First up was Doris Aschenbrenner. An Assistant Professor TU Delft’s Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE), Doris was accompanied by paint robot Bob Rob (so-named in honour of the popular instructor, Bob Ross).

While Doris relayed her story of using art to engage the public in the development of robotics, her paint robot showed off his brush strokes, applying daubs of pink paint to a clean white canvas. And for those of you who think this piece of (robotic) performance art falls short of being a masterpiece, don’t underestimate Bob. Doris also shared the Van Gogh- inspired portrait of a recently retired TU Delft professor, Jo Geraedts. A co-creation project, involving Bob Rob and researchers, the resulting master piece was a fitting retirement gift for a much-loved professor.

From the co-creation of robotic art to the co-creation of RoboValley. Jaimy Siebel, who recently took over from Anouschka Versleijen as managing director, presented his vision for RoboValley, focusing on the future of work. Jaimy invited the audience to contribute their ideas of how RoboValley can help the community achieve their goals. Fuelled by bitterballen and beer, a lively discussion ensued. Ideas ranged from a robotics film night to strong connections with policy makers and many things in between. For those of you who couldn’t make it, we would love to hear your thoughts:

Make sure you join next month’s RoboCafé on 10 March 2020.