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James McLurkin

James McLurkin

Keynote Speaker: Roboticist, Inventor, Researcher & Teacher

James McLurkin Biography

James McLurkin is a Sr. Hardware Engineer at Google. He is one of the leads on the Google "Coral" Project, where he designs Artificial Intelligence hardware for users so that they can build their own awesome AI-powered projects. But his top-secret plan for global change is to build things that help build more engineers.

He is a recovering academic; as an Assistant Professor at Rice University his research was on distributed algorithms for multi-robot systems, which is software that produces complex group behaviors from the interactions of many simple robots.

Previously, McLurkin was a Lead Research Scientist at iRobot, and was the 2003 recipient of the Lemelson-MIT student prize for invention. He holds a S.B. in Electrical Engineering with a Minor in Mechanical Engineering from M.I.T., a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of California, Berkeley, and a S.M. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from M.I.T.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on James McLurkin and other top speakers and celebrities.

James McLurkin Speaking Topics

Lifting as You Climb & Other Every Day Responsibilities of the Minority Professional

Engineering Creativity: Exercises for the Right Brain

The Future of Robotics & Swarm Robot Applications

The End of the World & Other Misconceptions: The Truth About Robotics

Dances with Robots: The Story of One Engineer, 112 Little Robots, & the Toys, Insects, & Star Wars Movies that Made it all Possible

The presentation starts with a lighthearted look at society's views on robots, Hollywood's portrayal of them, the current state of the art, and the future of the technology. Philosophical questions about the nature of intelligence are discussed, as they pose serious problems for the creation of artificially intelligent devices. The final conclusion? Robots are phenomenally stupid and we should be more concerned about the next asteroid strike than a robotic rebellion. In spite of this, robots are still useful, and swarms are the future of robotics. McLurkin explains the need for swarms of robots and the technology required to produce their group behaviors. Live robot demonstrations and video clips of the swarm in action punctuate these main points. The presentation concludes with an autobiographical sketch that traces the events, ideas, and toys that have influenced McLurkin's career. Starting with cardboard boxes and tape, moving through LEGO and video games, this high-energy slide show concludes with a behind-the-scenes look at the construction of the iRobot Swarm.

James McLurkin Videos

James McLurkin and his robot swarm
Artificial Intelligence over Coffee with James McLurkin
James McLurkin | Conversations with Jeff Weeks | WSRE

How do I book James McLurkin to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like James McLurkin for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for James McLurkin, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for James McLurkin or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book James McLurkin for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for James McLurkin, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book James McLurkin are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire James McLurkin, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does James McLurkin speak about?

James McLurkin is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Business, Innovation, Technology, Engineering, Science, Creativity, Futurism, Data, Robotics, College, Education and Artificial Intelligence.

Where does James McLurkin travel from?

James McLurkin generally travels from Houston, TX, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for James McLurkin?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like James McLurkin for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book James McLurkin for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host James McLurkin or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


James McLurkin is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Business, Innovation and Technology. The estimated speaking fee range to book James McLurkin for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. James McLurkin generally travels from Houston, TX, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dr. Michio Kaku, Ray Kurzweil and Jim Carroll. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling James McLurkin for an upcoming event.

James McLurkin Speaking Topics

  • Lifting as You Climb & Other Every Day Responsibilities of the Minority Professional

  • Engineering Creativity: Exercises for the Right Brain

  • The Future of Robotics & Swarm Robot Applications

  • The End of the World & Other Misconceptions: The Truth About Robotics

  • Dances with Robots: The Story of One Engineer, 112 Little Robots, & the Toys, Insects, & Star Wars Movies that Made it all Possible

    The presentation starts with a lighthearted look at society's views on robots, Hollywood's portrayal of them, the current state of the art, and the future of the technology. Philosophical questions about the nature of intelligence are discussed, as they pose serious problems for the creation of artificially intelligent devices. The final conclusion? Robots are phenomenally stupid and we should be more concerned about the next asteroid strike than a robotic rebellion. In spite of this, robots are still useful, and swarms are the future of robotics. McLurkin explains the need for swarms of robots and the technology required to produce their group behaviors. Live robot demonstrations and video clips of the swarm in action punctuate these main points. The presentation concludes with an autobiographical sketch that traces the events, ideas, and toys that have influenced McLurkin's career. Starting with cardboard boxes and tape, moving through LEGO and video games, this high-energy slide show concludes with a behind-the-scenes look at the construction of the iRobot Swarm.

James McLurkin Videos

James McLurkin and his robot swarm
Artificial Intelligence over Coffee with James McLurkin
James McLurkin | Conversations with Jeff Weeks | WSRE
Interview: James McLurkin on future of robotics & artificial intelligence

James McLurkin Reviews

  • James' talk was spot-on, albeit a bit shorter than we had planned!
    Tektronix - Jun 21 2022

James McLurkin News

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