Q: Tell us more about the Blind Robot Q&A It creates an empathetic situation, the personal, intimate experience of a robot touching you gently and softly, much more than a functional handshake. It’s about how you react and trust a robot, challenging your perception of it as soulless or mechanical. Blind Robot Louis-Philippe Demers, Canada www.processing-plant.com A mechatronic arm gently feels your face and upper body in the way a blind person might do, creating a sensitive instrument of touch. Transforming robotics from cold precision tool into an intimate social experience, our preconceptions on robotics and human-robot interactions are subtly challenged. Q: What do you hope participants take away from the experience? In part, it’s a reflection of ourselves, of the difference between humans and other quasi-living structures. Science deals with reality – as an artist, I create a mirror for philosophical questions such as: is life biological? Q: How do you see the future of robotics in society? Robots will become so small that they are all but invisible – and social robots will be less like science fiction, more like mobile phones with a stronger physical presence, not just a memory or passive presence. 16 InnovationSpace: The Lab