Our Robot Future

Mark Pesce is a leading futurist, author, entrepreneur and innovator. He has been at the forefront of the digital revolution for thirty-five years and is a sought-after keynote speaker for major conferences and leadership gatherings. Bringing clarity, understanding and insight. From virtual reality to education, finance, manufacturing, transportation and communication, Mark gives individuals and organisations the tools they need to think effectively about the future, its opportunities, and its disruptions.

Peter Mahony is manager of Education and Digital Learning for Sydney’s Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. He leads program direction and delivery for the Museum’s school learning experiences including Thinkspace and The Mars Lab, coding and game design. As learning leader for MAAS, a lean startup approach involves staging punk learning ‘design experiments’ in partnership with young people and school educators or the co-design of bespoke learning experiments.

He initiated Sydney’s first Mini-Maker Faire back in 2014, which has since evolved into an annual event. Qualifications include Master of Teaching, Graduate Diploma in Music Therapy, Bachelor of Arts. Peter’s background is performing and community arts. Back in the day, as performer and musician, he toured nationally and internationally with Castanet Club, including the Edinburgh Arts Festival Fringe, and nationally with theatre and cabaret shows. Currently Peter sings tenor in Sydney gospel choir Cafe of the Gate of Salvation.

William is the head of Social Robotics at the Commonwealth Bank's Sydney Innovation Lab. Here he spearheads the bank's research and development program into human robot interaction, a collaboration between the bank, the University of Technology Sydney, the Australian Technology Network of Universities, and some of the bank’s key clients.

This program aims to explore the commercial applications of social robots, enhancing customer experiences whilst contributing to the broader body of knowledge and research around how social robots interact with humans. William was a founding member of the bank's Innovation Lab concept and spent six months in Hong Kong establishing and heading up the bank's Asian-centric innovation space. He has a varied background in finance, IT and user experience, with a University Medal from the University of Sydney. 

Kate Dunn is the research leader in Digital Fabrication and Material Innovation in the Creative Robotics Lab at UNSW Art and Design. Kate is a practicing artist and designer with a strong international research background. Her research is practiced-based and investigates experimental digital fabrication and robotics. A key element of Dunn's research is the development of sustainable materials for digital fabrication. Kate has over 15 years' undergraduate and postgraduate teaching experience in Australia’s leading art and design colleges and universities

Angie is the founder and CEO of Old Ways, New. Angie works with digital product development, policy, strategy and research. She is a published author on her work within the field of robotics, AI and Autonomous Systems. As a United Nations Delegate, she has presented on the Ethical Digitisation of Indigenous Culture at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and is continuing international policy work within the UN and Private sector for the protection of human and technology rights.

Angie worked with the United Nations Development Programme and Indigenous leaders and their Indigenous traditional knowledges within world climate change negotiations, as part of the Paris Agreement. Previously known as an acclaimed film director and producer for her immersive documentary film and cross-disciplinary arts works. Angie continues to utilise the craft of storytelling as the central component to all her work.

Dr Wade Marynowsky is an academic, artist and researcher specialising in experimental and emerging art forms, including robotics, immersive and interactive installation, performance, music and video. His practice typically draws on technology and programmed structures to create works that straddle humour, high-camp and a host of unnerving thematic orientations to absorbing effect.

Since 1998 he has established himself as a leading artist in the field of new media arts, achieving significant critical praise and international recognition for his performances and exhibitions. In recent years, Marynowsky's work has been presented internationally, at numerous events and venues including:

● The International Triennial of New Media Art, National Art Museum of China.

● The 2nd International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Poznan, Poland.

● National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, South Korea.

● The International Symposium of Electronic Art, Sydney.

● National Performing Arts Centre, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

● Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland Art Gallery.

● Contemporary Art Tasmania/MONA FOMA.

● Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

● The 17th Biennale of Sydney.

● Performance Space, Sydney.

● National Gallery of Victoria.

● Artspace, Sydney.

Marynowsky has been a frequent recipient of highly competitive research funding, securing numerous grants from the Australia Council for the Arts, Arts NSW, The Australian Network for Art and Technology and Artspace Sydney. He has been awarded competitive commissions for the development of new work from Performance Space, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Artspace Sydney and Experimenta Media Arts. He has attended research residencies at Carnegie Mellon University, USA, Concordia University and The Darling Foundry, Montreal, Canada. Artist residencies include, the Sapporo Artist in Residency program, S-AIR, Japan and various residency locations across Australia.