Creative Robotics is a research department at the University of Arts Linz. It sees robotics as a multipurpose tool that ideally complements knowledge for other disciplines, not just as an end in itself. The researchers at Creative Robotics have a wide range of backgrounds, from architecture and industrial design to visual arts and mechanical engineering; creating a strong environment for productive collaboration and innovation. The main goal of the department is making robotics accessible, especially in creative industries. This means being open to new ideas and understanding the particular needs of the people they work with from startups to artists and large corporations. As an academic research institution, it aims to generate knowledge and innovation, so, unlike enterprises, it is not compelled to seek profit, but prefers working on individual problems of smaller disciplines where it can make a big impact.

The lab of Creative Robotics is located in the Grand Garage MakerSpace, an important platform for making its technologies available to new user groups. One exciting project at the moment is Fashion and Robotics, in collaboration with the Department of Fashion & Technology at the University of Arts Linz and the Institute of Biomedical Mechatronics at JKU. The project is concerned with the future of the textile industry, from AI-based processes to biomaterials. 

Within the scientific community, Creative Robotics publishes papers and journal articles, but its research often does not reach local companies and startups, which is why its academics participate in events such as the annual Ars Electronica Festival to showcase the latest developments in an artistic and technological environment.

Robotics, human-robot collaboration, human-computer interfaces, visual programming, AI, computational design, robotic fabrication

Main Photo by: Mick Morley