Researcher Database

（Last updated : 2024-01-23 21:21:57）

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El Hafi Lotfi

Department / Course Research Organization of Science and Technology

Title / Position Associate Professor

Academic background
1.	2014/10/01～2017/09/30	Doctoral Program (2nd Semester) │ Robotics │ Graduate School of Information Science │ Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) │ Completed │ Doctor of Engineering (DrEng) (Robotics)
2.	2014/04/01～2014/09/30	Robotics │ Graduate School of Information Science │ Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) │ Completed │ Research Internship (Robotics)
3.	2013/09～2014/03	Commerce │ Centre de Compétence Management & Commerce │ Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment Agency (AWEX) │ Graduated │ Training in International Business & Management EXPLORT (Commerce)
4.	2011/09～2013/06	Mechatronics │ École polytechnique de Louvain (EPL) │ Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) │ Graduated │ Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering (MScEng), Professional Focus in Mechatronics: Cum Laude (Mechatronics)
5.	2007/09～2011/09	Mechanics │ École polytechnique de Louvain (EPL) │ Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) │ Graduated │ Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BScEng), Focus in Mechanics and Electricity (Mechanics)

Business career
1.	2019/10/01 ～	Research Assistant Professor │ Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO) │ Ritsumeikan University
2.	2019/10/01 ～	President and Founder │ │ Coarobo GK
3.	2019/04/01 ～	Specially Appointed Researcher of HSR Community │ Toyota HSR Community │ Toyota Motor Corporation
4.	2019/04/01 ～	Research Advisor for Robotics Competitions │ Panasonic Robotics Hub │ Panasonic Corporation
5.	2017/10/16 ～ 2019/09/30	Senior Researcher │ Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO) │ Ritsumeikan University
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Research activities
1.		Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
2.		Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME)
3.		Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ)

Qualification and license
1.	2019	Japanese Driving License, Category Ordinary Motorcycle
2.	2017	Highly Skilled Professional (i)(a): Advanced Academic Research Activities
3.	2015	Japan Kanji Aptitude Test (Kanken): 9
4.	2014	European Driving License, Category B
5.	2014	Japanese Driving License, Category Semi-Medium Vehicle
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Present specialized field
Intelligent robotics (Keyword：Service Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Information Science)

Papers
1.	2013/06	TICO: Study of a Low-Complexity Video Compression Scheme for FPGA │ Master thesis, Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) & intoPIX │ (Co-authored)
2.	2014/02/26	Mapping SDI with a Light-Weight Compression for High Frame Rates and Ultra-HD 4K Transport over SMPTE 2022-5/6 │ Proceedings of 2014 VSF Content in Motion, Annual Technical Conference and Exposition (VidTrans14) │ (Co-authored)
3.	2015/12/11	Model-based Approach for Gaze Estimation from Corneal Imaging using a Single Camera │ Proceedings of 2015 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration (SII 2015) │ ,pp.88-93 (Co-authored)
4.	2015/12/14	Development of Robot Control Components for Ball-Catching Task using Motion Capture Device │ Proceedings of 2015 SICE System Integration Division Annual Conference (SI 2015) │ ,pp.1067-1068 (Co-authored)
5.	2016/06/08	Wearable Device for Camera-based Eye Tracking: Model Approach using Cornea Images │ Proceedings of 2016 JSME Conference on Robotics and Mechatronics (ROBOMECH 2016) │ 16-2.1A2-14a4,pp.1-4 (Co-authored)
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Winning science prize
1.	2023/01	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) & Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE) IEEE/SICE SII 2023 Best Paper Award
2.	2022/03	Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ) HSRコミュニティ研究獎励賞
3.	2021/09	Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) METI Minister’s Award for Excellence in World Robot Summit 2020
4.	2019/10	Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Best Award for Forecasting Research Proposal
5.	2019/10	Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Best Award for Research Proposal Breaking Hagita-CREST Shell
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Competitive grants, etc. (exc. KAKENHI)
1.	2014/04/01 ～ 2017/09/30	MEXT Scholarship Program │ Research by External Competitive Fund

Achievements of joint.Funded research
1.	2013/09/01 ～ 2014/03/31	EXPLORT Program │ Other grants and subsidies

Message
1.	Lotfi El Hafi, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor at Ritsumeikan Global Innovation Research Organization (R-GIRO) for the International and Interdisciplinary Research Center for the Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence and Semiotics (AI+Semiotics) Project. He received in 2013 his MScEng in Mechatronics from the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium, where his Master thesis explored TICO compression, now JPEG XS, for Ultra HD 4K/8K video distribution in collaboration with intoPIX SA. After working for intoPIX SA as a Sales Engineer while being trained in the AWEX International Business & Management EXPLORT Program, he joined in 2014 the Robotics Laboratory of the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Japan, under the MEXT Scholarship Program where his Doctor thesis proposed Simultaneous Tracking and Attention Recognition from Eyes (STARE), a novel eye-tracking approach that leveraged deep learning to extract behavioral information from scenes reflected in the eyes. Today, his research interests include service robotics and artificial intelligence, with a particular interest in human-robot interaction. In this regard, he is the recipient of multiple research awards, such as the Best of IET and IBC 2016-2017 and the JST CREST Best Award for Forecasting Research Proposal 2019, as well as international robotics competition prizes, such as, among others, the 1st Place of Airbus Shopfloor Challenge 2016, the Finalist Prize of Amazon Robotics Challenge 2017, the NEDO Chairman's Award for Excellence in World Robot Summit 2018, the SICE Award for WRS Future Convenience Store Challenge 2018, and the 1st Places of WRS Future Convenience Store Challenge 2018 & 2019, which led him to become a Specially Appointed Researcher for the Toyota HSR Community, and a Research Advisor for Robotics Competitions at the Robotics Hub of Panasonic Corporation since 2019. Finally, he is also an active member of RSJ, JSME, IEEE, and the President & Founder of Coarobo GK.

Home Page
lotfielhafi.com

E-Mail Address

Department laboratory expense researcher number
90821554

researchmap Researcher code
B000302383

External Researcher ID
ORCID ID
0000-0001-9795-6153