James McLurkin
Featured Keynote Programs
Dances with Robots
The Story of One Engineer, 112 Little Robots, and the Toys, Insects, and Star Wars Movies that Made it all Possible
The presentation starts with a lighthearted look at societyʹs views on robots, Hollywoodʹs portrayal of them, the current state of the art, and the future of the technology. Philosophical questions about the nature of intelligence are discussed, as they pose serious problems for the creation of artificially intelligent devices. The final conclusion? Robots are phenomenally stupid and we should be more concerned about the next asteroid strike than a robotic rebellion. In spite of this, robots are still useful, and swarms are the future of robotics. McLurkin motivates the need for swarms of robots, and explains the technology required to produce group behaviors on one hundred robots. Live robot demonstrations and video clips of the swarm in action punctuate the main points. The presentation concludes with an autobiographical sketch that traces the events, ideas, and toys that have influenced McLurkinʹs career. Starting with cardboard boxes and tape, moving through LEGO and video games, this high‐energy slide show concludes with a behind‐the‐scenes look at the construction of the iRobot Swarm.
Extreme Lesson Plans
Adventures in Technical Education
James McLurkinʹs teaching style can be summarized as follows:
ʺWhat can I bring to class that will be so interesting that they wonʹt even taste the science?ʺ
This classic technique of bait‐and‐switch teaching can be especially helpful when introducing technical concepts in science and mathematics. The trick lies is in finding the right demonstration, real world application, or story to motivate the theory. This presentation pulls from McLurkinʹs lectures in physics, engineering, and computer science. The highlights of the presentation are on‐stage demonstrations of BMX physics, a radio‐controlled helicopter, and a small swarm of 15 robots. This presentation also has a mini‐session of ʺSwarm Schoolʺ, to illustrate how complex concepts in distributed algorithms for multi‐robot systems can be explained to high school students.
Extreme Lesson Plans Workshop
Bringing More of You to Your Classroom
This workshop covers more of McLurkinʹs lesson plans in detail, featuring hovercraft piloting lessons, and a hands‐on robot programming exercise. The focus of the workshop will be to develop Extreme Lesson Plans for as many of the participants as possible. Participants are encouraged to bring small demos or other artifacts representing their hobbies or interests.
The End of the World and Other Misconceptions
The Truth About Robotics
A lighthearted look at societyʹs views on robots, Hollywoodʹs portrayal of them, the current state of the art, and the future of the technology. Famous movie robots are used as examples of dream systems. Biological systems provide examples of “robotic” systems that we are just beginning to understand, but cannot hope to duplicate. Philosophical questions about the nature of intelligence are discussed, as they pose serious problems for the creation of Artificial Intelligence. The end result: Robots are phenomenally stupid and we should be more concerned about the next asteroid strike than a robotic rebellion.
“Engineering Creativity”
Exercises for the Right Brain
McLurkin’s unconventional approach to the creative design process is an inspiration to professionals of all disciplines. This presentation starts with examples from the far‐reaching passions that have shaped McLurkin’s career, including insects, LEGO, trains, and Star Wars. It continues with a tour through a gallery of brilliant design, sources of inspiration, and examples of exceptional creative thought, often found in the most common places. The conclusion looks at the “logistics of creativity” and leaves participants with ideas on how to structure their environment and plan their activities to enhance creative thought.
Playing Engineer
The Toys of the Trade
Invention and Play often go hand‐in‐hand. During this presentation McLurkin takes the audience through an inside look at the kind of play that has shaped his inventiveness, from kindergarten to the present day.