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Robots to nanoparticles: Engineering swarms to fix global problems | Sabine Hauert | TEDxExeterSalon

2,332 views · Published 28 November 2017 · 12:58 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2017 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Ever looked at a flock of birds and wondered how they fly in formation? Sabine Hauert studies swarm behaviours in the natural world and uses that knowledge to engineer robots to act in similar ways. Here she explains how armies of tiny robots could be used in applications ranging from cancer treatment to tackling pollution and coordinating disaster relief efforts. 

Sabine is Assistant Professor in Robotics at the University of Bristol. Her research focuses on engineering swarms across scales, from trillions of nanoparticles for cancer treatment to thousands of robots. She is also president and co-founder of Robohub.org, a non-profit dedicated to connecting the robotics community to the world.

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Filming: http://firstsightmedia.co.uk/ Sabine Hauert is Assistant Professor in Robotics at the University of Bristol in the UK. Her research focusses on engineering swarms across scales, from trillions of nanoparticles for cancer treatment to thousands of robots. Profoundly cross-disciplinary, Sabine works between Engineering Mathematics, the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, and Life Sciences. Before joining the University of Bristol, she engineered nanoparticles for cancer treatment at MIT, and deployed swarms of flying robots at EPFL.

Sabine is also President and Co-founder of Robohub.org, a non-profit dedicated to connecting the robotics community to the world. As an expert in science communication with 10 years of experience, Sabine is often invited to discuss the future of robotics and AI, including in the journals Nature and Science, at the European Parliament, and at the Royal Society.

Her work has been featured in mainstream media including BBC, CNN, The Guardian, The Economist, TEDx, WIRED, and New Scientist. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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