Opening Talk »Hello, Robot. Design between Human and Machine« 10 February 2017

Science fiction becomes reality: robotics has been finding its way into our lives for a number of years now. Examples range from shipping drones and intelligent sensors to the debate on Industry 4.0. In the exhibition »Hello, Robot. Design between Human and Machine«, the Vitra Design Museum offers a thorough first examination of the current robotics boom. The exhibition presents a variety of exhibits, including examples of robots for the home, industry or healthcare, but also media installations, computer games and examples from film and literature. It demonstrates how robotics is changing our lives today - and how design is changing robotics. At the same time, it broadens our perspective of the ethical and political issues associated with robotics today. The show features more than 150 objects including works by Bruce Sterling, Douglas Coupland, Joris Laarman, Carlo Ratti, Dunne & Raby, and Philip Beesley. In conjunction with the opening of »Hello, Robot.«, the science fiction author Bruce Sterling discusses how robots have become part of our lives today, how they impact the design of our environment and what challenges and opportunities our society must anticipate.