Date and time: Wednesday 8 October 2025, 13:00 – 14:00 CEST
Title: Nobel Calling: Discover how the digital society of the future is being shaped at Digital Futures
Where: Digital Futures hub, Osquars Backe 5, floor 2 at KTH main campus
Directions: https://www.digitalfutures.kth.se/contact/how-to-get-here/
How can robots help us in everyday life? What does it take to train a drone – or create intelligent homes? At Digital Futures, you will encounter the research that is shaping our future. Here, researchers from many different fields come together to find solutions to some of our greatest societal challenges – in health, education, the environment, and smart cities.
Digital Futures is located in the award-winning Architecture School building at the KTH Campus, designed by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter. With its softly curved façades of rust-red corten steel and an inviting interior of wood and concrete, the building is an experience in itself – a place that sparks both curiosity and inspiration.
Welcome to explore a research environment where technology meets humanity, ideas meet action – and the future takes shape. The program is part of Nobel Calling Stockholm 2025. Free admission – a maximum of 50 participants will be accepted! Take the spiral concrete staircase one floor up to Digital Futures. Coffee and cake will be served.
PROGRAM
- 09:00–10:15 – Reserved for Teacher/School Group Visit #1
- 10:45–12:00 – Reserved for Teacher/School Group Visit #2
- 13:00–14:00 – Open program for the General Public – Everyone is Welcome
Free admission, no pre-registration needed. 50 spots available.
Welcome & Introduction followed by EXPO Show & Tell
Smarter homes that adapt to your needs!
Expert: Parag Khanna
Adaptive Intelligent Homes (AIH) is a research project that explores how smart robots and AI assistants can better support people in their everyday lives at home. Building on advanced research in speech, gesture, and user recognition, the project develops intelligent kitchen assistants that can help with daily tasks like cooking, while adapting to different users’ needs, preferences, and abilities. Unlike traditional systems that work in isolated lab settings, AIH focuses on making these assistants practical for real homes, where multiple people interact at the same time.
By working with community and societal partners, the project emphasizes inclusivity and accessibility—designing systems that are useful and welcoming for people of all ages and backgrounds, including older adults who may benefit from support in maintaining healthy, independent lifestyles. The result is not just smarter homes, but more supportive and caring environments where technology works alongside people to improve quality of life.
Turning advanced AI research into real-world impact!
Experts “Smart tracking systems”: Gustav Norén, Fredrik Cumlin, Anubhab Ghosh
Experts “Interactive humanoid robot”: Martin Orrje, Arvid Eriksson, John Wikman, Daniele Foffano
Data-Limited Learning of Complex Dynamical Systems is a project that takes advanced research in computer science, machine learning, and biotechnology and turns it into real-world applications that benefit both industry and the public.
The project partners with Swedish companies such as Saab and AstraZeneca while also creating interactive demonstrators for the public at the Digital Futures Hub. Examples include:
- Smarter tracking systems developed with Saab, which can distinguish between different flying objects, such as drones.
- An interactive humanoid robot that brings cutting-edge research to life and will be showcased to visitors and media.
- New software for biotechnology, developed with AstraZeneca, to improve how bioprocesses are modelled and optimized for medicine and life science.
By bridging theory and practice, the project shows how cutting-edge research can move beyond the lab to create practical tools for industry, healthcare, and society.
Greener, safer cities through smarter traffic monitoring!
Expert: Jörg Conradt
Edge Computing for Urban Traffic Monitoring is a project that aims to make cities smarter, greener, and safer by improving the way traffic is monitored. Instead of relying on traditional cameras that use lots of energy and bandwidth, the project develops ultra-efficient sensors that can recognize cars, bikes, scooters, and other objects in real time — all while running on very little power, even from something as small as a solar cell.
This technology can provide quick, reliable information about traffic to help emergency responders, reduce congestion, and lower carbon emissions. It also protects people’s privacy because most of the data is processed locally instead of being sent across networks.
By combining expertise in advanced computing and traffic management, the project demonstrates how cutting-edge technology can support city planners and citizens alike, leading to safer streets, cleaner air, and a better quality of life in growing urban areas.
Wearable robotics for movement, strength, and independence!
Expert: Elena Gutierrez Farewik
Advancing Real-Time Exoskeleton Control is a project that develops the next generation of wearable robotic exoskeletons — devices that can support movement and strength for people with physical disabilities or mobility challenges.
The team is building a prototype of a modular lower-limb exoskeleton equipped with smart motors and a digital control system. This setup allows the exoskeleton to adapt in real time to different users and situations, helping researchers find the best way to provide personalized support.
With ageing populations and musculoskeletal disorders being a major cause of long-term disability, this technology could play an important role in improving independence, comfort, and quality of life. By combining engineering, design, and human-centered optimization, the project moves us closer to making robotic exoskeletons more practical, effective, and widely available outside the lab.
Exploring new relationships between people and drones!
The project will be shared through a video demonstration.
Digital Futures Drone Gymnasium explores new ways for people to interact with drones — not just through screens and joysticks, but with their whole bodies. By creating special training tools, the project helps people better understand and control drones, making the interaction more natural, intuitive, and engaging.
This work combines robotics, machine learning, and design to imagine how drones could safely and effectively be used in everyday spaces — from homes to workplaces. Instead of focusing only on technical precision, the project also looks at the human experience: how drones can be operated in ways that reduce mental strain and allow smoother collaboration between humans and machines.
With support from drone manufacturer Bitcraze and experts in robotics, design, and ethics, the Drone Gymnasium brings together technology and creativity. Through workshops and exhibitions, the project will not only test new ideas for drone training but also open up discussions about the role of autonomous systems in our future lives.
AI + Satellites = A smarter, more sustainable planet!
Expert: Yifang Ban & Eric Brune
EO-AI4GlobalChange is using satellites and AI to protect our planet. Our environment is changing faster than ever — cities are expanding, wildfires are becoming more destructive, and floods are happening more often. To better understand and respond to these challenges, researchers at Digital Futures are combining satellite technology with artificial intelligence (AI).
By analyzing massive amounts of satellite data, the project develops new tools to:
- Track how cities grow and change over time
- Detect and monitor wildfires as they spread
- Map floods and assess their impact
These insights help emergency responders act faster, support more sustainable urban planning, and provide vital information for protecting ecosystems and communities. Visitors and students can also try out interactive apps, such as the wildfire monitoring tool or the urban land use efficiency app, to see how satellite data can be turned into actionable knowledge.
From space to Earth, EO-AI4GlobalChange shows how technology can help us build a more resilient and sustainable future.
Building true autonomy by teaching robots to think!
Expert: Patrick Hammer
Intelligence through Reasoning is a project that develops smarter, more independent robots by combining advanced reasoning systems with modern AI. The goal is to create robots that don’t just follow pre-programmed instructions but can think, adapt, and make decisions when unexpected situations arise.
One of the main applications is in the inspection and maintenance of city infrastructure, such as power plants. By reducing the need for human intervention, these robots could improve safety, increase efficiency, and support more sustainable cities.
The project is inspired by how humans and animals use reasoning to adapt and survive in new situations. Just like us, robots that can both learn and reason will be better prepared to handle challenges in real-world environments — making them more truly autonomous and useful in solving societal and environmental problems.
