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The Siberian Conference on Control and Communications (SIBCON-2021)
The XV Siberian Conference on Control and Communications (SIBCON), the flagship conference of the joint Tomsk IEEE Chapter was held in Kazan, Russia in May. This series started in 1995 to focus on the convergence of communications and control technologies. In particular, the discussions highlight the practical problems related to this field. Previous meetings took place in Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Astana, and Moscow.
The conference comprised a hundred presentations divided into three tracks. On the first day, sessions deal with various aspects of the communications, such as QoS, Signal Processing, Wireless technologies, Antennas and Propagation, additional topics including network control and satellite communications. The papers of the second day covered control and robotics. The final day was related to technical excursions in the frameworks of the conference and social program.
Plenary sessions were organized to give insight into new developments in the theory and practice of advanced control and communications. Keynote speaker, Professor of the Radio Telecommunication Systems department of the Kazan National Research Technical University Yuri Choni talked about the engineering approach to antenna synthesis and its role in the research in the field of communication via a geostationary satellite. He proposed an extremely fast algorithm for antenna synthesis based on some robust engineering assumptions.
Professor Max Talanov from Kazan Federal University discussed brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies overview in the context of integration with robotic and biological systems starting from classical perceptron till current breaking through technologies of BCI could change the scientific outlook of the field. He references a lot of interesting projects dedicated to BCI.
The attention of many participants was paid to an emerging topic "Robotics and information systems for disaster management" which was addressed by the General Chair of SIBCON, Prof. of Institute for Information Technologies and Intelligent Systems (Kazan Federal University) Evgeni Magid in the report and at the allied invited session. Another point of interest was the sessions on the distributed temperature sensors, the borehole telemetry transfer system, with application to MWD-LWD geophysical systems - a topic independently initiated and widely studied by the Tomsk Chapter members.
The invited lectures were very different and presented a wide range of achievements and perspectives in communications, control, and its applications. In the session on control, various problems related to analysis, identification, and control of complex oscillatory dynamical systems, with emphasis on both theory and applications, were considered. The conference allowed us to bring together and to cross-fertilize ideas from these fields which have many similarities. A number of the papers addressed the problems of analysis of complex behavior in physical systems. Significant attention was paid to the analysis and design of neural networks, robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles, and AI. Participants presented the most recent researches and shared ideas. We are proud that SIBCON is able to attract really outstanding people, and the connections in the academic community are really strong. It should be noted the balance of ideas of science and practice, a wide range of areas for applications of information technology in communications. Of course, a rare combination of a strict timetable for plenary sessions, an unobtrusive rhythm of speeches and discussions in sessions, and an almost home atmosphere is the merit of the Organizing Committee.
Kazan, the third Russian city, witnessed many exciting events in history and still plays a very important role in its scientific and cultural life. The conference was held in the Kazan Federal University located in the historical part of the city. The participants had the opportunity to enjoy the historical sites, as well as the beauties of this city, including the masterpieces of the Kazan Kremlin, palaces, and charming districts.
Recent months have had a negative effect because all researching work is based on the co-authors' communication, but researches in one location have lowered productivity. Time is especially valuable for scientists. Now scientists are in some euphoria because we can participate in a large number of conferences at once. However, there is no substitute for human communication based on a real exchange of energy and emotions. Now communication and relationships have changed. Formats of professional events have become more efficient and ergonomic. The academic conferences will be modernized like everything in the world. Offline events already have developed a certain culture, traditions, become a part of the scientific community life. Therefore, we need to continually invent ways of comfortable discussions. In this SIBCON we are succeeded.
Thanks to the face-to-face format and only to a small extent remotely, we could keep the unique atmosphere of the in-person conference and the luxury of connection between professionals. Of course, in the future, people will try to combine formats, because the social aspect is extremely important. We have been parted with the hope of future meetings, counting on understanding and partnership in solving common problems.