film

Robohub roundtable: Robotic bee swarms from Black Mirror – what’s hype, what’s real?

In this roundtable edition, we watched the Black Mirror episode “Hated in the Nation” and asked our Robohub team members: with many institutions focused on developing aerial drone technology, and ...

06 December 2016, by Alex Kirkpatrick

The new Westworld: Humanizing the un-human, or dehumanizing humankind?

HBO’s latest offering (on SkyAtlantic here in the UK) is an update of Michael Crichton‘s 1973 film Westworld; this time brought to us as a ten-part television series by sci-fi re-booter extraordin...

18 October 2016, by Michael Szollosy

The making of sci-fi adventure Robot Overlords

In the low-budget British sci-fi adventure, Robot Overlords, alien automatons rule the streets and ordinary citizens are locked under curfew in their homes. Just by stepping outside, you risk being v...

03 July 2015, by Graham Edwards and Cinefex

True AI, or clever simulation? Transcendence movie has Johnny Depp crossing the Singularity

I was inspired to write this article after recently watching Transcendence starring Johnny Depp and reading this article “Death is Optional.” What will the world look like when we cross the sing...

01 May 2015, by Michael Savoie

Underwater Dreams: The story of undocumented teens who win underwater robot competition

Underwater Dreams is a documentary that follows a team of undocumented students from an Arizona high school and shows their perseverance and ingenuity to win a NASA- and ONR-sponsored underwater rob...

16 April 2015, by Frank Tobe

Ability to self-repair isn’t the same as consciousness: Analyzing Automata from a tech standpoint

I recently had a chance to view Automata and wanted to share my thoughts on the movie based upon the current and future state of robotics and artificial intelligence. As a film, this was a tough one...

04 April 2015, by Michael Savoie

Ex Machina: When Turing meets Bechdel test

Alex Garland’s first feature film as a director, Ex Machina, had its US debut at SxSW on March 14. This stylish idea film explores the Turing Test in a very Pinteresque fashion as a young coder fall...

15 March 2015, by Andra Keay

While most robots are either geek or jock, CHAPPiE is a lesson in sexy

Neill Blomkamp's new film CHAPPiE can teach us a lot about how to design robots. That, and how to be sexy. Rolling out in theatres this week....

03 March 2015, by Mark Stephen Meadows

“Chappie” movie to explore human reaction to AI, machine learning

A new action/sci-fi thriller by Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) is due in theatres March 6, 2015. Starring Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel, and Sigourney Weaver, Chappie follows an exper...

04 November 2014, by Hallie Siegel

New quadrocopter video points to a future for flying machines in entertainment

We've seen robots on stage before: Humanoids have been featured in theater productions in Switzerland, Austria, and Japan, and industrial robots have played parts in dance performances and other stage...

22 September 2014, by Markus Waibel

Automata: The new “sci-fi” blockbuster set to put robot ethics under a spotlight

A major new sci-fi movie, Automata, promises to not only provide a feast for the eyes (see below for a clip from the film), but an overdue opportunity to spotlight some of the ethical dilemmas arising...

19 September 2014, by Adriana Hamacher

Why do people love robots? Find out in this Botscar-winning Robot Film Festival short

"Why We Love Robots" is a 5-minute short documentary film co-directed by UC Berkeley Prof. Ken Goldberg and his wife, award-winning filmmaker Tiffany Shlain. The film was nominated for an Emmy Award a...

11 August 2014, by Ken Goldberg and Tiffany Shlain

New sci-fi short “Robot” seeks crowdfunding

'Robot' is a short film directed by up and coming West Australian director Zenon Samuels. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Robot explores the relationship an isolated war veteran has with a mysteriou...

11 August 2014, by Aaron Vanderkley

Lights, camera, action at the Robot Film Festival

Bringing together people and robots for an amazing social event, the 4th annual Robot Film Festival was held on Saturday July 19 at Bot & Dolly studio in San Francisco. The Festival opened with th...

23 July 2014, by Andra Keay

Robot love: Spike Jonze’s new sci-fi film ‘Her’ may be closer to reality than you think

Her is a science fiction movie about love. It's about robot love, about love for robots, and it's also not that fictional. The story you already know: a sentimental writer (Joaquin Phoenix) fall...

28 January 2014, by Mark Stephen Meadows

2012 (2nd annual) Robot Film Festival

The 2012 (2nd annual) Robot Film Festival screening took place nine days ago, in the 3LD Art & Technology Center (New York City). Selected entries appear on the Robot Film Festival website, and Au...

24 July 2012, by John Payne