Ever wondered how we are going to share road space with robotic cars in the future? How you will communicate with a RoboCar? Let it know you want to change lanes? What if you’re a pedestrian? How can you be sure one will stop when you or your children or the elderly are crossing the road?
QUT in association with World Science Festival Brisbane are presenting ‘Shared Space Bots’ where visitors will do more than find out answers to these questions, they’ll be able to put some of the most advanced robots to the test.
Free demonstrations of ‘Shared Space Bots’ are scheduled on Friday 11 March to Sunday 13 March at QUT Gardens Point Theatre Foyer.
QUT has teamed up with Austrian art and technology researchers Ars Electronica Futurelab to bring six floor robots to QUT. The bots were developed as part of the ongoing research cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and Ars Electronica Futurelab on the topic of future mobility.
The demonstrations will be conducted by Ars Electronica Futurelab’s Director of Research & Innovation, Christopher Lindinger.
Director of QUT’s contribution to the World Science Festival Brisbane program, Jonathan Parsons, who has directed QUT’s popular Robotronica program, said the associated displays would provide a real world context for the shared space program.
“The Shared Space Bots are proxies for autonomous cars in this installation that is all about how future human-car communication will unfold,” Mr Parsons said.
“The Bots communicate with their environment through light and audio signals and also by their movements giving us a clear indication of the way RoboCars will communicate with us in the future.
“But effective communication needs to be a two-way street and the program also enables members of the audience to ‘converse’ with the bots via their movements and positioning devices that define bot-free spaces.”
Mr Parsons said various scenarios involving a number of different human-robot interactions would be played out.
“Ars Electronica Futurelab is essentially developing a new language for communication between human and robot,” he said.
“This isn’t about pre-programming a robot to do a certain task or drive a particular course from A to B. It’s about how autonomous cars will be able to let human road users know what they intend to do, how they will understand what humans intend to do on the road and how they will respond to the unexpected.
“People will need to feel comfortable and safe when sharing the road environment with robots and that will only happen if easy and effective communication is achieved.”
He said the tailored presentation and interactive performance would give people a unique glimpse into a future.
“Vehicles like these will not only take people to where they want to go, they will also provide an innovative web-connected digital space for work or leisure and enable passengers to turn driver at the touch of a button.”
Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media team leader, 07 3138 2361 or 0407 585 901 rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au
