The Connection will come alive with lights and music and the sounds of humans and robots playing and dancing together this Friday.
“I am pleased to announce we have partnered again with Vivid Ideas as part of Vivid Sydney to bring you the Human Robot Friendship Ball,” City of Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas said.
“This gathering, fit for the whole family, brings together Sydney's robot community to celebrate the bonds between human and machine with a range of hands-on activities, robot demonstrations, games and dancing.”
Get hands-on with our Ozobot activities. Create a costume for an Otto bots and watch its dance moves. Bring your own robot and show off its skills. Take some happy snaps at the robot photo booth.
Check out robot ball MC Mirrah’s rap about robots and hit the dance floor with your favourite human and robot friends.
This year’s robot ball MC Mirrah dons multiple hats as a musician, radio host, poet, rapper, vocalist and a graduate in youth work services. With previous Vivid Sydney appearances with L-FRESH The LION, and experience as his long-time hype MC, she’s no stranger to getting the crowd going.
“I am so excited to MC this year and can’t wait to have fun with humans and robots of all ages on the dancefloor,” Mirrah said.
“I am proud to be part of the robot ball. It is a wonderful example of how we are using technology to be creative and productive, building relationships and connecting with others, instead of disconnecting.”
“This year for the first time, event curator Dr Deborah Turnbull Tillman brings her wealth of knowledge on the social benefits of humans and robots relating,” Mayor Angelo Tsirekas said.
Dr. Deborah Turnbull Tillman is a curator specialising in design, technology and new media, who works closely with Professor Mari Velonaki's Creative Robotics Lab at the University of New South Wales' Art & Design.
“I am thrilled to curate this year’s Human Robot Friendship Ball. This year we will bring the social and creative concerns of university robotics labs to our local community in an effort to bridge the gaps we see regarding accessibility. We will meet Fetch, who is designed as a warehouse robot, but is programmable for humanoid movement, such as dancing. We will also see more robots involved experimentally in fields like health and welfare in areas of dementia and autism research, such as Paro the Seal and Kaspar, a child-like robot” said curator Dr. Turnbull Tillman.
Eventgoers can also enjoy Gen Collier’s ground-breaking contemporary exhibition exploring artificial intelligence, Kylie Jenner-ated, held in The Digital Gallery.
“I encourage everyone to come along to the Human Robot Friendship Ball and take advantage of the opportunity to learn from experts and interact with our robot community along the beautiful Rhodes foreshore,” Mayor Tsirekas said.
Vivid Sydney is the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas. Celebrating its 11th
Anniversary in 2019, Vivid Sydney is continually setting the benchmark for world class events, creativity and innovation. It will transform the Harbour City into a colourful creative canvas from 24 May to 15 June, 2019.
The festival features large-scale light installations and projections; contemporary and cutting-edge music performances and collaborations; public talks, industry seminars, conferences and workshops, all celebrating Sydney as the creative industries hub of the Asia-Pacific. Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.
For more information visit vividsydney.com
