Attendees at the 21st International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (IEEE CASE).
USC’s Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering played a central role in hosting one of the world’s premier automation conferences during August. The 2025 IEEE 21st International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (IEEE CASE) took place August 17-21 at the historic Millennium Biltmore in Downtown Los Angeles, drawing an unprecedented global audience to discuss the future of automation.
Professor Qiang Huang, who holds joint appointments in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, served as General Chair of the conference. Under his leadership, IEEE CASE 2025 became the second-largest gathering in the conference’s history, with 815 attendees and authors representing more than 50 countries and regions worldwide.
The flagship conference of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, IEEE CASE brings together leading researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to explore cutting-edge developments in automation science and engineering. This year’s event featured presentations on robotics, artificial intelligence, manufacturing systems, and human-machine collaboration, among other critical topics shaping the future of technology.
Huang assembled an organizing team that included several USC Viterbi faculty members. Satyandra K. Gupta, who is founding director of the USC Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM), and holds the Smith International Professorship in Mechanical Engineering, served as General Co-Chair. Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering Ali Abbas took on the role of Local Chair, helping to coordinate the complex logistics.
Qiang Huang
The conference opened with remarks from USC Viterbi Dean Yannis Yortsos, who set the tone for the week’s discussions by emphasizing a crucial theme: “Technology Intertwined with Humanity Demands Trustworthiness.” This message resonated throughout the conference as attendees discussed responsible innovation, ethical AI development and the societal implications of increasingly sophisticated automation systems.
The success of IEEE CASE 2025 reflects the Daniel J. Epstein Department’s growing prominence in automation research and its commitment to fostering international collaboration. By bringing together hundreds of experts from different backgrounds and disciplines, the conference created opportunities for knowledge exchange that will influence automation research and practice for years to come.
For more information about the conference, visit the official website at https://2025.ieeecase.org/.
Published on August 29th, 2025Last updated on December 1st, 2025