Creative Robotics Research Hub

Based at the Creative Computing Institute, University of the Arts London the hub brings together a diverse community of artists, designers, technologists, and scholars to investigate how robotic systems can be conceived, designed, and experienced beyond traditional engineering contexts.

Rather than viewing robots solely as tools for automation or efficiency, the hub approaches robotics as a creative medium, one that can shape narratives, embody ideas, and participate in human-centred experiences. This perspective opens up new possibilities for how robotics can be integrated into art, design, performance, and everyday life.

The hub supports interdisciplinary research that spans speculative and critical design, human–robot interaction, embodied artificial intelligence, interactive systems, and emerging forms of digital and physical making.
A key focus of the hub is the cultural, social, and ethical implications of robotics. As intelligent systems become more present in society, the hub examines how they influence, and are influenced by, human values, behaviours, and environments. This includes considerations of inclusivity, accessibility, sustainability, and the broader impact of technological development on communities and cultures.

The Creative Robotics Research Hub also acts as a space for collaboration and exchange. It engages with academic, industry, and cultural partners to develop projects, exhibitions, and public-facing activities that bring creative robotics research into wider contexts. Through workshops, talks, and collaborative initiatives, the hub fosters dialogue between disciplines and supports the development of new ideas and practices.

By combining critical inquiry with hands-on experimentation, the hub aims to expand what robotics can be, technically, creatively, and socially, and to contribute to shaping more thoughtful and imaginative technological futures.

Hub Leads:

• Dr. Hooman Samani
• Dr Saina Akhond