The digital age is already upon us but most of us can’t even speak the language, let alone transform it into a career.
QUT will be a hotbed of human-computer interaction during the World Science Festival Brisbane, giving young people the chance to gain hands-on experience in two of the most exciting fields of future work - robotics and games development.
QUT is hosting Roboticist’s Apprentice and Games Designer’s Apprentice workshops.
Roboticist’s apprentices will program robots to paint with light.
QUT interaction design expert Dr Jared Donovan said each CubeBot emitted coloured lights, which were recorded by a computer vision system as the CubeBot moved around the floor.
“Our human apprentices will learn how to use computer coding to control both the robot’s movements and its light display to generate their own creative patterns, traces and images,” said Dr Donovan, from QUT’s Creative Industries Faculty.
“These artworks are recorded in a way that mimics long-exposure cameras, and will be projected onto The Cube so participants and their families can see their efforts unfold in real time.”
QUT roboticist and fellow workshop creator Professor Jonathan Roberts said, while the workshops focused on artistic endeavour, the technology underpinning the project would soon be common in some workplaces.
“This concept of a fleet of cheap, simple robots monitored and controlled by what’s essentially a crowd-sourced computer vision system of cameras mounted throughout a building will revolutionise factories, warehouses and similar logistics operations where objects must be moved regularly from one place to another,” said Professor Roberts, also of the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision.
“Amazon is already one of the biggest investors in robotics technologies, sinking billions of dollars into more efficient warehousing solutions.”
During the World Science Festival QUT’s The Cube will also host workshops for young women harboring ambitions to develop their own electronic games.
Hosted by industry leaders Christy Dena and QUT’s Truna (J. Turner), Games Designer’s Apprentice participants will gain hands-on experience designing video games and valuable insight into pursuing a career in this increasingly diverse industry.
The Game Designer’s Apprentice and Roboticist’s Apprentice workshops take place at QUT’s Gardens Point campus on Saturday 12 March.
They will be joined by a series of demonstrations of interactive installation Shared Space Bots, running 11-13 March.
The demonstrations will educate the public about the challenges of sharing our world with the driverless, robotic cars of tomorrow – including how we will communication effectively with them.
QUT is part of a national collaborative group of five major Australian universities that form the ATN (Australian Technology Network of Universities).
Media contact:
Kate Haggman, QUT Media, 07 3138 0358 or kate.haggman@qut.edu.au
After hours Rose Trapnell, QUT Media team leader, 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au
