The Workshop’s  Vision and the Inaugural Instalment

Despite the promising future of robotics and AI, Africa’s footprint in this field remains limited. Access to robotics hardware is a significant hurdle that hinders research and development on the continent. This challenge is reflected in the underrepresentation of African researchers at international robotics conferences.

Driven by the Deep Learning Indaba’s initiative to foster specialised machine learning communities, we organised the inaugural Robot Learning for Africa workshop in 2023. Our goal was to connect researchers and professionals in the field and inspire students to pursue careers in robotics and machine learning.

The 2023 workshop was a resounding success, featuring speakers from prominent institutions such as Nvidia, the University of Cape Town Department of Electrical Engineering, CSIR South Africa, the NICIS Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC), and University College London, which sponsored us with on-premise robots. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees solidified the need for such a platform in Africa.

The 2024 Edition

The 2nd edition of our workshop held in Dakar, Senegal saw continued success. This time we heard insightful talks from Benjamin Rosman, who spoke about the intersection of reinforcement learning and robotics, and Sekou Remy, who spoke about transferring robotics skills to industry. A highlight of this year’s edition was our collaboration with Scaleup Robotics, a cloud robotics company who allowed participants to remotely control their collection of Python-programmable robots. This collaboration allowed participants to gain practical experience with real robots, regardless of their physical location. We concluded the workshop with an insightful group discussion, in which participants debated the challenges and opportunities of deploying robotic solutions in Africa.

Thanking Our Sponsors

Our workshop would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. We extend our deepest gratitude to the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS), whose commitment to fostering technological innovation and promoting accessibility aligns perfectly with our vision of empowering African researchers in robotics and machine learning. Their support has been instrumental in enabling us to overcome logistical challenges and provide a valuable platform for knowledge sharing and community building.

The IEEE’s recognition of our workshop’s potential impact underscores the growing importance of robotics and AI in Africa. Their contribution has not only provided financial resources but also invaluable credibility and visibility, attracting a wider audience to our initiative. We are incredibly proud to have had the IEEE as a sponsor, and we believe their involvement will continue to inspire and encourage greater participation in the field of robotics across the continent.

We also express our sincere appreciation to Lelapa AI, a pioneering African AI company focused on developing tools and resources to support African languages. Lelapa AI’s dedication to leveraging AI for social good and promoting inclusivity resonates deeply with our mission of building a diverse and representative robotics community in Africa. Their support reflects a shared belief in the transformative power of technology to address local challenges and empower African communities.

The Future

Since our first edition, we are proud to witness the steady growth of our community. This is a testament to the success of our workshop and of the Deep Learning Indaba as a whole. As organisers, we hope to continue to foster this growth by cultivating a vibrant community online, providing them with regular updates and opportunities in robotics and machine learning.

Our takeaways for future organisers is to engage with your community and connect everyone you can who falls within the workshop’s scope. As the community grows, so too does the pool of participants, speakers, organisers and collaborators, making our jobs as organisers easier. We also recommend early and frequent communication, especially as deadlines approach. Regular communication with Indaba organisers also ensures a smooth experience on the day, and helps keep our joint visions aligned. 

Our vision is closely aligned with the Deep Learning Indaba’s mission to strengthen machine learning expertise in Africa. By fostering a community dedicated to robotics and machine learning, we aim to empower African researchers to contribute to this exciting field and develop innovative solutions to local challenges.

We believe that robotics and AI have the potential to transform Africa, and we are committed to playing our part in this transformation. Through the Robot Learning for Africa workshop, we will continue to connect, inspire, and equip the next generation of African roboticists.