About this Event
Join us in Lisbon at InterContinental® Lisbon, Rua Castilho, 149, 1099-034, on November 25th from 18:50 to 21:00 for an exclusive Masterclass led by Robert Polding, Professor at IE Business School.
This session will be followed by a networking cocktail, so you will have the chance to connect with Professor Fildes, other professionals seeking development opportunities, the IE team, and IE Alumni.
Agenda:
18:50 - 19:00 | Registration
19:00 – 20:30 | Masterclass
20:30 - 21:00 | Networking cocktail
Don’t miss it! Register now and reserve your place!
About the topic
Embark on a fascinating journey through robotics and automation evolution with Dr. Robert Polding, tracing the field from Grey Walter's pioneering tortoises of 1948 to today's backflipping humanoids and tomorrow's biohybrid machines. This masterclass synthesizes seven decades of innovation-from the first industrial robots and tragic safety lessons to Japan's groundbreaking WABOT humanoids and Rodney Brooks' behavior-based revolution-revealing how engineering, AI, and biology are converging to create machines that can walk, sense, assist, and even heal.
With real-world applications spanning surgical robots performing 1.5 million procedures, autonomous robotaxis launching in major cities, and exoskeletons restoring mobility, Dr. Polding examines how robotics is reshaping industries, homes, and human capabilities themselves. The session culminates in provocative explorations of our cyborg future, how intelligence is being used in the workplace and a future where nanorobots patrol bloodstreams and the boundary between engineered and organic life blurs, challenging us to define what it means to be human in an age where robots become our companions, caregivers, and perhaps even our evolutionary partners.
About Professor Robert Polding
Dr Polding holds a PhD and MSc in Information Systems from The University of Sheffield and a BSc (Hons) in Media Science from Sheffield Hallam University. Research interests include e-commerce, web applications, apps, RFID augmented and mixed reality, and database technologies. Lecturer in database design, management information systems, project management, programming and big data. Previous jobs include working as a company director, project manager, programmer and journalist.
Event venue & nearby stays
Hotel InterContinental Lisbon, Rua Castilho, 149, Lisbon, Portugal
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