Physical AI Meetup

For the first time in Canberra, we present the Physical AI Meetup!

Hear 3 expert talks, take the mic for an AI/hardware demo or announcement, and connect over pizza & drinks.

Entry information: Make sure to RSVP on Eventbrite; tickets will be checked at the door.

A big thanks to our sponsors:

• Liquid Instruments, whose CEO Daniel Shaddock will also be giving an exciting talk, for our pizza and drinks.
• Workspace by black vc, where Canberra's builders, founders and operators come to do the work. In the heart of Canberra City, it's more than a desk — part of the innovation ecosystem. It's a home base for people building the future, moving fast, and proximity to everything. Come for the space, stay for the community.

Take the mic at our community open mic.
Share a quick demo, prototype, or announcement – whether it's AI, hardware, or something you're building. All welcome.

Agenda:
5:00 - 5:45 pm | Check-in, Pizza & Networking
Please have your Eventbrite ticket ready at check-in – then enjoy pizza and drinks from Avnet and AMD – and connect with other attendees.

5:45 - 6:00 pm | Welcome & Intro
Hear a short welcome from the host, Black VC, and the PAI organisers.

6:00 - 6:15 pm | Announcement from our volunteers from Avnet AMD

6:15 - 6:45 pm | Talk 1

• Speaker: Prof. Hanna Kurniawati (ANU)
• Topic: Inexpensive Compute for Robot autonomy in the Age of AI: The Role of Efficient Decision-making Algorithms.
• Robot hardware is becoming cheaper, but the compute required for capable autonomy is moving in the opposite direction. Can we reduce the cost of both hardware and computation while still delivering strong real-world performance? This talk explores the role of efficient algorithms to building efficient, affordable robot autonomy without sacrificing capability.

6:45 - 7:15 pm | Talk 2

• Speaker: Daniel Shaddock (Liquid Instruments)
• Topic: Generative Instrumentation: AI That Invents Scientific Instruments
• As AI moves beyond generating text and images into the physical world, a new class of technology is emerging: Generative Instrumentation. Instead of simply analysing data, AI can now create entirely new measurement instruments on demand. This talk explores how large language models are being used to generate FPGA hardware designs that become real-time scientific instruments, enabling engineers and researchers to create custom oscilloscopes, analysers, controllers and signal processors using natural language. We'll discuss the breakthroughs that make this possible, the safeguards required when AI generates hardware, and why this represents a fundamental shift in how humans interact with complex engineering systems.

7:15 - 7:45 pm | Talk 3

• Speaker: Jordan Parfoot (Black Mountain AI)
• Topic: The Human Machine Interface and Extending Accessibility with AI
• Jordan argues that AI agents should be understood as assistive technology, and that the human machine interface is where that claim gets tested. Drawing on his work building an open accessibility standard for agent interaction, he will show why making systems legible to machines makes them more usable for everyone, and what that means for anyone designing physical or embodied AI.

7:45 - 8:00 pm | Community Open Mic
Short informal shares – demo, prototype, or quick announcement (hiring, collaboration, project updates). 1-2 minutes each.

8:00 pm | Wrap-up & Networking

Join ANZ's largest community of practitioners building where AI meets hardware, now in Canberra.