Submit statements of interest to
submissions@dronesphere.aero
by November 20, 2018.

“For every image of the past that is not recognized by the present as one of its own concerns threatens to disappear irretrievably.”
— Walter Benjamin, On the Concept of History
“Myth re-members a history that has been forgotten and erased [Anzaldua]”
— Karan Barad, Diffracting Diffraction: Cutting-Together Apart

Autonomous vehicles (aerial/aquatic/terrestrial) employ a broad suite of sensors in which to locate themselves, within their specific environments, in and amongst a world of other things. These sensors describe space and objects distinctly from each other through their different types of inputs.  Broadly, they are categorized as active or passive forms of sensing, and can include multi-spectral cameras, LiDAR, radar, sonar, GPS, forms of micro-location, amongst others. Such a breadth of approaches for sensing the world is required given the variety of conditions that these vehicles move through. This suggests that a fundamental condition that autonomous vehicles will operate with is having to determine the accuracy of conflicting spatial representations created by different sensor types.

Our goal in this workshop will not be to optimize these systems for smoother operation, but to investigate the inherent lack of knowing, or epistemological uncertainty, which they operate with. Towards this end the “false positive” and “false negative,” or moments of misidentification, will be our starting point. We will have access to a suite of sensors, a space that can facilitate drone flight and a range of skills and interests.

This 5-day workshop will use a collaborative peer-learning working model. It invites individuals within the disciplines of art, architecture and engineering to submit brief statements of interests briefly outlining their position or stake and any skills. While the workshop seeks to engage a technical subject matter a wide range of participants are hoped for. It is a project-based workshop. Participants, at the first meeting, will have the opportunity to contribute towards determining specific goals. The opportunity exists to present any products of the workshop on Saturday, February 23rd, at the Dronesphere Colloquium.

Workshop Details:

Dates—Monday February 18 to Friday February 22, 2019

Location—To be announced

Cost—Bursaries are available for participants

Event Timeline:

November 15, 2018—Statement of Interest Deadline

December 01, 2018—Participants Informed

February 18 to 22, 2019—Urban Skies Workshop

February 23, 2019—Dronesphere Colloquium