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Imperial Lates

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Imperial Lates: Robots

29 October 2026, 18.00-21.00

Step into the world of tomorrow and meet the robots of the future - what does 'intelligence' mean in our ever-changing world?

At Imperial Lates: Robots, you can get hands-on with all things robots, tech and AI at this free evening event for adults.

Get crafty and design your own soft, squishy robot to take home, inspired by flexible fibre-bots that can navigate inside the human body. Then chat to researchers about your hopes and fears around artificial intelligence.

See if you or your friends are faster than a robot in a pipetting race, then watch robots play football where every pass, tackle and shot is decided in real time by AI. Then head to the bar, grab a drink and soak in the music from the DJ.

With hands‑on activities, fascinating talks, real robots and inspiring research at every turn, you can indulge your creativity and curiosity by learning all about the research driving the technologies of tomorrow.

A video trailer of Imperial Lates, showing a range of people (roughly ages 18-35) engaging with research at Imperial Lates. Shows show people taking part in workshops, trying out new technology and listening to talks.

Get a sense of the Lates vibe by watching the trailer.

Got questions? Get in touch via email at lates@imperial.ac.uk

About Imperial Lates

Imperial Lates are fun and social post-work events where visitors can interact with the latest scientific developments at Imperial College London, centred around a new theme for each evening.

The 2026/27 season will include:

29 October 2026: Robots

Step into the world of tomorrow and meet the robots of the future. What does 'intelligence' mean in our ever-changing world?

3 December 2026: African Science

Find out all about the international research collaborations taking place between Imperial College London and partners from across the African continent.

28 January 2027: Connection

Bring a date (or a mate) and strengthen your connection scientifically by discovering a wide range of connective science, from telecommunications to physical attraction, and social media to social isolation.

To find out when registration opens, and to hear about other public events at Imperial, please sign up to receive our event update emails, or follow us on @ImperialSpark

Want to get involved?

Imperial researchers are invited to submit ideas for taking part in the Lates series, and applications are now open. Please complete the open call Qualtrics form to register your interest, and if you have any queries about the ideas submission process, please get in touch via email (lates@imperial.ac.uk)

The team welcomes fully developed activities or initial ideas. The Imperial Lates programming team can help you develop an idea further, discuss opportunities to host a talk or take part in a panel discussion, or connect you with a creative practitioner to explore your research through an artistic workshop.

If you are an Imperial staff member or student interested in volunteering at Imperial Lates, you can sign up to the volunteer portal to be the first notified when shifts open. Learn more about volunteering with the public engagement team.

If you are an artist or facilitator interested in working with the Imperial Lates team, please get in touch via email (lates@imperial.ac.uk)

What to expect?

Check out some photos from our past evenings of discovery!