Tech meets art: Quantum physicist ballet dancer performs with cobot partner

Universal Robots (UR) has unveiled a unique new partnership with award-winning quantum physicist and ballet dancer, Dr Merritt Moore, which blends art and science, humanity and technology.

A true modern polymath, Dr Moore has an unconventional and impressive background. She has carved out a career as a professional ballet dancer with the Norwegian National Ballet, English National Ballet and Boston Ballet. Yet she has also made waves as a quantum physicist, undergone astronaut training and earned a PhD in atomic and laser physics from the University of Oxford.

In her examination of how the arts can take technology beyond the laboratory, Dr Moore has developed ground-breaking dance performances alongside a UR collaborative robot, or cobot, been named “Baryshnibot” by her Instagram followers.

The dance performances demonstrate how humans and robots can collaborate beyond practical, day-to-day functions and transcend perceptions of robots as simply tools for manufacturing. Moore believes that the arts and sciences should not be mutually exclusive, and aims to inspire young women to consider how a career in STEM can be a creative endeavour.

Read more: IE Talks Automation & Covid-19 with Universal Robots' Mark Gray

Dr Moore said that she chose a UR cobot due to the flexibility and dexterity of the technology, as well as its ability to react safely and intuitively to human movement. Whilst Moore has a background in engineering, the UR cobot can also be easily and quickly programmed to respond to movements and dance sequences.

Dr Moore said: “There are so many rigid stereotypes of what a dancer or a scientist should be, and this can be really damaging for both disciplines. For scientists and engineers, creativity is key in finding new solutions to problems. For dancers, the ability to be technical and analytical can take your practice to the next level. 

“I hope that the next generation of women will be inspired to defy expectations of how a career in STEM should look," she added.

Mark Gray, Country Manager UK&I, Universal Robots said: “Our cobots have been designed to collaborate seamlessly with humans, so we are incredibly excited to see how they can be easily appropriated for more complex tasks, such as dance and choreography. Automation does not have to be a daunting concept, as cobots are intended to augment humans rather than replace them.”

After lockdown, Moore plans to turn the performance into a live, interactive show, staged in a central London gallery.

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