SciRoc at MK Futures 2050

The SciRoc team (specifically, Matthew Studley and Mark Wilson from UWE and Enrico Motta, Ian Pulford, Gianluca Bardaro and Agnese Chiatti from the OU) are currently camping in Middleton Hall in Central Milton Keynes, showcasing robotics technology and advertising the forthcoming ERL Smart CIty RObotic Challenge, which will be held in Milton Keynes on 16-21 September, 2019.

The event is part of MK Futures 2050, an exhibition gathering both the general public and the experts who, together with the MK Council, are involved in designing the future of the city of Milton Keynes over the coming decades. Located “in the heart of the borough”, the exhibition is intended to give everyone the opportunity to come and see the future plans for Milton Keynes.

In our booth we are showcasing various types of robots, including both humanoids and drones.  Here is a sneak peek from the first day at the SciRoc stand, starring a merry band of TurtleBots, drones and PAL Robotic’s TIAGo robot. In particular, the TIAGo was a hit with the schoolchildren who visited our booth and enjoyed interacting with it. A BBC Look East crew also turned up and filmed our Tiago robot – see the clip at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0006jzh/look-east-west-evening-news-04072019 (while it lasts….).

The exhibition also comprises a programme of lectures for the general public, one of which, about the future of robotics technology, was presented by Dr Matthew Studley, the SciRoc Project Coordinator.  The lecture was followed by a lively Q&A session with members of the public, who asked the SciRoc team about the wider socio-technological issues associated with the current and future developments in robotics and, more in general, in AI.

The exhibition continues until Sunday 7 July, hence please come and visit our stand!