Time: 4:00 - 7:00pm Venue: Kensington, Lecture Theatre 1, Royal College of Art Kensington Gore Kensington London SW7 2EU
Book Tickets
Soft and bio-inspired robotics offers new ground for designing interactivity. These are machines that have an organic appearance and produce analogue movement. What are the phenomena brought about by such robotics? What critical questions do we ask about our relations with such machines? Robotic engineers focus on functionality, while artists and designers are starting to experiment with the perceptual and aesthetic properties.This seminar brings together pioneering researchers from robotics engineering, art and design to share their practice and research. It is part of an initiation to facilitate a space for cross-disciplinary researchers and practioners to converse, debate and catalyse critical questions. The event is initiated by Julie Freeman, Caroline Yan Zheng and sponsored by the college Research Office. A pop up exhibition by the Sentimental Soft Robotics AcrossRCA group will accompany the talk. The exhibition will be held in in Courtyard Gallery 1.
SpeakersDr. Helge A. WurdemannLecturer and leader of the #SoftHapticsLab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universtiy College London. Dr Wurdemann’s research interests include the design and application of bio-inspired, soft and stiffness-controllable medical and haptic devices and robotic art.Dr. Michael WihartLecturer in Emerging Technologiess at Liechtenstein Universtity, Co-founder of Adaptalab Products, Senior architect at Patalab Architecture. Michael investigates the relationship between architecture, human being and technology through the agency of soft machines. He has completed his design-led doctoral research at the Bartlett School of Architecture, titled ‘The Architecture of Soft Machines’ in 2015.Julie FreemanTED Senior Fellow, Art Associate at the Open Data Institute, QMUL doctoral candidate on the Body Language of Objects, using soft robotic techniques.Professor Kaspar AlthoeferProfessor Kaspar Althoefer is a roboticist with a keen interest in soft and stiffness-controllable robots. He likes to apply his octopus-inspired creations to areas such as keyhole surgery and human-robot interaction for the factory of the future. On occasions, he has collaborated with artists, designers and architects on soft robot installations.