WHEN: 27 April 2025
WHERE: EPFL SG Atrium and Auditorium, Lausanne Switzerland (direction)
In 2025, the academic community will come together to celebrate 25 Years of Embodied Intelligence, marking the 25th anniversary of the milestone textbook Understanding Intelligence by Rolf Pfeifer and Christian Scheier. This influential work laid the foundation for embodied intelligence—a paradigm that emphasizes the role of the body, environment, and interaction in the development of intelligent behavior.
This workshop serves as a unique platform to reflect on past achievements, understand current advancements, and chart the future of embodied intelligence as a field that continues to influence artificial intelligence, robotics, and cognitive science.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
The event will provide a comprehensive review of the past 25 years of progress in embodied intelligence, assess the field’s current status, and explore future directions for the next 25 years. By bringing together leading experts, early-career researchers, and industry professionals, this workshop aims to foster interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations.
WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS
Interactive breakout discussions will allow participants to engage in in-depth conversations with peers and experts, fostering collaboration and idea exchange.
EXPERT PANEL SESSIONS
Three dedicated panel discussions featuring renowned researchers will examine:
- The foundational impact of Understanding Intelligence and the evolution of embodied AI.
- The current state of embodied intelligence across robotics, neuroscience, cognitive science, and AI.
- Future challenges and opportunities in the next 25 years of embodied intelligence research.
POSTER & BREAK-OUT SESSIONS
Attending researchers will also have the opportunity to present their projects in poster sessions or flash talks. Please your interests in the registration above.
ORGANISERS
| Fumiya Iida (University of Cambridge) | Dana Damian (University of Sheffield) |
| Josie Hughes (EPFL) | Nana Obayashi (EPFL) |
| Thomas George Thuruthel (UCL) | Chapa Sirithunge (University of Cambridge |
| Thilina Lalitharatne (QMUL) | Arsen Abdulali (University of Cambridge) |
| Shuhei Miyashita (University of Sheffield) |
INVITED ATTENDEES
| Rolf Pfeifer (University of Zurich) | Yasuo Kuniyoshi (University of Tokyo) |
| Dario Floreano (EPFL) | Thrish Nanayakarra (Imperial College London) |
| Auke Ijspeert (EPFL) | Barbara Mazzolai (Italian Institute of Technology) |
| Jamie Paik (EPFL) | Josh Bongard (University of Vermont) |
| Brad Nelson (ETHZ) | Giulio Sandini (University of Genova) |
| Barry Trimmer (Tufts University) | Minoru Asada (Osaka University) |
| Metin Sitti (Max Planck) | Aude Billard (EPFL) |
| Oliver Brock (TU Berlin) | … and 40+ presentations |
Embodied Intelligence 