Page 8 - CSA Speaker Bulletin September 2016 | CSA Celebrity Speakers
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SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT

             SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT

     In this issue of Speaker Spotlight we look at some of the new names: the dynamic speakers involved in an array of future-
     focused, exciting, cutting-edge areas. We highlight Hugh Herr, an athlete who suffered limb loss and then went on to design
     his own high-tech walking solution, and we find out about Aric Dromi, the Chief Futurologist and Digital Philosopher at
     Volvo Group. Also featured is Charles Armstrong, a social scientist specialising in large-scale social network analysis along
     with Federico Pistono, a visionary technology entrepreneur. These are just a few of the visionaries and innovators who are
     making changes to the world around us.

     By considering challenges and opportunities and approaching them in a non-traditional way and, through the innovative use
     of technology, they can then improve the lives of those around them – whether it is to make transport smarter, safer and
     cleaner or change the lives of those with mobility restrictions.

Hugh Herr is an athlete, scientist,       Aric Dromi is the chief futurologist     Federico Pistono is a social
innovator and futurist at MIT Media       at Volvo Group, a digital philosopher    entrepreneur, computer scientist,
Lab. He focuses on developing             and ‘professional troublemaker’, who     award-winning journalist, author,
wearable robotic systems that serve to    has spent the last 20 years helping      scientific educator and activist. He is
augment human strength, endurance         decision makers gain a better grasp of   founder and CEO of Konoz, a website
and agility. He has advanced novel        their objectives and future strategies.  where you can learn anything for
bionic technologies, including a          Aric’s work covers trend activity in     free. In addition, he is a member of
computer-controlled artificial knee,      the realms of science and technology,    TEDxBologna, founder of TEDxVerona,
an active ankle-foot orthosis, and        economics, politics, demographics and    founder of Axelera as well as The
the world’s first powered ankle-foot      environmental issues. Aric focuses on    Zeitgeist Movement Italy. Federico is a
prosthesis which was placed in the        possible future frameworks, sharing      graduate of the Singularity University,
TIME top-ten list. His prosthetic knees,  scenarios that could happen and          California and his research has been
legs and ankles that fuse biomechanics    helping develop concepts around          utilised by major economic institutions,
with microprocessors restore normal       what should happen. He helps people      universities and think tanks. Federico
gait, balance and speed to improve the    develop tools to reshape their future    analyses the society of tomorrow
quality of life for thousands of people   thinking. He facilitates organisations   and aims to face humanity’s grand
with physical challenges, inspiring       and individuals’ better understanding    challenges by leveraging exponentially
them to take their mobility back. He      of change, enabling them to gain         growing technologies; he advises
demonstrates that the perceived           a vision of a digitally enabled          decision makers around the world on
limits of human performance can be        autonomous future. He talks about the    how to adapt in order to stay relevant.
overcome and that there is a new          future of mobility, designs and entire
future for merging body and machine.      cities.

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