David Garzón Ramos

Working with robots is fun! However, it happens quite often that the fascinating ecosystem of contemporary robots is reserved to few fortunate researchers, makers, and engineers. 

I believe that we, as robotics researchers, have the skills and the resources to contribute to the demystification and positive adoption of robotics. We just need to put a bit of effort to reach better the public that exists beyond our scientific community.  

People is typically quite enthusiast when they get to know our amazing robots! 

Do you want to talk about robots?   Contact me! :)

I got interested in robotics communication while teaching a robotics introductory course in Colombia, my home. I enjoyed a lot how my students were constantly surprised by the weirdest robots. So, why stop there? 

Although the PhD does not leave me much time, I try to be active in a few science communication activities: social media; participation in SciComm collectives; presentations and talks; and specially in making robot videos. I certainly have a bias towards collective robotics, but I very much enjoy discussing all robotics fields. 

I love producing robot videos!!! and, it is definitively easier to communicate robotics if you get to show some robots in action.

Below a series of original video clips that I have directed/produced in the past years (since Dec 2020). I thank a lot the participation and the support given by my fellow IRIDIAns. You can find the full set of videos in my YouTube channel (David Garzón Ramos).

[ Showcasing the ERC DEMIURGE project ] 

With this short teaser we joined the celebration of the first 10K grantees of the European Research Council (ERC). It is my favorite clip!

[ Swarm robotics capsules ]

Learn about robot swarms in less than 5 minutes, non-roboticists are welcome.

[ Communication videos ] 

Communication clips that present results from the DEMIURGE project.

[ Holiday videos ]

Check the most festive robot swarms.

[ Coverage of ICRA 2022 ]

Funky robots in the largest robotics conference.

I am was granted a IEEE RAS Science Communication Awards for ICRA2022! Click below for posts and videos about the greatest robotics conference festival. :)

  in English

  en español

I appeared a few of times in the media, albeit sometimes tangentially. Still, I am quite proud of it :) .

In 2022, my research on the automatic design of robot swarms was featured by Agencia UNAL, the newsletter of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Their article is available online: "Abejas, hormigas y termitas inspiran software que haría más sociables a los robots" (in Spanish). Other media outlets and newspapers featured it too: El Tiempo, dycit, among others.

Also in 2022, I gave some bits of robotics, collective intelligence, and robot swarms in radio programs from the most popular Colombian stations (in Spanish). Check my interviews in La Nube, broadcast by BluRadio; La Tertulia, broadcast by RCN Radio (min 42:08); and Análisis UNAL (Franja internacional), broadcast by Radio UNAL (min 1:23:23). 

My coverage of ICRA 2022 was originally published by Robohub, and other important robotics media outlets featured it too: IEEE Spectrum, Hisparob, Weekly Robotics, among others.

In 2021, I was featured by Robohub in the article ''Simulations, real robots, and bloopers from the DOTS competition: Powering emergency food distribution using swarms''—being Robohub one of the most important robotics communications blogs.

In 2019, Dr. Mauro Birattari showcased my experiments in Tout s'explique, a science and technology TV show broadcast by RTL-TVI, the most popular channel in the French-speaking area of Belgium.

I am learning from brilliant researchers and communicators: 

In 2021, I participated in the Robohub and AIhub's Sci-Comm workshop trial.  After, I collaborated with Robohub SciCommers in the coverage of ICRA 2022.

In 2022, I participated in the Science Communication Training for the Cofund IF@ULB programme; which is suppored by ReSIC, the research center for information and communication sciences at the Université libre de Bruxelles.

Early in 2024, I participated in the workshop "Communicating science: what do journalist want?", part of the Training Programs organized by the Marie Curie Alumni Association.

I am the admin of the twitter account of IRIDIA (@IRIDIA_ULB), the Artificial Intelligence research laboratory of the Université Libre de Bruxelles. I am also the admin of the twitter account of the ERC DEMIURGE project (@Demiurge_ULB), its YouTube channel (DEMIURGE project), and website (https://demiurge.be).

In my twitter account (@dgarzonramos), I mostly share content on Swarm Robotics. However, the content is not restricted to my work or the one of other IRIDIAns. 

I also post videos in my YouTube channel (David Garzón Ramos), particularly those to which I have contributed: expect robot video clips, talks and presentations, and a few featured videos.

When possible, I take the robots to the wild and to motivate the general public to learn about robots, swarms, and other exciting topics. Here an exhibition on which I participated recently.

A swarm of robots: demonstrating collective behaviors with a group of Sphero BOLT robots. Exposition at the opening of FARI Test & Experience Center. Brussels, Belgium. Mar. 2023

Alongside my research presentations, I recently started participating in non-specialized conferences and seminars (mainly in Spanish). I share a bit about robots, insects, and collective behaviors. Below some presentations I have made as invited speaker.

Robótica y enjambres, y algunas lecciones aprendidas en el camino. Presentation at Ciencia y tecnología. Seminario para los programas de Ingeniería civil en ciencias de datos e Ingeniería civil en informática. Pontificia Universi dad Católica de Valparaíso. Valparaíso, Chile. Sept. 2023.

Ingeniería de enjambres: de la inspiración al diseño de automático de comportamientos colectivos para robots. Presentation at Introducción a la Inteligencia de Enjambre: Algoritmos, Robots y Música. 1er Workshop con Egresados UNAL. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Manizales, Colombia. Mar. 2023.

Automatic design of robot swarms: context and experiments. Presentation at Thursday morning talk, Cluster of Excellence ”Science of Intelligence” (SCIoI). Berlin, Germany. Jan. 2023.

Robótica de enjambres de la A a la Z: una introducción al diseño de inteligencia colectiva para enjambres de robots. Presentation at RAS UNMSM Robotic Update, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Lima, Peru. Dec. 2022.

Cuando muchos no son tantos: robots móviles, sistemas multi‑robot y enjambres. Keynote at XIX Feria Tecnológica del Centro de Automatización Industrial, SENA Regional Caldas. Manizales, Colombia. Nov. 2021.

Robótica de enjambres: diseñando robots que se comportan como animales sociales. Presentation at Bioinspiración para el desarrollo de tecnología, Universidad Mariana. Pasto, Colombia. Aug. 2021.

Enjambres de robots, qué son y cómo diseñarlos. Keynote at CEASoft 2020: I Congreso Nacional Virtual de Electrónica, Automatización y Software, SENA. Barranquilla, Colombia. Nov. 2020.

My presentation ''Introduciendo la robótica de enjambres a entusiastas de la robótica'' was awarded as Best Oral Presentation in the 1er Congreso Internacional de la Sociedad de Doctores e Investigadores de Colombia (SoPhIC), 2021, organized by the Colombian PhD and Research Society.

Some of these presentations are available online.

David Garzón Ramos

david.garzon.ramos@ulb.be

IRIDIA – CP 194/6
Université libre de Bruxelles
Av. F.D. Roosevelt 50
1050 Brussels
Belgium

Our recent paper in Communications Engineering, a journal of the Nature Portfolio  

Automatic design of stigmergy-based behaviours for robot swarms