Welcome to RiTA2012
I am very pleased to have the First International Conference on Robot Intelligence Technology and Applications (RiTA 2012) which will be held in Gwangju, Korea on December 16 - 18, 2012. RiTA 2012 will be held in conjunction with the 14th 2012 International Robot Olympiad (IRO). IRO is an annual event for youths to build their dream of being a creative robotic scientist of the future.

Intelligence Technology (IT) is very important to implement robots and intelligent systems because they do not possess such knowledge and intelligence as humans to use the data and information properly. IT will play a key role in enhancing our life in the future. The conference topics focus on challenging aspects in the next generation of robot intelligence technology and applications. RiTA 2012 will provide informative time to students and professionals from academia, enterprise, and research institute.

Prior to the conference, tutorials and workshops will take place as short intensifying lectures on Dec 16. I plan to invite great scholars for plenary sessions, to highlight the RiTA program. The technical program will consist of oral, poster and demo presentations including regular sessions and invited sessions. Also, industries and research institutes will display their products or services in an exhibition area during the conference. In addition, an exciting series of social events will offer the RiTA participants the opportunities of strengthening the interactions and tasting the Gwangju flavors.

I feel thankful for all of the organizing committee’s efforts to make the conference a success. The conference is organized by International Robot Olympiad Committee of which members are the major members initiating this conference. Also, I would thank Gwangju Municipal and the other organizations for sponsoring the conference.

The conference venue, Kimdaejung Convention Center is named after the late Former President Kim Dae-Jung, who was the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Accordingly, Gwangju is a symbol of representing democracy and peace of Korea. Gwangju has long been regarded as a rich city in culture and the arts. It has produced numerous scholars and artists renowned for their scholarship and virtue. Gwangju is proud of singing a Korean traditional song, Pansori, and making the best Korean cuisine, Kimchi. Gwangju is surrounded by high and beautiful mountains like Mt. Mudeung. Please join the conference and enjoy the local flavor of Korean southwestern province.

Sincerely yours,



Jong-Hwan Kim, KT Chair Professor, FIEEE
General Chair of RiTA 2012
KAIST, Korea