- Visiting_residents - Australian Centre for Robotics

REMINDER 29 July, Session 2: Workshop - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
by Australian Centre For Robotics Administration 20 Jul '26

20 Jul '26

Hi everyone, A friendly reminder that an updated calendar invite for the in-person Workshop session of the pilot Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training program has just been sent. 📅 Wednesday, 29 July 🕙 10:00 am to 11:30 am To help us with planning, please complete the following as soon as possible: 1. Accept the calendar invitation 2. Register for the session via this link: ACFR Session 2: Workshop - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) – Fill out form<https://forms.office.com/r/pq9Hxzn8gW> Please note that we will review whether an additional workshop session is organised, depending on attendance. Please reach out to acfr.admin(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:acfr.admin@sydney.edu.au> should you have any questions. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at the workshop. Best regards, Sabrina Sabrina Asri | Senior Admin Officer The University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering, Australian Centre for Robotics Rose Street Building J04 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 +61 2 9351 7126 | sabrina.asri(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:sabrina.asri@sydney.edu.au> | sydney.edu.au<http://sydney.edu.au/> CRICOS 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this email if necessary.

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[Everybody at ACFR] Placeholder, ACFR Seminar Series: Assistant Professor Jake Welde & Dr. Thai Mai Thanh
by Sabrina Asri 20 Jul '26

20 Jul '26

Hi everyone, This is a placeholder invitation for two talks taking place this Thursday. Please RSVP for catering purposes. Further details will be shared shortly. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing everyone there. Best regards, Sabrina Sabrina Asri | Senior Admin Officer The University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering, Australian Centre for Robotics Rose Street Building J04 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 +61 2 9351 7126 | sabrina.asri(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:sabrina.asri@sydney.edu.au> | sydney.edu.au<http://sydney.edu.au/> CRICOS 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this email if necessary. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] Seminars this morning and this week
by Ian Manchester 19 Jul '26

19 Jul '26

Hi all, Just a reminder we have a slew of exciting seminars this week (post-RSS) Today 10am: Zac Manchester (MIT) Today 11am: Xuning Yang (NVIDIA) Wednesday 1pm (TBC): Bowen Yi, Montreal Polytech Thursday 1pm: Jake Welde, Cornell. Should be a fun week! Best Ian -- Ian R. Manchester Professor of Mechatronic Engineering, Director, Australian Centre for Robotics (ACFR), Director, Australian Robotic Inspection and Asset Management (ARIAM) Hub, School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Sydney, Australia. https://www.sydney.edu.au/engineering/about/our-people/academic-staff/ian-m… T: +61 2 9351 2186 F: +61 2 9351 7474 _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] Monday 11am -- Xuning Yang (Nvidia) talk
by William Zhi 19 Jul '26

19 Jul '26

Hi folks, We have Xuning Yang from Nvidia visiting. She'll be giving a talk after Zac's talk. Her talk is from 11am-12 on Monday the 20th of July. Cheers, William Below are the details: Talk: How to Evaluate Real Robot Generalist Policies Abstract: Evaluating general-purpose robot policies rigorously remains one of robotics' hardest challenges, given that real-world evaluation is slow and costly while existing simulation benchmarks suffer from high setup overhead and a persistent sim2real gap. In this talk, we discuss how to rigorously evaluate real-world generalist robot policies at scale, covering the key pitfalls in current benchmarking practice and our approach to addressing them. We introduce principles for future-proofing evaluation, including embodiment-agnostic task design, scalable task generation, and diagnostic analysis tools, which are needed to build evaluations that keep pace with increasingly capable models. Bio: Xuning Yang is a Senior Research Scientist at NVIDIA's Seattle Research Lab. Her research interests include robot foundation models, particularly on evaluation methods, and generalization capabilities, as well as a broad range of application scenarios from field robotics, indoor navigation, and robot manipulation. Prior to NVIDIA, she received her Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, Get Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg> _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] Ag/Env Projects Photoshoot in J19
by Khalid Rafique 19 Jul '26

19 Jul '26

Hi everyone We have planned a photo shoot by the University media team on Thursday, 23rd Jul in J19, from 10AM to mid day. The activity will be in the J19 Ag/Env area, both floors. Best regards, Khalid Rafique | CPEng, NER Program Manager Australian Centre for Robotics The University of Sydney Room 403, Building J18 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 +61 2 8627 9070 | +61 2 9036 0000 (fax) | +61 427 670 296 khalid.rafique(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:khalid.rafique@sydney.edu.au> | sydney.edu.au CRICOS 00026A This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this email if necessary. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] Wednesday 22 July ARIAM Lab Tour
by Annette Karydis 19 Jul '26

19 Jul '26

Good morning all, We are expecting one of our ARIAM industry partners to visit the J19 Research Lab on Wednesday 22 July from 10am-11.30am. Please hide or showcase your research as appropriate. Where possible, please keep the lab relatively quiet during this time. If you can avoid using the coffee area during this time it would be appreciated. Kind Regards Annette Annette Karydis | Operations Manager The University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering, Australian Centre for Robotics +61 2 9351 8146 | +61 419 207 097 CRICOS 00026A This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] ACFR - RSS Tours - Monday 13 and Friday 17 July.
by Annette Karydis 17 Jul '26

17 Jul '26

Hi All I wanted to give a big shout out to all the amazing staff and students who helped make the ACFR Tours such a great experience for our visitors attending the Robotics: Science and Systems * A Robotics Conference<https://roboticsconference.org/> A tremendous amount of work goes into preparing both our labs and our people, and it certainly showed. ACFR truly knows how to put on a tour! Thank you for your hard work and enthusiasm and willingness to share the amazing research being undertaken across our research groups. I'd also like to extend a big thank you to our Innovation and Industry Engagement team for all their support today. Your presence and assistance in guiding our visitors helped ensure everyone had a seamless and enjoyable experience. An extra special mention goes to my team. Without all their hard work over the last week, today would not have been possible. Thank you for your dedication, support and for always being there when needed. I will share some photos early next week. I hope you all have a wonderful and well deserved weekend. Thank you again, everyone. Kind Regards Annette Annette Karydis | Operations Manager The University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering, Australian Centre for Robotics Rose Street Building J04 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 +61 2 9351 8146 | +61 419 207 097 annette.karydis(a)sydney.edu.au. <mailto:annette.karydis@sydney.edu.au.%20> | sydney.edu.au<http://sydney.edu.au/> CRICOS 00026A This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this email if necessary. [A black background with a black square AI-generated content may be incorrect.] CRICOS 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this email if necessary. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] ACFR Seminar Series: Assoc. Professor Zac Manchester, MIT
by Sabrina Asri 17 Jul '26

17 Jul '26

Faculty of Engineering ACFR Seminar Series [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260717/44/a0/ac/85/83de99ae1318da0a…] [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260717/90/62/a1/a0/e806283be685b4d0…] ACFR Seminar Series: Assoc. Professor Zac Manchester, MIT Presented by Assoc. Professor Zac Manchester Date: Monday, 20 July 2026, at 10:00 am AEST Venue: ACFR seminar area, J04 level 2 (Rose St Building<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/7-HGCxngwOf9VmKwRHNcLfyj8Mh?domain=t…>) Zoom ID: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/s/87306457455<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/bY1fCyojxQT0w6Ek2ilfwfxo4nd?domain=t…> [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260717/d0/ac/e5/61/4e8a62d517aa2a00…] Bio: Zac Manchester is an Associate Professor in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. He holds a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and a B.S. in applied physics from Cornell University. Zac was a postdoc in the Agile Robotics Lab at Harvard University and previously worked at CMU, Stanford, NASA Ames Research Center and Analytical Graphics, Inc. He has received numerous top awards, including a NASA Group Achievement Award and NSF Career Award in 2025, NIAC Fellow in 2021 and NASA Early Career Faculty Award in 2018. In addition, he has numerous best paper awards, and has led four NASA-funded satellite missions. His research interests include motion planning, control, and numerical optimization, particularly with application to small, low-cost spacecraft. [Register for Event >]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/odQ6CzvkyVCxZ8v9wfnhzf9aebL?domain=t…> [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260717/2e/8d/c7/1c/1c70baef8b350e38…] [Web Site]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/frTMCBNqjlCMrP3BRiKsNf2zRFP?domain=t…> [LinkedIn]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/mKo4CD1vlpTnzjQ0Js0tRfjMiLB?domain=t…> [X]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/8NViCE8wmrtg21KM0fXuyf7wD4X?domain=t…> [YouTube]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/ntXZCGv0oyC0RWoGOiZCPfBLdt1?domain=t…> Copyright © 2026 The University of Sydney Please add acfr.admin(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:acfr.admin@sydney.edu.au> to your address book or senders safe list to make sure you continue to see our emails in the future. Cricos Code 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 Disclaimer<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/EGOvCJyBrGf1vpP5ASEF9fy4oA1?domain=t…> | Privacy statement<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/QBUXCK1DvKTBN80mMHlHwf5HUCx?domain=t…> | Manage<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/MjFoCq71mwfz3LGlkipIYfE7HdN?domain=a…> your preferences | Opt Out<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/h4YhCr81nyt1YwXonS3Smf4t_Qm?domain=t…> using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? Sign up<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/PgJiCvl1rKi25OoKLIgTjfQdhiW?domain=a…> to receive our future emails. View this email online<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/AUduCwV1vMfAm0X9VfAUkfJAvjH?domain=t…>. Rose Street Building J04 Level 2 | Darlington, 2008 AU _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] Mechanical Engineering Building (J07) – Crane Lift and J03 Laneway closure extended
by Annette Karydis 16 Jul '26

16 Jul '26

________________________________ [cid:image001.png@01DC84AB.E0DCC0F0] Mechanical Engineering Building (J07) – Windows and Louvres and Roof Projects Crane Lift - Saturday 18 July, 7am to 3pm What you need to know * Crane lift operations will take place on Saturday 18 July 2026 * Work is scheduled from 7:00am to 3:00pm * Important: The mechanical HVAC system at J07 will be disconnected the day before, on Friday 17 July from 7:00am onwards – please refer to separate correspondence regarding the replacement program timeline Impacts Roads and access: * One lane of Blackwattle Creek Lane will remain open to vehicles. Traffic control will be in place. Expect occasional slowing of traffic during crane operations. * Pedestrian access from Shepherd Street will remain available with traffic control in place to assist pedestrians * An exclusion zone (see diagram below) will be established around the lifting area. Parking: * Parking lots along Blackwattle Creek Lane (J07 and J11) will be unavailable * ACFR parking lot behind J11 will be inaccessible Noise Impacts: * Intermittent beeping sounds from the crane can be expected throughout the work period * Occasional noise from power tools during removal and installation works is expected Building-Specific Impacts: J07 (Mechanical Engineering Building): * Air conditioning will be offline from Friday 17 July, 7:00am onwards – no heating or cooling will be available * Dock access will be unavailable during crane lift operations on Saturday 18 July J03 MyLab Hub and J04: * Dock access to J03 MyLab Hub and J04 will be unavailable during the crane lift period on Saturday 18 July J09 (Seymour Centre): * Vehicular access from Shepherd Street to Maze Crescent Roundabout and J09 dock via Blackwattle Creek Lane will remain open throughout the works How you can help: * Avoid entering exclusion zones marked around the lifting area * Follow signage and instructions from traffic controllers and site personnel * Plan for alternative parking arrangements for Saturday 18 July * Please inform your teams about the scheduled work and any changes to access, parking, and building conditions Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we complete this essential building improvement project. Please direct any questions about this work to Ozkan Eren, Project Director, Central Operations Services, at ozkan.eren(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:ozkan.eren@sydney.edu.au>. Traffic Management Plan:[cid:image002.png@01DD1544.3ED70020] J03 Laneway closure extended Dates: Thursday 16 July – Saturday 25 July 2026 (extended from original end date of 18 July) Work Hours: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday, 7:00AM-3:00PM Saturday The closure extension is required to safely complete upper scaffold works above the J03 laneway, including structural beam installation and scaffold erection linking the J07 and J13 buildings. Impacts · J03 laneway will be inaccessible during full closure periods · MyLab loading dock access will be affected · Alternative access routes must be used when the laneway is closed or deemed unsafe · Deliveries and staff access will be managed by site supervisors and traffic controllers, where safe and practical. Please direct any questions about this work to Robbie Calder-Potts, Project Manager, Central Operations Services, at robbie.calder-potts(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:robbie.calder-potts@sydney.edu.au>. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] Lab Tours - Friday 17 July
by Annette Karydis 16 Jul '26

16 Jul '26

Hi All The J19 Research lab will be hosting two lab tours for delegates from the RSS Conference tomorrow. If you are not involved, can I ask you to keep clear of coffee area and the open research spaces on Level 1 in the lab from 11-12pm and 3.30-4.30pm. Can everyone also please ensure anything sensitive is put away. If you have any issues or concerns, please let me know. Thanks all for your understanding. Kind Regards Annette Annette Karydis | Operations Manager The University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering, Australian Centre for Robotics Rose Street Building J04 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 +61 2 9351 8146 | +61 419 207 097 annette.karydis(a)sydney.edu.au. <mailto:annette.karydis@sydney.edu.au.%20> | sydney.edu.au<http://sydney.edu.au/> CRICOS 00026A This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this email if necessary. [A black background with a black square AI-generated content may be incorrect.] CRICOS 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this email if necessary. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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