solutions currently available for crop monitoring, targeted input application, and decision support. Particular attention will be given to the barriers slowing adoption, including costs, technical skills, data reliability, and integration into existing farm processes. The presentation will also emphasise the need for a harmonised regulatory framework enabling drones to be deployed safely and promptly, in accordance with the narrow operational windows and specific timing requirements of agricultural activities.

Title: Towards Robust and Scalable Multi-Agent Aerial Manipulation 

Abstract: To be announced