[AI Seminar Series] REMINDER: Seminar by Dr. Aldair Gongora (LLNL), tomorrow Friday February 6th, 12-1pm, MRB Seminar Room

[Vassilis Tsotras]

Reminder for the AI Seminar tomorrow; please use the link below if you plan
to attend.

best,
V. Tsotras
----------------------------------------

On Mon, Feb 2, 2026 at 10:45 AM Vassilis Tsotras <vassilis.tsotras at ucr.edu>
wrote:

> The next AI Seminar will be on Friday February 6th, 12-1pm, in the MRB
> Seminar Room (1st floor).
>
> *** Pizza and refreshments will be provided ****
>
> To keep track of the number of attendees, please *register* at:
> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-seminar-series-tickets-1982203305446
>
> The talk will be given by *Dr. Aldair Gongora*, Lawrence Livermore
> National Laboratory (LLNL)
>
> TITLE: Accelerating Research in the Experimental Sciences: Enabling the
> Shift from Automation to Autonomy through Self-Driving Laboratories
>
> ABSTRACT:
> The experimental sciences have long relied on labor-intensive, manual
> workflows that limit scalability and slow the pace of research and
> discovery. Despite advances in instrumentation and data analysis, the act
> of performing physical experiments remains time-consuming and resource-
> intensive, ultimately limiting the pace of exploration and innovation. The
> emerging field of self- driving laboratories (SDLs) and autonomous labs
> seeks to overcome these challenges by integrating robotics, automated
> experimentation, and artificial intelligence (AI) to design and execute
> experiments with minimal human intervention. Through this integration, SDLs
> are redefining how research is conducted across scientific domains,
> enabling a more adaptive, data- driven, and efficient approach to
> scientific discovery.
>
> In this talk, we first outline the foundational principles of SDLs and
> discuss the critical transition from automated experimentation to
> autonomous experimentation. Next, through a series of case studies, we
> illustrate how increasing levels of autonomy transform experimental
> workflows and enable systems that not only execute tasks but also make
> data-driven decisions to guide discovery. We then examine emerging
> challenges in autonomous laboratories, particularly the limited flexibility
> and adaptability of systems that are often designed for narrow or limited
> experimental workflows. As SDLs expand in scale and complexity, they become
> increasingly vulnerable to unanticipated faults, underscoring the need for
> resilient architectures that maintain performance under changing or complex
> conditions. Finally, we highlight how integrating approaches such as
> tele-robotic operation, large language models (LLMs), and agentic AI
> frameworks may enhance adaptability and fault tolerance in these systems.
> Together, these advances pave the way for the next generation of SDLs,
> where intelligence and reasoning span both the system and instrument levels
> of autonomous labs.
>
>
> Bio:
> Aldair Gongora is a staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National
> Laboratory (LLNL) and also serves as a deputy director for LLNL’s Data
> Science Institute’s Consulting Service. His research work centers on
> accelerating scientific discovery by developing next-generation research
> platforms and capabilities, such as self-driving labs and autonomous robots
> for science. His research work enables the adoption of modern tools to
> tackle complex challenges across materials science, life sciences, and
> advanced manufacturing. Aldair earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from
> Rockhurst University and a Master's and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
> from Boston University, where he conducted research on self-driving labs
> and autonomous experimentation for mechanical design.
>
> ------------------------------------
> Sponsored by the RAISE at UCR Institute, the AI Seminar Series presents
> speakers working on cutting edge Foundational AI or applying AI in their
> research. The goal of these seminars is to inform the UCR community about
> current trends in AI research and promote collaborations between faculty
> in this emerging field. These seminars are open to interested faculty and
> graduate/undergraduate students. Please forward this email to other
> colleagues or students in your lab that may be interested. After the
> seminar a discussion will follow for questions, open problems, ideas for
> possible collaborations etc.
>
> Sincerely,
> Vassilis Tsotras
> Professor, CSE Department
> co-Director, RAISE at UCR Institute
>
> Amit Roy-Chowdhury
> Professor, ECE Department
> co-Director, RAISE at UCR Institute
>
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