Plenary Discussion
How Can We Bring Social Robots into the Creative Industry Sector?
Friday, 3 July, 17:30 to 18:30, Beveridge Hall
Panel members:
Saina Akhond, University of the Arts London (Moderator)
Saina Akhond is a Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for the Creative Robotics MSc, and co-lead of the Creative Robotics Research Hub, at the University of the Arts London’s Creative Computing Institute. She holds a PhD in Robotics from Imperial College London and specialises in physical AI, soft and compliant robotics, and human–robot interaction, with research centred on human-in-the-loop design, digital twin technologies, and the co-design of robotic hardware and software for real-world applications. She has contributed to research spanning soft robotic surgical devices and biomimetic human–plant interaction systems.
Shuzhi Sam Ge, National University of Singapore (Panel Chair)
Shuzhi Sam Ge is a professor at the National University of Singapore, where he directs the Social Robotics Lab, and is the founder of the International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR). He received his BSc from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and his PhD from Imperial College London, and has authored or co-authored several influential books on adaptive and neural network control, in addition to hundreds of journal articles and conference papers. He also serves as founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Social Robotics, and his research encompasses social robotics, adaptive control, intelligent systems, and artificial intelligence, work for which he has been elected a Fellow of IEEE, IFAC, IET, and the Singapore Academy of Engineering.
Kaspar Althoefer, Queen Mary University of London
Provocation talk: Soft Robotics: Designing Robots for Human Environments
Professor Kaspar Althoefer is Director of the Centre for Advanced Robotics (ARQ) and Professor of Robotics Engineering at Queen Mary University of London. His research spans tactile perception, soft robotics, and intelligent robotic systems, with applications in minimally invasive surgery, rehabilitation, nuclear, construction, and manufacturing. He also explores the role of robotics in the creative industries. Jointly with Alberto Arezzo (University of Turin), Bruno Siciliano (University of Naples) and Sebastien Ourselin (King’s College London), he leads an ERC Synergy Grant developing technologies for the next generation of colonoscopy. Professor Althoefer was General Chair of the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2023 in London, a Turing Fellow (2018 – 2023), and has been recently elevated to IEEE Fellow.
Jean Oh, Carnegie Mellon University (Panellist)
Jean Oh is an Associate Research Professor and Director of roBot Intelligence Group (BIG) at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Jean’s research goal is to create robots that can co-exist and collaborate with humans in shared environments, continuously learning to improve themselves over time through training, exploration, and interaction. Jean’s work on Creative Physical AI aims at reminding us of “what makes us human,” promoting humanity such as safety, creativity, and compassion. Jean’s works on social navigation and interdisciplinary research connecting arts and robotics (FRIDA) have won numerous best paper awards at various robotics conferences such as IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) and ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), and featured in international media including New York Times, CNET, Arirang TV, ABC, CBS, and KBS. Jean received a PhD from CMU, MS from Columbia University, and BS from Yonsei University. Jean is the founder of Lavoro AI where she brings her creative, safe, and compassionate AI and Robotics innovations to market.