Robot Talk Episode 133 – Creating sociable robot collaborators, with Heather Knight - Robohub

In Robot Talk Episode 133, Claire interviews Heather Knight from Oregon State University about integrating performing arts techniques into robotics to create more sociable robot collaborators. Heather Knight leads the CHARISMA Robotics research group and has a strong background in expressive motion for robots, holding a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University and degrees from MIT. Her diverse experience includes work at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Aldebaran Robotics, and creative projects such as the Robot Film Festival, a robotic flower garden called Cyberflora, robot comedy featured on TED.com, and an award-winning Rube Goldberg machine for the band OK Go. The episode highlights how Knight applies principles from theater and performance to enhance robot expressiveness and social interaction, aiming to make robots better collaborators with humans. This interdisciplinary approach bridges engineering, art, and human-robot interaction, reflecting Knight’s unique career path and innovative contributions to robotics. The podcast itself focuses on developments in robotics, AI, and autonomous machines, providing insights into cutting-edge research and creative applications