Robots from the University of Lincoln, UK, were two of the major exhibits at one of the largest technology festivals in Asia.
3D-printed robot MARC (Multi-Actuated Robotic Companion) and ERWIN (Emotional Robot with Intelligent Network) were invited to Kshitij Techno-Management Fest, hosted by Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur – one of India’s premier technical institutions.
The robots were accompanied by their creator, Dr John Murray and PhD student Mriganka Biswas from Lincoln’s School of Computer Science.
Dr Murray said: “It was a fascinating and inspiring event, with highly respected scholars attending from all over the globe. The students and visitors really engaged with MARC and it was a great opportunity to showcase the future of robotics.”
MARC and ERWIN, are being used to help scientists understand how more realistic long-term relationships might be developed between humans and androids.
The project team believe their studies into human-computer interaction could one day see robots act as companions and may also help researchers to understand how relationships are built by children with conditions such as autism, Asperger syndrome or attachment disorder. MARC is a 3D-printed robot whose design was supplied by the open source project InMoov (www.inmoov.fr).
Kshitij, which attracted more than 65,000 visitors, provides a platform for students, academics and industry to showcase talent and innovation in technology. Workshops are conducted at several locations all over the country, to help the participants gain hands-on experience and enhance their technical skills. Culminating in a four day extravaganza, Kshitij also organises many inspiring guest lectures, exhibitions and megashows.
This year’s event, which ran from which ran from 31st January to 2nd February, was sponsored by major companies including Boeing, Hospira, Airbus Group and Honeywell; and it also gained UNESCO patronage.
Dr Murray and ERWIN have also been invited to attend Techkriti 2015 – the annual Technical and Entrepreneurial Festival of IIT Kanpur, India, from 19th to 22nd March, 2015.
In November 2014, MARC and his female counterpart TAMMIE (Technologically Advanced Multi-Modal Interactive Entity) attended Web Summit – Europe’s largest annual technology event in Dublin.
