Big Hero 6

In this robotics-themed episode, Andrew, Laura and Ben talk about Big Hero 6, and meet robots who talk, walk, fall over, sing, and play football.

Andrew and Laura were lucky enough to have a tour of Bristol Robotics Laboratory with Peter Gibbons and Corra Boushel. They learned about new developments in robotics, talked about the ethics of automated healthcare (and warfare), and chatted to the very talented RoboThespian.

Back in the shed, Laura reports back on how robot designs are being influenced by animals, and Andrew gets excited about the possibilities of robot gaming. Ben was stranded in Morocco, so missed the tour, but he talks about the film's story development process, the comic it was based on, and how he would like to live in San Fransokyo.

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Show notes

Many thanks to everyone at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory for the amazing tour, especially Peter Gibbons and Dr Corra Boushel. 

Peter is a Mechatronics Engineer looking at Social Robot Interaction, and he is currently working on a project called Being There: Humans & Robots in Public Spaces. 

Corra is Project Co-ordinator for Robots vs Animals, which is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious Awards, and brings together the Science Communication Unit and Bristol Robotics Laboratory at the University of the West of England, with Bristol Zoo Gardens.

For a comparison between the comic and film versions of Big Hero 6, have a look at this feature at The Verge. 

For more Big Hero 6 reading material, check out Kimberley Cooper's post at the Huffington Post, this New Yorker feature, and this Comic Alliance article, which touch on depictions of race and gender.

Check out RoboThespian section of the Engineered Arts website to see who Andrew was talking to.

Other robots Andrew and Laura met included NAO and the Poppy Humanoid.

The book Ben talks about is Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe.

For more on the film's story development process, listen the Big Hero 6 episode of the brilliant podcast The Q+A with Jeff Goldsmith.

The Royal Institution Christmas Lecture Andrew mentions is Sparks will fly: How to Hack Your Home by Professor Danielle George.

Pint of Science is an annual event that in 2015 runs from 18 - 20 May, in pubs around the world.

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