Engagement Workshop in Robotics, Animatronics and Artificial Intelligence

WWR has extensive experience in organising events with a broad range of type and subject including small-scale, repeatable activities which provide a more achievable commitment for the majority of active researchers in this field.

This project delivered a three-day workshop in Bristol. A total of 37 participants, representing 18 organisations attended. The workshop aimed to enhance the public engagement skills of both existing WWR network members and new researchers, and to devise a number of new public engagement activities under the following streams:

• Talks, presentations and shows
• New media
• Demonstrations and make-and-take activities
• Discussion and debate events

The workshop was a success in terms of the number and variety of participants it attracted and the impacts it had on those participants. The intensive atmosphere and opportunity to deliver to the public were particular highlights.

Throughout the following 12 months, WWR provided ongoing support for workshop participants to deliver activities at a number of science festivals and other public engagement events, attracting a total audience of 8,369 as measured by stickers that were handed out at the events:

• Imagineering Fair, Royal Bath & West Show 2008, Somerset (4 days)
• DiscoverZone at Cheltenham Science Festival 2008 (5 days)
• Science Explosion at the BA Festival of Science 2008, Liverpool (2 days)
• Hands-on Exhibition at the BA Festival of Science 2008 (4 days)
• Imagineering Fair, Ricoh Arena 2008 Coventry (2 days)
• Bright Sparks at Brighton Science Festival 2009 (2 days)
• Big Science Saturday at Brighton Science Festival 2009 (1 day)

Participants from the workshop who also took part in the organised delivery events identified the greatest number of impacts from the project overall, gaining skills in public engagement as well as an insight into logistical and planning issues associated with delivering events. A total of 24 of the participants at the workshop have indicated they will continue to take part in Public Engagement activities in the future.

The delivery events were well received by other science communicators and enjoyed by the public, who also indicated that they had understood some important messages about robotics.

Download the Evaluation Report (PDF document)