Will robots rule the world?Redeveloped Tonsley to host first Hybrid World Adelaide tech festival

THE redeveloped Tonsley precinct will become a haven for hi-tech junkies this week as it hosts the inaugural Hybrid World Adelaide festival.

Kristin Alford, who is running a robotic workshop at Hybrid World, pictured in the Hawke Building of the University of SA where the Museum of Discovery will soon open. Photo: AAP/Sam Wundke

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THE redeveloped Tonsley precinct will become a haven for hi-tech junkies this week as it hosts the inaugural Hybrid World Adelaide festival.

The five-day festival that celebrates and promotes emerging technology will be the first major event for the former Mitsubishi site, now described as “Australia’s first innovation district”.

Visitors will be able to take part in workshops ranging from gaming to robotics and see some of the new technologies being developed in Australia and around the world.

Hybrid World Adelaide chief executive Amanda Duthie said the festival was set up because it was high time SA had a celebration of technology.

“We were looking at events such as South by Southwest as a bit of inspiration,” Ms Duthie said.

“That’s a celebration of music and film and television, and also the interactive digital sector.

“There was already a big push for music, with live music returning to so many venues around Adelaide, and we already have the Adelaide Film Festival, so we wanted to focus on the digital future and interactive component.”

Ms Duthie also wanted to create an event that could cater for all ages – from young children wanting to fly a drone, through to older people who might have been sceptical about technology.

An artist's impression of the Living Laboratory that will be built at Tonsley. Picture: Supplied

“It’s probably a guided tour for parents and grandparents because, let’s face it, kids who are in primary school now – the jobs they’ll have don’t even exist right now,” she said.

“We all need to learn this new language of technology. We all need to realise it’s not unknown or something to be scared of. It’s something to learn more about.”

The headline event will be a digital industry conference with speakers including AgriDigital chief executive Emma Weston and space engineer Flavia Tata Nardini, who has worked for the European Space Agency.

The Museum of Discovery soon to open at UniSA’s North Tce campus will also put on a workshop teaching the basics of robotics.

Its director, Dr Kristin Alford, pointed out robots won’t take over the world as they involve human interaction.

“This is the perfect hunting ground if you like things you never knew existed or realised could be used for a particular method,” Ms Duthie said.

“I’ve always been interested in those inventors and adventurers who want to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”

The public program will run from tomorrow to Sunday. Most workshops are free.

For more information, visit hybridworldadelaide.org