CREATIVELY
EMBODYING
AI
Funded by UKRI, we are a five year multi-institution research programme led by the University of Nottingham focusing on the development of somabotics research.
Led by Professor Steve Benford at the University of Nottingham, Somabotics: Creatively Embodying AI UKRI Turing AI Fellowship aims to enhance artificial intelligence to enable humans to ‘make meaning’. We will explore how people make meaning through art and embodied experience, partnering with award-winning artists to create a series of robotic artworks, from robots that embrace and groom humans, to ones that dance and play music with them.
By investigating these systems using an artistic lens we aim to create AI artworks that embrace ambiguity, evoke interpretation, and champion improvisation. Touring artworks supported through the Fellowship will inspire the creative industries with new forms of cultural experience, while engaging the public to reflect on the future role of AI in society, especially on how it might become more inclusive.
“Creating meaningful experiences of artificial intelligence with artists and robots”
Latest News
Dafydd Sills Jones, Associate Professor at Auckland University of Technology visited the Virtual Immersive Production (VIP) Studio towards the end of 2025. During his visit he met Richard Ramchurn, lead on the Somabotics AI Lens project and joined an AI workshop held at the VIP studio.......
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Somabotics Welcomes Visiting Researchers
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Air Giants visit to Nottingham
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Exploring Creative AI for Live Interactive Performances at AAAI 2026
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Latest Events
The Body, AI and Social Robotics: From the Socio-Technical to Somabotics, an evolving field of research
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Half Term event: Meet and Experience The Ring Master
30 October - 1st November 2025
Join us this half term to meet and interact with The Ring Master - the newest robot to join the Thingamabobas troup and Build-a-Bot!
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The Loeric Sessions: Reimaging Contemporary Folk with Rosie, Jamie and an AI performer
22nd October 2025, 6pm
An evening with Rosie and Jamie Rutherford performing music with, and sharing tales of Loeric at the Recital Hall, School of Music, University of Nottingham
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International Conference in AI Music Studies
30th March - 1st April 2026
Interested in Musicology and AI? Join us at the Second International Conference in AI Music Studies: Inside the Music: Prospects, Challenges and Methodologies of Studying AI Music in the Humanities and Social Sciences
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