Future of Aerial Robotics: February 7
On February 7, SEAS Dean Vijay Kumar, a world-renowned scientist and innovator, will explain why aerial robotics will help transform the way we harvest our food and irrigate our soil in a talk entitled, the Future of Aerial Robotics at the Science Center’s Venture Café, located in the new building at 3675 Market Street, 5-8 p.m. The networking portion of the program begins a 5 p.m. with a showcase featuring interesting work in the fields of robotics and other maker innovations. The formal program will begin at 6:30 p.m.
This will kick off the 2019 lineup for Makers Meetup, the monthly event series for entrepreneurs and makers organized by founders Marvin Weinberger and Brett Strouss. “People who attend will learn about the leading solutions in the unmanned aerial vehicle and robotics fields,” Mr. Strouss said. “They’ll meet the people and companies leading those efforts, and they’ll network and connect with other people in our area with a variety of interests, ideas and opportunities.”
Dr. Kumar studies the control and coordination of multi-robot formations, which can move together in intelligent—yet eerie—formation. As Penn Engineering Dean he is continuing his work in robotics, blending computer science and mechanical engineering to create the next generation of robotic wonders. Previously, he directed GRASP, a multidisciplinary robotics and perception laboratory, now located at Pennovation. The GRASP lab was an important part of last summer’s Philly Mini Maker Faire.
For more on aerial robotics and its potential for the future, there is a 2015 TEDxPenn talk from Dean Kumar, which has been viewed over 1.6 million times.