Is the Future of Robotics In Us?

 Robotics  

Henrik Schärfe developed his very own robotic doppelgänger, Geminoid-DK. Pushing the boundaries between humans and machines, he has led us to question our dependence on technology and its role in our everyday lives.

The ground-breaking inventor who has recently graced the 2012 TIME 100 Most Influential People List, Henrik Schärfe spoke recently at TEDxUniversityofStAndrews 2013.

Schärfe has developed his very own robotic doppelgänger, Geminoid-DK. The robot looks a lot like Schärfe, so it's very cool — and pretty creepy. But that's Schärfe's point. He hopes the alter-Schärfe will make people uneasy enough that they'll think about the role of technology in their lives and the boundaries between humans and machines.

Pushing the boundaries between humans and machines, he has led us to question our dependence on technology,  its role in our everyday lives.

Schärfe is Professor of Information Science, Department of Communication, Aalborg University (AAU), in Denmark.

Since 2008, he has served as Director of Center for Computer-mediated Epistemology at AAU. His diverse career includes contributions to seemingly distinct research areas such as: Narratology, AI / Knowledge Representation, Persuasive Design, Human Centered Robotics, and Research Infrastructures.

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The common denominator in these efforts is his determination to understand different aspects of human understanding, specifically how technology influences the way we think about ourselves and our world. Scharfe has served as reviewer, editorial member, and advisor to governments and research councils in equally diverse fields.

"It is my belief, that the process of making sense of the world is a loop-like motion, where we understand ourselves and our place in the world through something else," states Scharfe. "Most often, we understand stuff that happen to us, when we see it reflected in the faces and eyes of people around us. But we can also instruments - including musical instruments - to form this loop. and of course, we put machines in the loop. In fact, we do that more and more."



SOURCE  TEDx Talks

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