We are on the cusp of the robotics revolution: new technologies promise a societal shift where robots will become part of our daily lives. Accompanying the Prototyping in Tokyo exhibition currently on display at Japan House London, RCAxIIS Tokyo Design Lab, a design project jointly established by The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science and Technology and Royal College of Art, have brought together three very different designers to share and discuss their perspectives on the relationships they envisage we will have with robots in the future.

This event is co-hosted by Japan House London and held at the Royal College of Art. Japan House is delighted to be able to offer a limited number of places for our visitors to this sold-out event (now fully booked).

About the speakers:

Professor YAMANAKA Shunji is the founder of Leading Edge Design and Professor at the University of Tokyo; he is one of the most respected design engineers in Japan, with previous works ranging from wristwatches to railway carriages. Recently, Yamanaka’s projects include beautiful prosthetics and life-like robots that re-examine the relationship between humans and machines. Numerous honours include: the 2004 Mainichi Design Award, the iF Design Award, and multiple Good Design Awards (backed by the Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry). His 2010 work, Tagtype Garage Kit, is part of the New York Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.

Paul PRIESTMAN is a designer, co-founder and Chairman of global design consultancy PriestmanGoode, which has been leading innovation in transport design and passenger experience for over 20 years. He is also the Global Creative Director of CRRC Sifang, one of the largest rolling stock manufacturing companies in the world. Priestman has built an outstanding reputation for his award-winning future concepts - visionary ideas to improve our everyday lives and encourage long-term thinking and behavioural change. Priestman has won numerous awards for his work, including the Design Innovation Medal from the London Design Festival, and has been voted numerous times as one of Britain’s 500 Most Influential people.

Zowie BROACH is Head of Programme for FASHION at the Royal College of Art. She previously co-founded avant-garde fashion studio BOUDICCA. The first independent British Label to be shown during Couture, Paris, it was exhibited at Chicago Arts Institute and Tel Aviv Museum among many others. The studio's Invisible City collection AW04 is part of the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Kensington Palace and FIT. Whilst at the RCA, Zowie has established a new series of platforms – Futures Systems, Sports as Identity, Mixed Realities and Bio as Design – that expands the practice of Fashion. Zowie Broach has been voted into the top 500 Fashion Leaders, Business of FASHION for the last 4 years, and she has consulted for Honda, Cartier and Jaguar.