Dear local ROS community in Southern Germany,
Prof. Andreas Wortmann (host) and Prof. Michel Albonico (ICM-fellow) invite you to a public lecture at the University of Stuttgart on how robotics software can be made more energy-efficient using AI methods. The research is based on the ICM LAB23 Explainable Energy-Efficient and Safe Robotics (E3SR). Participation is free of charge. The lecture will be held in English. Registration is not necessary.
Talk title:
Energy-Efficient Robotics through Software Design: Lessons from ROS-Based Systems
Abstract:
Energy efficiency is a critical challenge in robotics, where intensive computation for tasks such as perception, SLAM, and navigation directly impacts battery life and environmental footprint. While hardware advances continue to improve efficiency, our research shows that software choices are equally decisive in determining how energy is consumed. As the Robot Operating System (ROS) has become the standard framework for robotics, it provides a unique opportunity to design greener systems through energy-aware software practices. In this talk, I will present findings from our investigations into energy efficiency in ROS-based systems. We demonstrate that software design decisions, ranging from the choice of SLAM algorithm and package parameter tuning to communication architectures, message frequencies, and programming languages, have a substantial influence on CPU load, memory usage, and overall power and energy consumption. Our results reveal that efficient software design can extend mission time and reduce energy waste without requiring new hardware. Looking to the future, in the talk, I will also discuss directions where software remains a key to greener robotics: extending evaluations to further real-world settings, embedding energy measurement into the ROS development pipeline, and leveraging AI-driven optimization to automatically configure energy-efficient/aware robotic missions. By combining empirical results with forward-looking strategies, we aim to guide roboticists toward systematic, resource-aware practices that foster greener and more sustainable robotic systems and missions.
Vita:
Michel Albonico (@Michel_Albonico) is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Technology – Paraná (UTFPR), Brazil, where he teaches software engineering and distributed programming. His research focuses on software engineering for cyber-physical systems, with a particular emphasis on investigating how software design affects energy efficiency, performance, and sustainability. More at https://michel.iotrixx.com.br/.
Coordinates:
- Tuesday October 14 2025, 14:00 - 15:00
- University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart-Vaihingen
Room 9.41: UniMaps ❯ Universität Stuttgart
Looking forward to welcoming you in Stuttgart
Thilo
Dipl.-Kfm. Thilo Zimmermann | Head of Research Coordination
InnovationCampus Future Mobility (ICM) | University of Stuttgart | Nobelstr. 15 | 70569 Stuttgart | Germany
www.icm-bw.de/en/