901-754-9404
My List0

We've now made it easier for you to research and save your favorite keynotes speakers. Click on the + sign to add a speaker to your Speaker List and email your favorites to colleagues and friends.

using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
James Mclurkin, Technology Speaker

James Mclurkin

    • Robotics Expert
Full Bio
In Person-Fee 🛈

$15,000 - $20,000

Virtual Fee:

Please Inquire

Travels From

Texas

James McLurnkin on Swarm Robotics

James McLurnkin on Swarm Robotics

James Mclurkin Speaker Biography


"I don't remember a time when I wasn't building something."
As a child, James McLurkin was constantly building with LEGO bricks, cardboard boxes, or any other materials he could access. Today, McLurkin continues this tradition. Using Mother Nature as a model, his core research is developing distributed algorithms for multi-robot systems: the software for large swarms of autonomous robots. Inspired by the behavior of ants and bees, the SwarmBots perform individual tasks that collectively contribute to the goals of the group. They were originally created during his five-year post as Lead Research Scientist at iRobot, one of the world's leading robotics companies.

McLurkin holds a S.B. in electrical engineering with a minor in mechanical engineering from MIT (1995), a M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (1999), and a S.M. in computer science from MIT (2004). He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). His first robot, Rover, was constructed in 1988, and was quickly followed by many other designs, including the Robotic Ants created at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab for his undergraduate thesis.

As an independent consultant, McLurkin has advised many engineering projects for clients such as Walt Disney Imagineering and Sensable Technologies. Since 1995, he has lectured at companies and universities such as the Smithsonian Museum, Harvard University, IBM, and Honda Research and Development. Additionally, he is dedicated to illustrating the fun and excitement in science and engineering, and has taught classes in high school and middle school programs from physics to robotics to civil engineering, in order to help excite a future generation of engineers.

McLurkin is a native of Long Island, NY, where his parents were very encouraging and began cultivating his inventiveness and engineering prowess at a young age. From Lego bricks to BMX bicycling to programming self-designed video games, he quickly became consumed by his passion for engineering. McLurkin recounts, "I remember when I was in the 7th grade and saw the MIT 2.70 Design Competition on a NOVA special. I thought, wow, that's the coolest thing on the planet." The program featured a behind-the-scenes look at students working in a machine shop, using huge tools to build robots. "I was amazed at the machines they were building and the intensity of the competition and I realized that's where I wanted to go to school."

In 2003, McLurkin received the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, which is awarded to burgeoning MIT student inventors. Also in 2003, he was recognized by Time Magazine as one of five leading robotics engineers in their "Rise of the Machines" feature, and by Black Enterprise magazine as a "Best and Brightest Under 40." In 2002, he was featured in the Lemelson Center's nationwide interactive traveling exhibit, Invention at Play, which began at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

  • Dances with Robots: The Story of One Engineer, 112 Little Robots, and the Toys, Insects, and Star Wars Movies that Made it all Possible

    The presentation starts with a lighthearted look at society's views on robots, Hollywood's portrayal of them, the current state of the art, and the future of the technology. Philosophical questions about the nature of intelligence are discussed, as they pose serious problems for the creation of artificially intelligent devices. The final conclusion? Robots are phenomenally stupid and we should be more concerned about the next asteroid strike than a robotic rebellion. In spite of this, robots are still useful, and swarms are the future of robotics. McLurkin motivates the need for swarms of robots, and explains the technology required to produce group behaviors on one hundred robots. Live robot demonstrations and video clips of the swarm in action punctuate the main points. The presentation concludes with an autobiographical sketch that traces the events, ideas, and toys that have influenced McLurkin's career. Starting with cardboard boxes and tape, moving through LEGO and video games, this high-energy slide show concludes with a behind-the-scenes look at the construction of the iRobot Swarm.

  • Extreme Lesson Plans: Adventures in Technical Education

    James McLurkin's teaching style can be summarized as follows:
    "What can I bring to class that will be so interesting that they won't even taste the science?"

    This classic technique of bait-and-switch teaching can be especially helpful when introducing technical concepts in science and mathematics. The trick lies is in finding the right demonstration, real world application, or story to motivate the theory. This presentation pulls from McLurkin's lectures in physics, engineering, and computer science. The highlights of the presentation are on-stage demonstrations of BMX physics, a radio-controlled helicopter, and a small swarm of 15 robots. This presentation also has a mini-session of "Swarm School", to illustrate how complex concepts in distributed algorithms for multi-robot systems can be explained to high school students.

  • Extreme Lesson Plans Workshop: Bringing More of You to Your Classroom

    This workshop covers more of McLurkin's lesson plans in detail, featuring hovercraft piloting lessons, and a hands-on robot programming exercise. The focus of the workshop will be to develop Extreme Lesson Plans for as many of the participants as possible. Participants are encouraged to bring small demos or other artifacts representing their hobbies or interests.

  • The End of the World and Other Misconceptions: The Truth About Robotics

    A lighthearted look at society's views on robots, Hollywood's portrayal of them, the current state of the art, and the future of the technology. Famous movie robots are used as examples of dream systems. Biological systems provide examples of “robotic” systems that we are just beginning to understand, but cannot hope to duplicate. Philosophical questions about the nature of intelligence are discussed, as they pose serious problems for the creation of Artificial Intelligence. The end result: Robots are phenomenally stupid and we should be more concerned about the next asteroid strike than a robotic rebellion.

  • “Engineering Creativity”: Exercises for the Right Brain

    McLurkin’s unconventional approach to the creative design process is an inspiration to professionals of all disciplines. This presentation starts with examples from the far-reaching passions that have shaped McLurkin’s career, including insects, LEGO, trains, and Star Wars. It continues with a tour through a gallery of brilliant design, sources of inspiration, and examples of exceptional creative thought, often found in the most common places. The conclusion looks at the “logistics of creativity” and leaves participants with ideas on how to structure their environment and plan their activities to enhance creative thought.

  • Playing Engineer: The Toys of the Trade

    Invention and Play often go hand-in-hand. During this presentation McLurkin takes the audience through an inside look at the kind of play that has shaped his inventiveness, from kindergarten to the present day.

Related Speakers

Scott Augenbaum, Cyber Security Speaker

Scott Augenbaum

Retired FBI Agent with expertise in Cyber Crime Prevention

Dave Knox, speaker

Dave Knox

Digital innovation and disruption

Diana Kander

Diana Kander

Director of Innovation Culture & Habits

Gregory Stock, speaker

Gregory Stock

Co-Director

Jay Silver Speaker

Jay Silver

Innovation and Technology Speaker

Jon Steinberg, Disruption Speaker

Jon Steinberg

Former COO and President of Buzzfeed

Victor Antonio, speaker

Victor Antonio

Sales Velocity: Selling to Today's Informed Buyers

Music Paradigm, B2B & B2C Speaker

Music Paradigm

An Experiential Learning Event

Tony Brigmon, keynote speaker

Tony Brigmon

Former Face of Southwest Airlines culture as their official "Ambassador of FUN"

Jim Carroll Speaker

Jim Carroll

The World's Leading Futurist

Brad Waid

Brad Waid

Award-Winning Educator

Joseph Jaffe, Innovation Speaker

Joseph Jaffe

President and Chief Interruptor of Crayon

Reviews

Testimonials

A wonderful bureau to work with! Big ups to everyone who helped make our event a success. Fingers crossed we get the chance to collaborate fo..

MDRT | Testimonial

"As always, you are the best most responsive speaker bureau I've ever worked with!"

Image Media

Angela Schelp was a great partner in finding the right kick-off speaker for our conference. This was my first conference identifying the keyn..

CubeSmart

I just wanted to thank Matt Meyer and Sheryl Moon for their meticulous assistance with identifying, securing and preparing our chosen guest s..

Testimonials | TraceLink | Executive Speakers

This was my first experience using ESB to locate and secure a keynote speaker for my Corporate event. They were extremely easy to work with a..

AngMar Medical Holdings

"Matt Meyer was really wonderful in assisting me to find the correct keynote speaker for our conference. Jenny Foreman was completely on top ..

The Anchor Group

"As always, Executive Speakers Bureau helped us execute another flawless event. It is always so reassuring to know that you have a team behin..

Texas Hospital Association

"What stands out about the times I have worked with Executive Speakers Bureau is their lightning-fast response time. ESB’s account exec..

Keynote Speaker

"I've worked with Richard and ESB for many years and he's always able to deliver for us. He works hard to meet your speaker goals within the ..

Chem Dry

"Angela is the best!!! I can always count on her honest feedback about speakers. She helps me look like a hero to my company!"

Testimonials | Medtronic | Executive Speakers
Need Suggestions? Have Questions?

Need Suggestions? Have Questions?

Call to discuss how we can you help find the right speaker(s) for your organization.

© 2024 Executive Speakers Bureau. All Rights Reserved.

Design and Developed by eBiz Solutions

Get Ideas in 1 hour or less

Executive Speakers Bureau consistently receives praises about our speed and efficiency. From the beginning of your event planning, our extensive online speaker database and resourceful staff allow us to quickly equip you with the best speaker for your event.

Need a last minute speaker? No worries. Our speed and efficiency help us give you ideas for speakers in one hour or less.