Keppler

About Dr. James McLurkin

As a child, James McLurkin was constantly building with LEGO™ bricks, cardboard boxes, or any other materials he could access. Today, McLurkin continues this tradition. Using Mother Nature as a model, his core research is developing algorithms and techniques for constructing and programming large swarms of autonomous robots. Inspired by the behavior of ants and bees, the SwarmBots perform individual tasks that collectively contribute to the goals of the group. They were originally created during his five-year post as Lead Research Scientist at iRobot, one of the world's leading robotics companies. Currently, he is a professor of computer science at Rice University. An expert on innovation, technology, and engineering, his highly-advanced research and innovations make McLurkin a captivating and engaging technology speaker.

Dr. James McLurkin's Speech Topic(s)

• The End of the World and Other Misconceptions: The Truth about Robotics
  In this lecture, James McLurkin takes a lighthearted look at society's views of robots, Hollywood's portrayal of them, the current state of the art, and the future of technology.
• The Future of Robotics and Swarm Robot Applications
  Swarms are the future for robotics. James McLurkin explains the need for swarms and explains the technology. It also includes robot demonstrations and audience participation.
• "Engineering Creativity": Exercises for the Right Brain
  Keynote speaker James McLurkin shows audiences the "logistics of creativity" and leaves participants with ideas on how to structure their environment and plan their activities to enhance creative thought.
• Dances with Robots: The Story of One Engineer, 112 Little Robots, and the Toys, Insects, and Star Wars Movies that Made it all Possible
  In an autobiographical lecture, James McLurkin traces the events, ideas, and objects that have influenced his career.