Tag Archive for: Sophia the Robot

London Tech Week Highlights: Weekly Tech Blog, Week of June 19-23

London Tech Week was last week, and the City’s weeklong series of events showcased some of the newest, hippest technology available. The show kicked off with a dramatic, Ironman-style entrance in a flight suit by inventor Richard Browning and only got more exciting from there. The festival even offered a concert for attendees from German composer Hans Zimmer.

With a main focus on Tech XLR8,AR and VR, AI and Machine learning, 5G, autonomous and connected cars, and the IoT, the weeklong event featured the best of new technology and gave startups the chance to feature their wares.

Below we have compiled some of the highlights of this groundbreaking event.

  • Sophia the Robot. First unveiled in 2016, Hanson Robotics’ lifelike robot Sophia has become a media darling since then, appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, gracing the pages of magazines, and garnering over 1 million views on YouTube. She gave a brief speech at London Tech week and was immediately deluged with admirers and requests for pictures.
  • The official opening of PlexalCity.  Located in Here East at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Plexal City promises to be  a multidisciplinary hub of innovation for the arts, tech, and any pioneering business. Initially the focus will be on technology innovation applied to a variety of fields, including sports, health, and fashion. Plexal City will have room for 800 trailblazing corporations and startups.
  • Opening of Google’s London Digital Academy.  The Academy has been hailed as a symbol of the continued growth of London’s burgeoning technology sector. The 40,000 square foot space, peopled with industry experts from both Google and around the technology industry, is aimed to help marketers, children, and business people become more digitally savvy.
  • The TechOff. In a chance to let the event’s hardworking tech gurus to let their hair down, Tech Off is an amalgamation of music and technology. The site calls the event “The love child of TED Talks and WWE”. Eight musicians, entrepreneurs and other tech innovators go head-to head in a “battle of ideas”. The speakers get 5 minutes to give their pitch, after which time the audience votes to choose a champion.

It sounds like an amazing week!  Hopefully, Commercient will get the chance to attend this phenomenal event in 2018.