Robotics
Intelligence under the constraints of the physical world.
Robotics is, in our view, one of the more demanding settings in which to study intelligence and one of the more honest. The systems concerned must perceive, decide and act in environments that are, in general, dynamic, uncertain and only partially observed. Our work brings together researchers across robotics and control; embodied artificial intelligence; human and robot interaction; cognitive science and neuroscience; and applied engineering. The emphasis is on embodiment, control and interaction: how perception, decision-making and action couple together to enable intelligent behaviour beyond the convenient confines of simulation.
- How does embodiment change the nature of intelligence and learning?
- What role do physical constraints play in shaping behaviour and adaptation?
- How should perception, control and decision-making be integrated within autonomous systems?
- How do robots learn from interaction with dynamic, uncertain environments and crucially why do they fail?
- Where do present robotic systems fall short of biological intelligence and what would close the gap?
- What conditions render human and robot interaction safe, intuitive and trustworthy?
Conferences
Robotics and embodied intelligence appear across our events as a constraint and a corrective: a reminder, at the AE Global Summit and the Annual Conference alike, that any account of intelligence which cannot be made to walk through a doorway is, at best, incomplete.
AIs that set their own goals - learning general purpose world models for efficient planning & acting
Keynote speaker Professor Juergen Schmidhuber from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and IDSIA presents his talk "A…
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Panel Discussion - “How to Build a Trillion-Pound AI Company"
Panel discussion on the topic of “How to Build a Trillion-Pound AI Company” Panel guests: Dr Ruairidh McLennan Battleday - Chair (Thinking A…
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Modeling sensorimotor circuits with ML: hypotheses, inductive biases, latent noise and curricula
Spotlight talk from Alexander Mathis (EPFL) at the 5th International Convention on the Mathematics of Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligen…
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Controlling the Controller: Manipulations of Pavlovian Influences via Dopamine-Professor Peter Dayan
Keynote talk from Professor Peter Dayan (MPI Tübingen) at the 5th International Convention on the Mathematics of Neuroscience and Artificial…
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Predictability and stability in the manipulation of complex objects - Professor Dagmar Sternad
Invited talk from Professor Dagmar Sternad (Northeastern) at the 5th International Convention on the Mathematics of Neuroscience and Artific…
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Dr Andreea Bobu - Aligning Robot and Human Representations
To perform tasks that humans want in the world, robots rely on a representation of salient task features; for example, to hand me a cup of c…
Watch →ThAT Ambassador Programme
The Thinking About Thinking Ambassador Programme is an open, application-based pathway for students and early-career researchers who wish to take part in serious, interdisciplinary conversations about intelligence. Ambassadors support our conferences, workshops, and community initiatives; in turn, they help to extend thoughtful dialogue across universities, disciplines and countries. The programme is designed for those who care, in earnest, about ideas, collaboration, and the construction of intellectual community.
Outstanding ambassadors who, over time, demonstrate sustained contribution, leadership and intellectual engagement may, in due course, be invited into the Thinking About Thinking Fellowship, a private, invitation-only programme reserved for long-term contributors to the work.