Crossroads of Ideas

media release: What can robots tell us about our humanity?

Why do we build robots? Why are we fascinated by them?

In this talk — the third in a four-part miniseries featuring outstanding UW researchers who have received WARF faculty awards — Bilge Mutlu will argue that it is because we want to see ourselves in places we live, things we use — even technology. So robots reflect our desire to see ourselves in the technologies we use day to day.

Bilge Mutlu is the Sheldon B. & Marianne S. Lubar Professor of Computer Science at UW-Madison where he directs the People and Robots Laboratory and co-directs the Collaborative Robotics Laboratory. His research program focuses on building human-centered methods and principles to enable the design of robotic technologies and their successful integration into the human environment.

Mutlu has an interdisciplinary background that combines design, computer science and social and cognitive psychology, including a Ph.D. in human-computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon University. His research has received 20 best paper awards and nominations and recognition in international press including the Economist, New Scientist and Discovery News.

This event will be held at the Discovery Building and will also be available on Zoom.

The Cap Times is the media partner for Crossroads.