Dig In! To Humanoid Robots and How They’ll Transform Society (For Better or Worse)

We hear a lot about how AI is transforming the digital landscape — but what about the physical world? Imagine a future where humanoid robots are everywhere, helping out around the house, building cities, cooking meals and even fighting wars. To some, it might sound like a utopia — but others aren’t so sure.  

At this fascinating lunchtime webinar, Dig In! to the topic of humanoid robots with UCalgary researchers focused on economics, robotics and AI as they unpack questions from straightforward to “way out there.”

For example — how much might it cost to own a humanoid robot, and how soon could it happen? What could your robot do for you around the house? If your robot gets a job, who keeps the money? Can robots provide meaningful human companionship in an age of increasing isolation? Will robots bring free labour power to everyone, or concentrate it in the hands of a privileged few? And could our robots ever turn on us in a Terminator-style uprising?  

In addition to sharing their insights, the panellists will review clips of some state-of-the-art robotics and explain what’s at play. You’ll see how far robots have come, and how much further they still have to go before they’re found in households everywhere.  

Bring your curiosity, your lunch and your questions for the panellists — and Dig In! to humanoid robots!

Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Engineering, UCalgary

Dr. Marie Charbonneau works to make human-robot interactions safe, comfortable and intuitive. Dr. Charbonneau joined UCalgary as an assistant professor in September 2021, following postdoctoral work in humanoid robotics at the University of Waterloo and a PhD in advanced and humanoid robotics from the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia and the Università Degli Studi di Genova. Dr. Charbonneau’s work in whole-body control regulates the forces between robots and their environment, towards ensuring respectful and reliable interactions with people. For instance, Dr. Charbonneau has programmed a humanoid robot to waltz with human partners and currently works on improving a robot's awareness of and response to physical contacts. 

Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Programs, School of Public Policy, UCalgary

In his work at UCalgary, Dr. G. Kent Fellows oversees the Master of Public Policy and Master of Science in sustainable energy development programs. He is currently fellow in residence as an academic advisor and contributor to the C.D. Howe Institute Energy Policy program and a board member with the Van Horne Institute for transportation and logistics. Dr. Fellows specializes in applied microeconomics, with research interests that include competition policy, regulatory economics, transportation economics, and energy and environmental economics. He has published multiple papers on those subjects in both academic and policy journals, and his advice on related topics has been sought by provincial, federal and international governments.

Professor, Faculty of Science, UCalgary

Dr. Marina L. Gavrilova is a Professor in the Faculty of Science, a Research Excellence Chair and a Digital Worlds Co-lead with the Institute for Transdisciplinary Studies at the University of Calgary. Since 2003, she has directed the Biometric Technologies Laboratory. Her publications include over 300 refereed articles, books and book chapters in the areas of machine learning, trustworthy and explainable AI, information fusion, data mining and cybersecurity. 

She serves as a Founding Editor-in-Chief of Transactions on Computational Science Journal (Springer) and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of the Digital Human (Inderscience). An award-winning researcher and educator, Dr. Gavrilova has given over 50 keynotes and invited lectures at major scientific gatherings worldwide. She is a passionate advocate of equity, diversity and inclusion in academia, industry and society.

Director of Alumni Programs, UCalgary Alumni Engagement

With a background in marketing, program development and brand journalism, Owen Stockden helps UCalgary faculties and institutes connect with alumni around the world. Formerly the director of marketing and communications for UCalgary’s Faculty of Science, he is fascinated by emerging technology and its applications. He enjoys collaborating with leaders in science, technology and the humanities to tell their stories and share their research.