Robotics festival shows us what the future looks like

Published Sunday, 20 August, 2017 at 10:26 AM

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business
The Honourable Leeanne Enoch

Australia’s largest one-day robotics festival – being held in Brisbane today (Sunday) – further strengthens Queensland’s reputation as a hub for emerging technology, according to Innovation Minister Leeanne Enoch.

Ms Enoch, who attended QUT’s robotics festival ‘Robotronica’, said the free event will help inspire the state’s next generation of entrepreneurs.

“The influence of robotics is spreading across every aspect our lives and the jobs that we know today will be very different in the future,” Ms Enoch said.

“Events like Robotronica better position young people to prepare for these jobs.

“Not only will the festival help prepare our next generation of entrepreneurs, it also aligns with our $420 million whole-of-government Advance Queensland initiative promoting innovation and science as the pathway to Queensland’s future.

“Through the flagship Advance Queensland program, the Palaszczuk Government is focused on diversifying our economy, and to helping Queenslanders turn great ideas into new products, services, exports and jobs,” she said.

QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Coaldrake said Robotronica will show people first-hand the role robots play in their lives now - and into the future.

“This is the third time QUT has staged the event, with the last Robotronica in 2015 drawing 18,000 people across the day,” Professor Coaldrake said.

“Queenslanders will also get the chance to see SoftBank Robotics’ Pepper robot in action and I’m pleased to announce that we’re the first Australian university using Pepper specifically for social robotics research to help inform the next generation of service robots.

“This is a key partnership, supported by Advance Queensland, and between QUT and SoftBank’s Australian entity ST Solutions Australia, which has established a Pepper Studio at The Precinct in Fortitude Valley earlier this year.

“QUT’s Gardens Point campus will be jam-packed with robots, as well as demonstrations, workshops, games and discussions that will inform, inspire and amaze the community to see what the future of robotics has to offer.”

Program highlights include world-leading roboticist Professor Ron Arkin from the United States, who will discuss animal behaviour and the need for deceptive robots, interactive workshops with Pepper – the world’s first humanoid robot that can recognise emotions, and Code-A-Bot – an interactive digital game that puts the user in charge of programming robot workers to collect and sort rubbish.

Ms Enoch encouraged the community to attend ‘Robotronica’.

“Robots and interactive design will give us a glimpse into what the not-too-distant future will look like, and how this will change the world around us,” she said.

Robotronica will be held at QUT’s Gardens Point campus to 4pm. For more information visit http://www.robotronica.qut.edu.au/

ENDS

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