Mentors: Blaž Vrečko (producer, mastering engineer) and ALPHAWAVE

Blaž Vrečko is a producer and audio engineer, trained especially in the field of mixing and mastering. He produces trance and techno and collaborates with numerous record labels and successful performers. As a sound technician he worked on some of the albums by the melancholic trip-hop producer JUNEsHELEN and the ethno duo Kalliope, and produced the cover song for the film project Kresnik, The Lore of Fire, which was also presented at the competition part of the Cannes festival, where it was performed by Maja Keuc.

Program:

14:00 – 15:00 Intro

15:00 – 16:00 DAW

16:00 – 16:15 break

16:15 – 18:00 Beat, seqencer, bass

18:00 – 19:00 Melody, harmony …

www.alphawave.si

Saturday, October 10 (9.30–14.00)

The Robopioneer is a creative program by Mali ustvarjalci, and is intended for children aged 6 to 11. This kind of informal education offers the children a chance to confront and get to know construction-related and logical problems, as well as programming, by playing with, assembling and disassembling Lego blocks. In this way the child sees and follows the functioning of things, learning why certain elements spin and why others swing, and why sometimes some of them don’t work the way they are supposed to. There isn’t a child in the world that can’t assemble Lego blocks or can’t learn to do it in a very short period of time. The ideas already reside in the children; they are of crucial importance, which is why the child’s innovativeness and independence are stimulated during the process of assembling and programming. The simplicity and appeal of this workshop lie in teaching the children about programming in such a way that they are not even aware of it, because the program commands are executed manually, all the while making logical conclusions and establishing links between actions and reactions, between cause and consequence. Every child goes through the entire process of robotization, i. e. from the idea and the problem of construction, to programming and a final functioning product.

Key words and subject links: ROBOTICS, MATHEMATICS, LOGIC, PHYSICS, PROGRAMMING, NATURAL SCIENCES, TECHNICAL SCIENCES, ART, CREATIVE THINKING

The creative workshop mentor is Jure Pikl, a professor of physics and technical education at the Primož Trubar Elementary School in Laško. Apart from his formal employment, he is also actively engaged in informal education, working as a part-time children’s teacher/instructor of robotics who believes, as he puts it, in bringing the technical world as close to children as possible in a fun and relaxed way. He also emphasizes that technical education in schools is becoming less and less interesting for children, who “fail to resolve problems in the sense of assembling and disassembling constructions, logical reasoning, step-by-step problem solving etc.”

Friday, October 9 (10.00–15.00)

The creative workshop offers an insight into the world of robotics and hands-on robot construction. It is designed to enable everyone, regardless of their level of knowledge or expertise, to build their own robot, which will be able to drive around the labyrinth autonomously. The participants will learn about the general theory of robotics, the functioning and types of robots and the history of robotics. Through practical work they will also be able to learn about the specific characteristics and procedures for constructing a workshop robot.

Key words and subject links: ROBOTICS, TECHNICAL SCIENCES, TEHNICAL DESIGN, LOGIC, NATURAL SCIENCES, CREATIVE THINKING

Mentors: Gregor Krušič, Sandra Janžekovič

Thursday, October 8 (10.00–15.00)

Friday, October 9  (10.00–15.00)

The FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) is a research and educational program with an emphasis on robotics, which has been organized and conducted in Slovenia by the Super Glavce institute. The creative workshop participants construct and program an autonomous robot for problem-solving in the FLL field. The purpose of the workshop is to enable the participants to discover the fascinating world of advanced technologies in a fun and playful way. Through playing they gain experience from various fields, as their creative thinking is stimulated.

Key words and subject links: THINKING OUT OF THE BOX, NATURAL SCIENCES, MATHEMATICS, LOGIC, TECHNICAL SKILLS, COMPUTER SCIENCES, PROGRAMMING, ROBOTICS, PROJECT WORK, GROUP WORK

The mentor and head of the program is Natalija Premužič, co-founder of the Super Glavce institute (2012), and program and competition manager within the project FIRST ®LEGO® League (FLL) in Slovenia since 2011; organizer of children and family events since 2008 and an enthusiast and activist. Following her studies of Educational Sciences and Sociology at Ljubljana’s Faculty of Arts, Natalija spent the next twelve years working in the economic sector; in 2009, however, she opted for an individual career path and has returned to the sphere of education.

The project deals with the intermedia robotization of everyday devices, introducing in part a new functionality by means of Arduino sensors, motors and other components. The aim of the project is to create a pair of Arduino robots that will represent each in its own way a particular device, which could potentially be used in modern-day households as an artistic-technological device with a functional note.

In the first set of workshops the participants will be creating Art:Watch, a robotic handwriting that is produced on a “write-and-wipe” surface using a marker pen attached to a robotic arm controlled via an Arduino microcontroller, recording the current time in regulated intervals. Art:Watch combines the field of robotics with the tradition of “handwriting” in an intriguing and contemporary way.

The second set is an upgrade of Art:Watch, another Arduino-based robot, which, however, not only imitates human handwriting, but also enables the drawing of simple sketches (pictures). Placed on a flat surface, the Art:Uino robot, using either wheels and sensors and the user’s interaction, or controlled directly, transforms the selected sketch from the digital base onto paper. This gives us the chance to be creative and achieve a certain functionality of the printer in a somewhat different, more interesting way. The Art:Uino thus represents the “hand of the artist”, which is being used to create art and transfer it to a sheet of paper. Based on a calculation of lines and curves, the sketcher’s drawings are transmitted directly onto the paper via digital channels.

The participants will be able to try printing 3D with a 3D printer and print out parts for their own robots. An introduction to 3D printing and the related software will be presented, as well as a guide through the stages in the process from sketch to 3D model.

The Art:uino robots workshop is intended both for beginners and for those well familiar with the Arduino microcontroller and the fields of robotics and programming: the entire course will be adapted according to your wishes and level of skills. It is desirable to have the participants confirm their attendance in advance, and that they bring their own laptops.

The workshop will be led by Matjaž Lenhart (MA in computer science and information technologies).

The maximum number of participants is 5, so please apply as soon as you can.

Lenhart_artuino

Matjaž Lenhart, MA in computer science and information technologies, develops mobile applications, web pages, and management and systematization systems. Works as an assistant professor to Dušan Zidar, head of the Department of fine arts at the Faculty of education, University of Maribor, on student projects.

Thursday, October 8 (10.00–15.00)

Friday, October 9 (10.00–15.00)

The creative workshop LIGHT ME UP is designed with the purpose of stimulating the wish to explore light, both natural and artificial. This year is the International year of light and light-based technologies. Hence the only thing you need to bring is the desire for light(ing), and perhaps even the desire for illumination. You will learn (or refresh your memory) about the sources of light and first create a sculpting structure/object. The workshop thus offers a way to be creative in the spirit of “recycling” and “upcycling”. The participants will use various waste objects to create a sculpture, but always bearing in mind the light. They will then proceed to learn about circuits, from the simpler ones to the more complex. The creative workshop provides an insight into the world of electronics and art, and is intended and accordingly adapted to all three levels of elementary schools, as well as secondary schools.

Monika Pocrnjić (1987) is an artist and hacker who currently lives and works in Maribor. She likes to disassemble, compose and alter the function of objects to transform them into small artistic artifacts. Very often, these art pieces are composed from analogue or digital devices, mobile phones, computer component, plants, etc. During her studies she began to work with Kibla, Hacketeria.org, Son:da, regularly attending festivals such as Kiblix, MFRU, Ars Electronica and Mediascape. Currently she is developing and establishing several laboratories within the creative collective GT22 in Maribor. In her free time she likes to hack and share knowledge about simple electronics and artistic practices with the wider public.

Thursday and Friday, October 8–9 (10.00–15.00)

The roboplug was designed with the idea of a distant user, located, for example, inside his house, controlling a robot so that it clears the snow from the backyard. The plug is hand-made and customized (l: 100 cm, w: 70 cm and h: 40 cm + 30 cm including the camera; weight: 70 kg), and driven by a wheelchair motor. It is controlled via a smartphone with an application that displays the image from the camera attached to the robot, and screen controls. The smartphone is connected through a Wi-Fi network.

Key words and subject links: ROBOTICS, TECHNOLOGY, PROGRAMMING, COMPUTER SCIENCES, TECHNICAL DESIGN, DESIGNING USEFUL OBJECTS

Aleš Stojak is one of the co-founders of the INBOT international institute of robotics, whose aim is the development of innovative robotic solutions. He works as an electronic hardware designer, printed circuits designer, and embedded systems’ developer. He studies electrical engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Computer Sciences and Informatics at the University of Maribor. In 2011 he developed a robotic platform that is able to drive around autonomously in traffic with the help of navigation and machine vision. In 2012 he contributed to the technical execution of the show Placebo performed by Carmina Slovenica. He was responsible for developing and installing remote operated electromechanical hardware.

Tadej Tofant is a student at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Maribor, Department of Chemical Technology. He recently graduated in bionics at the VSŠ (higher vocational college) Ptuj. Since 2011 he has been participating in the global RoboCup competition: 2nd place in Istanbul, 3rd place in 2012 in Mexico City, and 1st place at the European RoboCup in Slovakia. In 2015 his team won the 2nd place at the RoboCup in Portugal, and classified for the RoboCup 2015 in China, reaching 4th place. He is also one of the three co-founders of the INBOT institute that deals with developing high-tech solutions for the industry.

Arne Korsika is the founder of the SUDO (high-tech startup), which successfully operates and develops innovative products since 2014. He is currently a tech CEO at SUDO and developer of software for mobile, desktop and web technologies. For nearly a year he has worked at Tovarna idej d.o.o., where he was the leading programmer for iOS mobile platform. He studies information technology at the University of Maribor, and Bionics at Higher vocational college of Ptuj. He is the co-founder of the INBOT international institute for robotics where he develops software for robots. He is the co-founder of LOS SYSTEMS d.o.o., a company for digital signage advertisement.

Arduino is a simple microcontroller platform that allows us to perform the basic or advanced processes for domestic or professional use. The workshop provides an opportunity to become acquainted with the basics of working with Arduino modules, input-output modules, and external components and sensors. The simplicity of Arduino enables a quick and effective development of applications, which can be used, among other, for operating mobile robots at the RoboCupJunior competition. Apart from the basics, the workshop will also present practical examples of creating an app for a quick and functional mobile robot.

Milan Rotovnik is an expert in the fields of electronics and automatic engineering. He works as a lab worker and researcher on national and European projects at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Computer Sciences and Informatics (FERI), University of Maribor. As a hobby, he also does video and audio productions. He has received several awards from competitions and project work in the fields of automatic engineering, intelligent buildings and documentary video films. In the field of robotics, he participates at annual RoboCupJunior events held at FERI in Maribor. Recently he became specialized in Arduino microcontroller platforms; successful examples of good practice include an innovative aquarium controller and a project for measuring electricity consumption of heat pumps and solar power plant control.

Thursday, October 8  (9.00–15.00)
Friday, October 9 (9.00–15.00)

RoboCupJunior is a worldwide robotic competition for pupils of elementary (age 9 to 14) and secondary schools (age 15 to 19). RoboCupJunior Dance is one of the challenges of the competition with an open-end task that provides numerous possibilities for creative expression and combining such different disciplines as robotics and art. The rules of the competition are slightly adapted each year. The task of team is to prepare a 1-2 minute performance, which must include robots. The teams can use the stage (6m x 4m) and a projection screen for the multimedia part of their presentation. There are two categories: dance performances and theater performances. The criteria for dance performances are originality of the dance and synchronization of the robots’ and team members’ movement with the music. In theater performances, the criteria are innovativeness of the story and the manner of storytelling and presenting the happening. All performances will also be judged by the scenography, costumes, and how entertaining they are to the audience. Another important factor is the technical grade for the complexity of a robot’s construction. The final score is made up of two equal parts, the artistic and the technical part of the grade.

http://www.robobum.uni-mb.si

http://www.rcj.robocupjunior.org

Suzana Uran, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Maribor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science – FERI, Institute for Robotics, Laboratory for cognitive systems in mechatronics. She is mainly engaged in the field of robotics and controllers for robot mechanisms, and theoretical and experimental studies of dynamics and cinematics of robot systems and robot-driven controllers.

Location: Main Square Maribor (Glavni trg Square)

Date: October 7–9, 2015

Wednesday, October 7 (16.00–18.00)

Thursday, October 8 (9.00–18.00)

Friday, October 9 (9.00–18.00)

Planetarium enables a simulation of movement of objects in the universe from the past, the present and the future. With the help of the planetarium you can see the sky above most of the planets and their moons in our solar system. You can observe the transition of planets, the simulation of lunar and solar eclipses, and learn about other objects in the universe (nebulae, galaxies) by discovering amazing facts about the space that surrounds us.

You can also watch movies in the dome projection in the range of 540 degrees, which provides a whole new dimension of the environment around us. We will share information about the end of our solar system and the kind of technology that is used to explore it. Come and enjoy an incredible journey through the starry sky and galaxies!