At its meeting held on the 18th June 2025 in Belgrade, the Robotics in Alpe-Adria-Danube Region (RAAD) international scientific committee decided that RAAD 2028 will be hosted by Obuda University in Budapest.
🔹 Prof. Dr. József Tar, professor emeritus, was appointed to the advisory board.
The advisory board already included Prof. Dr. Imre Rudas, founding rector of Obuda University, making it three distinguished Hungarian experts—all affiliated with Obuda University—now actively contributing to RAAD leadership.
RAAD has been a key scientific network in the Central and Southeast European region for over three decades, promoting cooperation and technological advancement in robotics.
As part of a mobility program, we had the opportunity to visit Tokyo together with colleagues and students from the Antal Bejczy Centre for Intelligent Robotics, with the purpose of university visits and attending a conference. The nine-person group flew from Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport on a China Eastern Airlines flight, departing on Sunday at noon. After a layover in Shanghai, we arrived at Tokyo Narita Airport around noon local time on Monday. Following passport and customs checks, each participant successfully obtained a Suica card for local transportation, and we then traveled by train to our accommodation. We closed the first evening with a light dinner and a short walk, after which everyone rested to start the conference’s professional program fresh the next day.
The program of the International Workshop on Community-centric Systems and Robots 2025 (IW-CcSR 2025) conference continued on Wednesday morning at Tokyo Metropolitan University. The Wednesday session was opened by Dr. Hirooki Shibata, a young researcher from the university. He presented mathematical models of a new type of neural network, which accelerates teaching processes and allows networks to run efficiently on specific hardware environments. Following this, Tadamitsu Matsuda from Juntendo University gave a talk on the benefits of integrating various medical rehabilitation methods into engineering systems. His presentation particularly highlighted the possibilities of interdisciplinary collaboration between the universities present at the conference. The program continued with presentations from young researchers from Obuda University and Tokyo Metropolitan University. These presentations offered exciting insights into the latest research directions, especially in combining robotics and artificial intelligence to solve complex problems – in both everyday life and various industrial sectors. One of the closing talks of the conference was given by Ryota Yamada from OMRON Corporation. He demonstrated how next-generation AI solutions and 5G technologies can facilitate faster data capture and processing and open up new possibilities for enhancing industrial process efficiency. The coffee and lunch breaks, as well as the informal conversation with cakes and soft drinks, provided excellent opportunities for participants to exchange ideas, share experiences, and discuss the foundations of methodological collaborations. In the evening, the BARK team concluded the day with a ramen dinner, and we visited Tokyo’s famous shopping district, Akihabara, to pick up souvenirs. However, since it was already quite late, most shops were closed, and after a brief look around, we returned to our accommodation.
Tokyo Metropolitan University Hino Campus
Akihabara shopping street
On Thursday, we spent the day visiting the laboratories at Tokyo Metropolitan University, where we had the chance to explore the work of various research groups. In the Kubota lab, we learned about the “Living Lab” system developed by the “Intelligent Robotics Laboratory,” which offers cognitive and motion analysis technologies for use in hospitals. In the Wada lab, we saw various service robots in action, including automated shelf-fillers, cleaning systems, and therapeutic robots designed for the elderly. In the Shimokawara lab, we discovered projects focused on integrating intelligent systems. The Takesue lab presented robotic solutions for aviation and underwater transportation. In the afternoon, we visited the TLL and Room J spaces, where various interdisciplinary research directions were showcased. The second half of the day was spent at the Minami-Osawa campus, where we explored new projects in the Yamamoto and Kubota labs. We ended the day by visiting the Asakusa market and the famous Senso-ji Buddhist temple in central Tokyo, gaining insight into Japan’s cultural heritage.
Kubota Lab
On Friday, we were hosted by Yoshimi Takashi’s students at the Shibaura Institute of Technology’s Toyosu campus, some of whom had visited us the previous year. During the meeting, the Japanese students presented their current research findings. We saw candle-molding techniques, robot controls, and explored the modern Toyosu campus building, where we visited several labs. Among the robots showcased were mobile robot platforms, including those specifically designed for human-robot interactions, as well as robotic arm systems that can efficiently handle textiles. At the end of the visit, as in the previous days, we also presented our research topics and thanked our hosts for their warm welcome with small gifts. In the evening, we explored iconic landmarks in Tokyo: we visited the Rainbow Bridge from the Odaiba waterfront, then immersed ourselves in the bustling atmosphere of Shibuya and crossed the famous Shibuya crossing.
Odaiba Rainbow Bridge in the distance
Shibaura Institute of Technology Campus
On Saturday, our group visited Kamakura, where we first explored the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. The traditional Japanese architecture and religious symbols, such as the ritual hand-washing basin, created a unique atmosphere at the site. In the nearby Komachi street, we tasted Japanese street food and bought souvenirs, including crispy meatballs and fish-shaped vanilla-filled sweets. After that, we visited the famous Great Buddha statue (KĹŤtoku-in), where the incense burners and the peaceful atmosphere offered an especially authentic experience. In the afternoon, we traveled to Enoshima Island by a nostalgic train. Upon arrival, we took a short break by the ocean, where, despite our efforts, we had to share our lunch with the predatory birds circling the beach. We then took a walk to the Enoshima Shrine at the top of the hill, and descended to the rocky shore where we found small crabs and shells. Some of us were even caught by larger waves while standing at the edge of the rocks. Although the weather wasn’t perfectly clear, we could still see the silhouette of Mount Fuji through the mist in the distance. We concluded the day by returning to the beach, where we spent the late afternoon swimming.
Komachi Street
KĹŤtoku-in
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine Entrance
Enoshima Shrine Entrance
Enoshima shore
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
On our group’s last full day in Tokyo, there was no joint program, so everyone had the freedom to organize their own day. In the morning, a few of us started by visiting the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation deck, followed by a walk and photos in the nearby Yoyogi park. One person ventured out alone towards the park, exploring the city along the way and stopping by the Japanese parliament building. Three other group members spent the first part of the day visiting Tokyo’s photography specialty stores, one of whom made a purchase and went on an independent walk to try out the new camera. Later, they joined the others in the park, so almost everyone met during the morning. Afterwards, the group split into smaller groups again: some went shopping, while others continued sightseeing. Lunch was taken at various places. Some chose a ramen restaurant popular with locals, while others dined at Japanese fast food chains like Burger King or McDonald’s. In the evening, several people enjoyed themselves in an arcade, including one who played on a drumming simulator, while others walked or exercised, for example, running around the Imperial Palace park. Dinner was again in smaller, self-organized groups at different restaurants.
