We Robot is happening today and tomorrow. Although I founded the WE Robot conference, for the first time I am not able to attend, and indeed had to withdraw a paper I felt pretty good about. Fortunately the live stream is very good. The papers are great, as usual, but it feels so very weird to be only a remote participant, especially with so many familiar faces on camera and also familiar voices off-camera. As a viewer from a distance, on the one hand I’m delighted that the conference has momentum and a life of its own. On the other hand, I would have loved to be there, especially as it’s taking place at Yale. A lot of a great conference is the hallways, and that of course you don’t get from remote participation, not even Twitter.
See you next year!
