A blue banner reading Nobel Calling Stockholm, Nobel Prize Museum stands indoors, with blurred people walking by and wooden panel walls in the background.

Nobel Calling: Discovering how the digital society of the future is being shaped at Digital Futures

On 8 October 2025, the Digital Futures hub opened its doors for Nobel Calling Stockholm, welcoming curious minds to explore how cutting-edge research is shaping tomorrow’s digital society. Throughout the day, the vibrant space at Osquars Backe 5 buzzed with energy — from morning visits by two school classes to an afternoon session for the general public that gathered more than 60 participants.

The event, titled “Nobel Calling: Discover how the digital society of the future is being shaped at Digital Futures” offered a unique glimpse into seven groundbreaking research projects. Together, they showcased how technology, creativity, and collaboration can help address major challenges in health, sustainability, and urban life.

Visitors were invited to take the spiral concrete staircase up to the award-winning Architecture School building — its rust-red corten façade and warm wooden interiors setting the stage for a day of inspiration. After coffee and cake, guests joined an interactive Show & Tell expo where researchers demonstrated their latest innovations.

A small green robot with tank tracks, a robotic arm, and sensors is positioned on a carpeted floor in an indoor setting.
Three people stand smiling at a table with a robotic arm and a trainer. A screen with text and images is displayed in the background. The setting appears to be an interactive tech or science event.
A group of six young people stand talking near a table set with crockery and robotics equipment, while a person in the foreground, partially out of focus, operates a laptop. Bright indoor lighting.
A person takes a photo on a mobile phone of a presenter standing by a large screen with a blurred digital display in a modern, bright office setting.
A group of people stands in a room watching a man operate a small quadruped robot using a laptop. The scene appears to be a workshop or demonstration, with desks and chairs in the background.
A group of people watches a grey, four-legged robotic device on the floor in an office or classroom setting with desks and bright lighting.
A small green robot tank moves on the floor in a classroom. In the background, a person stands holding a laptop near a screen displaying technical diagrams, with a blackboard and fairy lights on the wall.
A woman in a brown suit gestures towards a colourful digital display in a modern office, whilst others watch and interact in the background.
A man in glasses and a blue shirt holds a laptop displaying an image editing or video software interface in an office with wooden walls and computer desks.
A man and a woman present data on a large screen to a seated group in a modern, bright classroom with large windows and mathematical equations on the walls.
A man gives a presentation beside a mannequin head with a projected face, in front of a screen displaying the KTH logo and Swedish text “Vetenskap och Konst.” Several people are watching.
A man gestures while presenting satellite imagery on a screen to three seated people in a modern classroom with scientific equations written on a whiteboard behind them.
A person stands next to a large monitor giving a presentation to four seated people in a modern classroom. Mathematical equations are written on a glass wall in the background.
A small robotic vehicle with a camera and sensors sits on a table in focus, while a blurred person in business attire presents in the background near a large display screen.
A group of students presents a project with a mannequin head and electronics at a table set with food items, in a classroom with KTH Royal Institute of Technology logos on screens and wood-panelled walls.
Two people stand at a table in a bright room, working together to adjust a humanoid robot. The table is covered with electronics, tools, coffee cups, and a laptop. Large windows and leafy plants surround the scene.
A person kneels on the floor, working on a white, four-legged robot in a modern room with a blackboard, TV screen, and wooden walls in the background.
A woman standing in front of a large screen.
A woman in a red suit is speaking to an audience in front of a screen displaying the words Digital Transformation and an image of a person in a VR headset.
A person holds a small quadcopter drone with exposed circuitry and four black propellers, focussing on the drone whilst the background is blurred.
A woman presents to a group in a classroom with large monitors displaying maps and images. People are seated and standing, listening attentively. Scientific equations are visible on whiteboards in the background.
A person wearing white trainers and bright socks has wires attached to their ankles and legs, whilst a group of people in casual clothing watches in the background inside a library or classroom.
A person holds a small quadcopter drone, focussing on its details. In the background, three people are blurred, suggesting a group discussion or presentation in a modern indoor setting.
A person holds a small quadcopter drone in their hand, with several people standing blurred in the background indoors.
A blue banner reading Nobel Calling Stockholm, Nobel Prize Museum stands indoors, with blurred people walking by and wooden panel walls in the background.
A man in glasses is giving a presentation, gesturing with his hand, whilst another man listens in the background. A large screen displays charts and data in a bright, modern office setting.
A robotic exoskeleton device is attached to a trainer on a table, while a group of people stands in the background observing the demonstration.

Among the highlights was Adaptive Intelligent Homes, presented by Parag Khanna, exploring how AI and robotics can make our homes more supportive and inclusive — especially for older adults and people with diverse needs. Visitors could also meet interactive humanoid robots developed through the Data-Limited Learning of Complex Dynamical Systems project, where collaborations with companies like Saab and AstraZeneca are translating AI research into real-world applications.

Sustainability was a central theme. The Edge Computing for Urban Traffic Monitoring project, presented by Jörg Conradt, showed how energy-efficient sensors can make cities greener and safer, while EO-AI4GlobalChange, led by Yifang Ban, demonstrated how AI and satellites can track urban growth, wildfires, and floods to protect our planet.

Robotics was another crowd favourite. Advancing Real-Time Exoskeleton Control, with expert Elena Gutierrez Farewik, revealed how wearable robotics can enhance movement and independence for people with mobility challenges. The Drone Gymnasium invited participants to imagine new ways of interacting with drones — not just through screens, but through motion and creativity. And in Intelligence through Reasoning, Patrick Hammer presented robots capable of “thinking” more like humans, paving the way for safer, more autonomous systems.

Throughout the day, discussions flourished around how technology can serve society — not just as a tool, but as a partner. From curious students to lifelong learners, everyone left with a deeper understanding of how digital innovation can build a more sustainable and human-centered future.

A group of 19 people stands smiling together indoors, with a large display screen in the background and wooden walls. The group includes men and women of various ages, dressed in casual and business attire.
The team of researchers and staff at Digital Futures that put the show together.

As part of the Nobel Calling Stockholm 2025 program, Digital Futures once again proved to be a place where technology meets humanity, and where the future is not just imagined — it’s actively being built.

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