Organisers

Muhammad Aitsam is a final-year PhD candidate and researcher at the Smart Interactive Technologies Lab, Sheffield Hallam University. His research spans artificial intelligence, robotics, and neuromorphic computing, with a focus on creating adaptive and efficient systems for real-time perception and interaction. His expertise includes event-driven vision systems, real-time gesture recognition, 3D hand pose estimation, and cognitive state modelling using neuromorphic hardware. Aitsam has contributed to high-impact publications across IEEE and IOP journals and conferences, including work on vibration-based fault diagnosis, event-based data pipelines, and multimodal human-robot interaction. He is actively involved in the MSCA Horizon 2020 PERSEO project and leads multiple experimental research efforts integrating event cameras and spiking neural networks. His background includes a DAAD-funded master's from RWTH Aachen and research experience at the BMW Group.

Alessandro Di Nuovo is a Professor of Machine Intelligence at Sheffield Hallam University, where he directs the Smart Interactive Technologies Research Laboratory and leads the AI, Robotics, and Digital Innovations theme at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre. His research focuses on neuro-developmental robotics and socially assistive AI, aiming to develop human-centred technologies for healthcare and wellbeing. Prof. Di Nuovo has secured over £2.7 million in funding from prestigious bodies such as the European Union and UKRI. He currently leads the Horizon Europe project PRIMI and the EPSRC-funded ALDENS project, both exploring embodied neuromorphic systems and cognitive robotics. He has published extensively, including in journals like Nature Machine Intelligence, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems.

Aung Htet is a PhD candidate at the Smart Interactive Technologies Lab, Sheffield Hallam University. His research focuses on neuromorphic computing for developmental robotics, with an emphasis on building transferable, hierarchical representations for motor control and perception. He works with spiking neural networks, continuous attractor dynamics, and transfer learning to enable adaptive and goal-directed behavior in robotic systems. His current work involves designing biologically inspired control architectures that integrate motor and perceptual primitives using dynamic attractor states. These models incorporate mechanisms such as bump attractor networks, reservoir computing, gain modulation, and Hebbian plasticity to support tasks like fine manipulation and sequential motor planning. Aung earned his BSc in Computer Science from the University of Sheffield, where he also worked as a research assistant developing computational models of human attachment for social robotics. This background in embodied interaction led to his contributions on developing biologically inspired, adaptive, and efficient behaviors in robotic systems.

Raymond Mawanda is a PhD scholar at Sheffield Hallam University, focusing his research on the critical field of robotic security. His doctoral work centres on designing and developing advanced authentication mechanisms for robots, specifically investigating intelligent intrusion detection methods for cyber-attacks targeting assistive multimodal robotic systems. This research builds on a strong academic foundation in cybersecurity, including both a Master of Science (MSc) and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Cyber Security, also earned from Sheffield Hallam University. Prior to commencing his PhD, Raymond gained valuable practical and academic experience at the university. He served as a research assistant, contributing to studies on security and user privacy safeguards in multimodal robotic automated systems. Additionally, he is a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), supporting and teaching both postgraduate and undergraduate students. His technical skill set includes machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics, complemented by practical experience in penetration testing at CENTRIC, along with certifications such as CCNA and ISMS Auditor/Lead Auditor. Raymond's comprehensive background uniquely positions him to address the complex challenges of securing robotic systems.