2010 IFToMM Workshop on HMM Hold in Beijing

The Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, hosted the 2010 IFToMM Workshop on HMM (the History of Machines and Mechanism) in Beijing during 12-14 Oct., 2010.

Prof. Baichun Zhang and Prof. Marco Ceccarelli jointly served as chairmen of the workshop. The four topics of this workshop include: 1) the invention of ancient mechanisms and machines; 2) the shaping of modern mechanisms and machine science; 3) the transformation of knowledge about mechanisms and machines; 4) the interaction of machinery technology with society. More than twenty scholars from the mainland of China, China Taiwan, Italy, Netherlands and Korea participated in the meeting. Scholars at the workshop contributed 12 presentations.

The serial workshops on HMM were organized by the Permanent Commission for the History of Mechanism and Machine Science, which was founded in 1973 and attached to the International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science (IFToMM). The workshops on HMM aim at international academic exchanges and discussions about the research on the history of mechanism and machines, as well as the related disciplinary history. This was the first time for the Mainland of China to host the workshop on HMM. The co-chairman Prof. Marco Ceccarelli is an internationally famous scholar in the field of mechanism, robotics and the history of machinery. He at present holds the position of chairman of IFToMM.

During the workshop, Prof. Marco Ceccarelli, on behalf of the permanent commission, convened a working meeting discussing the operation of HMM, publication of articles and some other items.

The next workshop on HMM will be hold in London.

(Yue CHEN, Lie SUN)