Date: Wednesday, August 22nd.
Time: 2-4 pm (2 hours)
Location: SMARTlab at the Lightbulb Factory, Newstead, UCD
Remote login information: Will be streamed live on https://appear.in/smartlabwhip

ANAAvatarXPRIZEWorkshop

The $10M ANA Avatar XPRIZE is a four-year global competition focused on the development of a  robotic Avatar System that will enable anyone to see, hear, touch and interact with physical environments and people in real-time at a distant location in a manner that feels as if they are truly there. An Avatar System is defined as a physical Robotic Avatar operated by a person (Operator) and interacting with an environment or a person at a distance (Recipient).

The ANA Avatar XPRIZE seeks to incentivize innovators around the world to imagine a future with avatars and integrate several emerging and exponential technologies to create a useful and functional physical robotic Avatar System. Current investment and research tend to focus on the development and incremental improvements of individual component technologies, rather than bringing together synergistic technologies to support transformational leaps. A successful solution to this challenge will enable humankind to take the next step in transcending the limits of physical transportation, leading to a more connected world.

The winning team will develop and demonstrate a robotic Avatar System that allows a human’s senses, actions and presence to be transported to a distant location in realtime. Such a system will enable humans to connect to others, or to accomplish a need at a remote location, via a physical form.

This Avatar System will enable the person using it to actually feel that they are present at the distant location. This sense of presence in a physical embodied Avatar form is a key criteria by which the overall success of the winning Avatar System will be evaluated.

This workshop will introduce the ANA Avatar XPRIZE in more detail, the goals, expectations and timelines for the four-year effort. We will also take some time to ideate some examples of a future where robotic Avatars are an integral part of everyday life.