SHErobots: Ecologies of Care

12 February – 30 May 2024

Exhibition & Programme 
(scroll down for the Cafés, Film Workshop & Outdoor Cinema)

SHErobots: Ecologies of Care, an exhibition and programme at the TU Delft Library explores women who robot (she ‘robots’, a verb). The theme of ecologies of care draws attention to how women are radically reshaping the role and form of robots through their creative and research practices, addressing issues of sustainability, respect, intimacy, and protection in both the human and non-human domains.

SHErobots: Ecologies of Care invites everyone to consider robotics as a catalyst to innovate a future that deeply cares for humankind, partner species and our finite environment.

View/Download the Exhibition List of Works
© Photography by Mischa Mannot

This exhibition and programme kicked off on 12 Feb with an opening reception in celebration of the International Day of Women & Girls in Science. The programme extends through International Women’s Day (8 March) to May with a series of SHErobots Cafés where prestigious TU Delft female researchers working with robotics share talks and demos. The programme ends with the annual outdoor cinema organised together with the Robotics Study Association, Asimov, on the Library green roof.

Miss an event? Check our 'Past Events' to view the full video recordings!

Past events in this theme

12 februari 2024 08:00 t/m 30 mei 2024 23:59

SHErobots Exhibition

SHErobots Exhibition 12 februari 2024 08:00 t/m 30 mei 2024 23:59 - Locatie: TU Delft Library, Main Hall | Zet in mijn agenda This exhibition –in conjunction with the University of Sydney and University of New South Wales–explores women who robot (she ‘robots’, a verb), using robotics within the broader context of ecologies, as multi-species and environmental entanglements, encompassing care for both humans and non-humans. Ecologies of Care marks the second installment of a SHEexhibition spotlighting women who are at the forefront of contemporary robotics. The first was SHErobots: Tool, Toy, Companion exhibition (Tin Sheds, Sydney, 2022). Both exhibitions feature a female and female-led international network of pioneering and emerging artists, designers, architects, and researchers in robotics. Their collective work challenges and reimagines the prevailing narrative of male-dominated STEM professions, infusing feminist principles into their creative and research endeavours. SHErobots embrace the challenge of ‘making trouble’ The exhibition is composed of three core themes: Strange Bodies, Systems Care, and Materialities Reset. These showcase thought-provoking works that provide insight into our evolving understanding of these complex dynamics, with art videos, process videos, physical objects fabricated for and by robots, customised end effectors for robots, robot bodies and origin stories of research, art and design. Charged with the power to disrupt norms and redefine collaboration, women in the realm of SHErobots embrace the challenge of 'making trouble’, leading a revolutionary exploration of technology, ecology, and care to reshape our collective future. In collaboration with:

12 februari 2024 16:00 t/m 18:30

SHErobots Opening Event

SHErobots Opening Event 12 februari 2024 16:00 t/m 18:30 - Locatie: TU Delft Library, Main Hall | Zet in mijn agenda Join DEWIS and the TU Delft Library in welcoming robotics researchers from Australia to continue to celebrate International Women and Girls of Science Day (February 11) with the SHErobots: Ecologies of Care exhibition and programme opening—which will feature a live robot in the library! In addition to the performance, there will be a small discussion panel with the visiting curators, Lian Loke and Dagmar Reinhardt from the Universitiy of Sydney and Deborah Turnbull Tillman from the University of New South Wales. We invite you to join us afterwards to enjoy some drinks and snacks (free!) and the opportunity to take informal tours with exhibition curators. Miss the Opening? Watch a full recording of the event here: Performance Title : Code_red: Repeat After Me Performers : Lian Loke (Sydney, Australia) and Kuka Iiwa robot I often wished for a third arm, to make my life easier. Getting up in the morning, grooming and getting ready for the day… surely more efficient with the help of a robotic arm. But I forgot about the training! Using improvised performance as a research methodology, I enquire into future worlds, where humans and robots live with, learn from, and adapt to each other. Raising questions as to who is becoming-human, or indeed, who or what is becoming-robot. ― Lian Loke In collaboration with:

13 februari 2024 12:45 t/m 14:00

SHErobots Cafés: Creative Research Behind SHErobots: Ecologies of Care

SHErobots Cafés: Creative Research Behind SHErobots: Ecologies of Care 13 februari 2024 12:45 t/m 14:00 - Locatie: TU Delft Library, Main Hall | Zet in mijn agenda Visiting Universities of Sydney and New South Wales faculty and guest curators Lian Loke , Dagmar Reinhardt and Deborah Turnbull Tillman will kick off the SHErobots Cafés series by elucidating some of the creative research behind the SHErobots: Ecologies of Care exhibition. During the presentation of "Robot Seedling", Dagmar Reinhardt (Usyd) and Charlotte Firth (ArchManu) in collaboration with TU Delft researchers Henriette Bier, Micah Prendergast, and Arwin Hidding will continue to unpack some of the exhibition’s themes related to using robotics as a catalyst to innovate a future that deeply cares for humankind, partner plant species and our finite environment. Demo: Robot Seeding + others related to exhibition Miss this SHErobots Café? Watch a full recording of the event here: Magic Queen by Daniela Mitterberger and Tiziano Derme CV-supported robotic planting approach developed at CoR and RB labs. CV-supported robotic planting approach developed at CoR and RB labs. About the researchers Lian Loke is an Associate Professor in Interaction Design at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning. Lian’s research in the multi-disciplinary field of human-computer interaction studies the interactivity of humans and machines through a choreographic and somaesthetic lens—exploring how to design embodied and movement-based interactions and experiences with emerging technologies that support human agency, creative expression, skill and vitality. Dagmar Reinhardt is a practising architect, researcher and educator. Reinhardt leads the robotics research group as an Associate Professor at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney. Reinhardt’s research focuses on human-centric design at the nexus of acoustics, robotics and accessibility, with recent research projects exploring the range of human-robotic collaboration. Deborah Turnbull Tillman is a curator specialising in design, technology and new media. An editor and author as well as a curator, Deb specialises in disruption and experiential learning regarding curatorial process in the reflection-in-action vein of Donald Schön. She is Creative Director for the New Media Curation platform and is a lecturer in Media Arts and Curatorial at UNSW's School of Art and Design in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture. Event in collaboration with:

08 maart 2024 16:00 t/m 18:00

SHErobots Cafés: Robotic Building

SHErobots Cafés: Robotic Building On International Women's Day! 08 maart 2024 16:00 t/m 18:00 - Locatie: TU Delft Library, Main Hall | Zet in mijn agenda The third SHErobots Café will have a special format in honor of International Women’s Day. End your day by celebrating with us! Henriette Bier (BK) and Mariana Popescu (CEG) , two inspiring researchers from the TU Delft are sure to update your notions on building with robots! Demos : Henriette Bier Multi-agent Robotic Building ( Rhizome 2.0 ) Mariana Popescu Prototypes of 3D knitted textile frameworks Miss this SHErobots Café? Watch a full recording of the event here: Multi-agent Robotic Building (Rhizome 2.0) Prototypes of 3D knitted textile frameworks. Credit: Phillipe Block About the researchers Henriette Bier is the initiator and leader of the Robotic Building lab at TU Delft, associate professor in Architecture, and founding member of both the TU Delft Robotics Institute and the international network, Adaptive Environments . She focuses on advanced computational design and robotics integrated into buildings and building processes. Mariana Popescu , assistant professor of parametric structural design and digital fabrication in the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, is a computational architect and structural designer with a strong interest in innovative ways of approaching the fabrication process and use of materials in construction. Her area of expertise is computational and parametric design with a focus on digital fabrication and sustainable design. Photo credit: ETH Zurich / Matthias Rippmann In collaboration with:

26 maart 2024 12:45 t/m 14:00

SHErobots Cafés: Assistive Robots and Human-Robot Teams

SHErobots Cafés: Assistive Robots and Human-Robot Teams 26 maart 2024 12:45 t/m 14:00 - Locatie: TU Delft Library, Main Hall | Zet in mijn agenda Anahita Jamshidnejad (AE) & Nazli Cila (IDE) demo and discuss helpful relationships with robots at the fourth event in this series. Demo : MaDaM, socially assistive robot Join us to learn more about the future of working together with robots defined by the inspiring researchers working on this topics here on campus. Miss this SHErobots Café? Watch a full recording of the event here: About the researchers Photo credit: Peter Franklin Anahita Jamshidnejad is Assistant Professor at the Department of Control and Operations, Delft University of Technology, where she has established her research group on Mathematical Decision Making (MDM). She co-founded the AI*MAN lab, where the MDM collaborates with the Intelligent Systems group (EEMCS faculty) on integrating optimization theory and AI approaches for decision-making of artificial agents, in teams composed of humans and artificial agents. Nazli Cila is Assistant Professor of Human-Agent Partnerships at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. Her research focuses on collaborations with autonomous agents, such as smart products, robots, and AI systems, and their socio-technical implications. She integrates empirical work (e.g., experimentation, future modelling, and prototyping) with philosophical, ethical, and practical issues regarding trust, responsibility, control, and intelligence. Her mission is to create foundational theory on Human-Agent Partnerships and reveal interaction patterns for meaningful, aesthetic, empowering collaborations with agents.

29 april 2024 18:00 t/m 20:00

Think & Drink | Will I Be Automated?

Think & Drink | Will I Be Automated? 29 april 2024 18:00 t/m 20:00 - Locatie: TU Delft Library, Central Hall | Zet in mijn agenda Register What job do you imagine you will have after you graduate? Will you be replaceable? How much of your work have you already outsourced to technology? In this panel discussion we will discuss what effects Robotics and AI will have on the dynamics of our future workplace. Will technology help to improve equality in the workplace, or will we ourselves become second-class citizens to our robot overlords? Join us for a discussion on the future of work in the near and distant future and explore how we ourselves can continue to prove our value and find meaning in our academic and professional careers. Madelaine Ley is a PhD Candidate in Philosophy and Ethics of Technology at Delft University of Technology, exploring the ecological, political, and technological complexity of our time. Her primary research takes an intersectional feminist lens to examine how industrial and retail robots are manifestations of ideology and culture. Wietse Hage is co-host of the POKI - Podcast Over Kunstmatige Intelligentie alongside Alexander Klöpping, exploring the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society. He was one of the first podcasters in The Netherlands, presenting the technology podcast De Appels en Peren Show between 2011 and 2020. This event has been organised in collaboration with study association ASIMOV and SHErobots : Ecologies of Care programme at the TU Delft Library. Think and Drink In this quarterly event, Asimov, the Cognitive Robotics research group and Studium Generale are teaming up to engage with ethical conundrums in an informal setting. We invite researchers, philosophers and ethicists to share their views on an ethical issue in robotics and invite you to join us over a pint with your insights and inquiry. The first drink is on us and a snack is provided! You can reach the organizers with questions at SG@tudelft.nl .

07 mei 2024 12:45 t/m 14:00

SHErobots Cafés: Medical Robotics

SHErobots Cafés: Medical Robotics 07 mei 2024 12:45 t/m 14:00 - Locatie: TU Delft Library, Main Hall | Zet in mijn agenda Join Laura Marchal Crespo (ME) & Katie Poggensee (ME) to learn more about the future of rehab robots and robotic balance assistance defined by the inspiring researchers working on this topic here on campus. Demos: PRIDE & DEMO2: Hand and limb rehab robots Miss this SHErobots Café? Watch a full recording of the event here: About the researchers *Treffen mit* Laura Marchal-Crespo, Neuroprothesen-Forscherin am Motor Learning and Neurorehabilitation ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research University of Bern. © Adrian Moser / Tamedia AG Laura Marchal Crespo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Cognitive Robotics in the Mechanical Engineering Faculty. She is also affiliated with the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Switzerland. She carries out research in the general areas of human-machine interfaces and biological learning, and, specifically, in the use of robotic assistance and virtual reality to aid people in learning motor tasks and rehabilitate after neurologic injuries. Katherine Poggensee is a postdoctoral researcher in Cognitive Robotics at TU Delft and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Erasmus MC. She studies methods to improve human-robot performance for rehabilitation and assistive robots, through motor learning and optimization techniques. She completed her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, focusing on ankle exoskeletons for walking assistance.

21 mei 2024 12:45 t/m 14:00

SHErobots Cafés: Soft Medical Robots & Soft Maritime Robots

SHErobots Cafés: Soft Medical Robots & Soft Maritime Robots 21 mei 2024 12:45 t/m 14:00 - Locatie: TU Delft Library, Main Hall | Zet in mijn agenda Please note: SHErobots Cafés will consist of demos, talks, and Q&A from 12.45 – 14.00h with free lunch for registered guests in the Main Hall of the TU Delft Library (unless otherwise noted). Join Aimée Sakes (ME) & Jovana Jovanova (ME) to learn more about the design of physically flexible robotics used in maritime and surgical environments, defined by the inspiring researchers working on this topic here on campus. Demos: Surgical devices inspired by wasps , octopus , and shrimp . Joint Jigsaw. Miss this SHErobots Café? Watch a full recording of the event here: About the researchers Aimée Sakes is an assistant professor at the Biomechanical Engineering Department (BMechE – BITE group), where she earned both her MSc and PhD titles with honors. Additionally, she is board member of the Applied Sciences domain of the Dutch Research Council (NWO AES). In her research, she translates robust solutions from nature into smart mechanical systems for solving challenging problems in the medical world. Jovana Jovanova is assistant professor in mechanical engineering at Delft University of Technology. Her research is focused on large-scale adaptive metastructures, mechanisms and machines. She also develops model-based design frameworks for adaptive machines and large-scale soft robots.

27 mei 2024 17:00 t/m 19:00

SHErobots Level Up: Film Workshop

SHErobots Level Up: Film Workshop 27 mei 2024 17:00 t/m 19:00 - Locatie: RoboHouse, Julianalaan 67, Delft | Zet in mijn agenda Register Prior to the outdoor cinema, level up your film knowledge in the workshop: ‘ Blade Runner (1982) vs. Blade Runner 2049 ’. Award-winning film, literature, and feminism professor emeritus from America and former visiting professor at Radboud, Dr. Mary McCay , will instruct you on the hero’s journey, film structure, and mise en scene analysis. Together we will examine clips from two films—interpretations of Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? —and their portrayal of gender in a robotic future. Co-sponsored by the ASIMOV iRO (inclusivity in robotics) study association. We will have drinks, snacks, and plenty to discuss. No previous knowledge is necessary besides a love of cinema but it is recommended that you have seen the original Bladerunner (1982). About our guest professor Mary McCay trained as an Olympic swimmer, but gave it up because she could not read while swimming. Instead, she earned a B.A. (from Catholic University of America), M.A. (from Boston College), & Ph.D. in English (from Tufts University). She teaches American Literature, Film, Travel Writing and Irish Literature and is an emeritus professor at Loyola University New Orleans. She enjoys time in the Netherlands. In 2009, she was visiting Professor at Radboud University in Nijmegen. Dr. McCay also directed Loyola's Irish Studies Summer Program at Trinity College, Dublin; the Americans in Paris Program in Paris; and two exchange programs: Keele University in the UK and Radboud University in The Netherlands. Reading leads to writing, and her books, Rachel Carson and Ellen Gilchrist, are the result, as well as numerous articles on American literature and culture and Irish Literature and film. One day, she might swim the Channel. In the meantime, she received the Dux Academicus in 2004 and The Landrieu Distinguished Teaching Professor in 2006. She has also served as Interim Dean.