How will the relationship between humans and robots evolve? What is the role of design in facilitating this interaction? And what are the horizons to look at in technological and design research?

These are some of the themes that the School of Design of Istituto Marangoni Milan aims to investigate with Sentient Horizons, a series of three roundtable discussions on the world of design and the new technological frontiers, from robotics to artificial intelligence, virtual scenarios and space exploration.

The three events, sponsored by the Italian Space Agency, will connect international leaders in the fields of product, visual and interior design with the areas of the latest technological innovations that will change our lives in the coming years.

Moderated by journalist Laura Traldi, the meetings will take place at the Triennale di Milano hall of honour and will be streamed in the Istituto Marangoni Metaverse.

DEEP IMAGING

The first roundtable, Deep Imaging, will be on March 16, 2023, at 6:30 pm. It will reflect on how the initially two-dimensional visual world is becoming an increasingly three-dimensional experience to see and explore. The rise of the metaverses, the increasing narrative and psychological complexity of video gaming, and the implementation of new artificial intelligence are opening up a new horizon of experiences that needs to be addressed now. 

Speakers will include:

Federica Cascia - Head of Brand Strategy Horizon Worlds & Avatars Meta Reality Labs

Andrés Reisinger - Unclassifiable Artist, Founder & Creative Director Reisinger Studio

Luca Morena - Co-Founder & CEO NextAtlas

SPACED PROXIMITY

The second event, Spaced Proximity, will be on May 18 at 6:30 pm. It will investigate the role of design and living culture in defining new spaces on planets with gravity other than Earth's, reflecting on how interior design can play a crucial role in embracing and enhancing the anthropological dimension of human presence on other planets.

Speakers will include:

Ross Lovegrove - Industrial Designer and Visionaire Creator

Sebastian Aristotelis - Founder of SAGA, a space architecture studio

Space Popular - Virtual architects for immersive experiences

Paolo Nespoli - Astronaut 

NOETIC DESIGN

The series will end with Noetic Design, scheduled for early June, dedicated to how the product's aesthetic culture can be applied to the robotic object to avoid falling into the "uncanny valley," the phenomenon by which overly realistic animated things appear unsettling. Fostering a quality user experience of robotic objects, which will be increasingly part of our daily life, will require developing a new, original aesthetic for products that will paradoxically need to look less like humans to elicit a more empathic response.

Speakers will include:

Odoardo Fioravanti - Designer & Founder of Odo Fioravanti Design Studio

Xavier Bellanca - Argotech

Federico Cabitza - Professor & Expert in human-robot interactions

Nao - Humanoid robot created by the Scuola di Robotica in Genoa

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