Studio
A small studio at the seam between research and the public encounter with it.
The Life Robotic was founded in 2017 to do work that sits on a seam most studios cannot: between design craft and primary scientific research. The studio runs as a concept-to-launch design consultancy and science advisory for science-grounded experiences. Engagements span permanent museum exhibitions, festival commissions, and embedded science-advisory roles on speculative-future projects led by other studios.
The studio's project history runs from Body Metrics at The Tech Interactive and BioDesign Studio in the same institution, through a science-advisory role on HEAL Institute at Dubai's Museum of the Future, and into independent festival pieces at Gray Area and MICROWAVE. Recognitions include AAM MUSE Awards (Gold and Silver), a D&AD Wood Pencil, a Core77 Runner-Up, the ASTC Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award, and contributions to a Blooloop-award-winning complex.
Principal
Romie Kind founded The Life Robotic in 2017 after a decade directing interactive health and biotech exhibitions at The Tech Interactive. Earlier work was in microfluidic and stem-cell research at UC Berkeley, MIT, and UCLA. Older institutional credits appear under Romie Littrell. Recent work uses Romie Kind.
Capabilities
- Wet-bench biology (cell culture, microbial work, synthetic biology protocols, IRB-aware human-subjects design)
- Wearables and biosensor prototyping
- Permanent and traveling museum exhibit development, concept through commissioning
- Scientific content advisory for narrative-architecture and speculative-future projects
- Curriculum and residency program design (NSF AISL track record)
Clients and partners
The studio has worked with, advised, or shipped projects with:
- The Tech Interactive
- Museum of the Future, Dubai
- Atelier Brückner
- Kaiser Permanente
- Gebert Rüf Foundation
- National Science Foundation
- Pratt Institute
- Gray Area Foundation for the Arts
- Guerilla Science
- MICROWAVE International New Media Arts Festival
- Swissnex
- SynBioBeta
- Wellesley HCI Lab
- National University of Singapore
Engagements
Selected advisory engagements. For inquiries, see contact.