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Pop star Robyn lights up KTH lab project

Published May 14, 2013

When a group of third- and fourth-year mechatronics students began designing a dancing robot inspired by Robyn, the Swedish singer took a keen interest in the project.

Robyn participates in a robot project with KTH students.
The award-winning recording artist visited the students in their lab to offer some suggestions on prototypes the group developed.
“Robyn has really inspired our students,” says the students' instructor, Martin Edin Grimheden. “She is a good role model with a genuine interest in technology and the ability to go her own way.

“The students have found new ways of looking at things through their discussions with Robyn, such as how the robot should express emotions,” says Grimheden, who is responsible for the project.

He says the level of focus on this project is unprecedented. “We normally work with external clients but never before have the students been so anxious to meet the client’s expectations and do something new, something cool.”

The project will continue for the rest of the year and has been the subject of extensive media attention, including features in the world’s largest independent music webzine, Pitchfork, and on Swedish television.

“The students were a little overwhelmed by all the attention in the beginning, and because of the high expectations this caused, but even with that we take inspiration from Robyn and her experience,” Grimheden says.

Christer Gummeson

Visitors can see the project team’s eight Robyn-inspired prototypes between 13:00 and 14:00 in room M1, Brinellvägen 64. A demo will follow in the Lab Hall, Brinellvägen 83, from 14:00 to 16:00. 

Read about the project in  Pitchfork

Watch a  short film about Robyn’s visit to KTH 

Robot Project homepage

Robot Project on facebook