UC3M participates in the "Madrid es Ciencia" 2026 Fair with activities on 3D animation, robotics, and social media
March 19th at La Nave de Madrid
3/16/26
The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) is participating in the 2026 Madrid es Ciencia Fair, which is being held this year at La Nave Madrid for the first time. The scientific outreach activities to be held at the UC3M stand on Thursday, March 19th, aim to showcase the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 3D animation and the robotics of the future. Additionally, there will be a talk on the psychological effects of disinformation on social media, and the UC3M SONORA association will be present at this edition to provide special radio coverage of the event.
The University's stand will host two activities from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. On one hand, attendees will be able to learn about the actual operation of modern mobile manipulator robots… by competing against them! Through three practical experiences involving peripherals of the ADAM robot (operating a robotic claw to grab objects; playing "rock, paper, scissors" against a robotic hand; and teleoperating a robot), visitors can intuitively discover the full cycle of modern robotics. “We will explain how a robot perceives its environment, the ways to interact with it, or how it moves in a controlled manner,” explain researchers Alberto Méndez, Alicia Mora, and Gonzalo Espinoza from the Mobile Robots Group of the Robotics Lab (Dept. of Systems Engineering and Automation at UC3M), who are in charge of the activity.
On the other hand, the stand will also offer the chance to learn some of the three-dimensional (3D) modeling and animation techniques used in contemporary cinema. “All of this using free and open-source software, Blender, with which we will conduct real-time demonstrations in 3D environments and show some tricks related to texturing, lighting, or visual effects,” indicate Sagrario Beceiro, Luis Cemillán, Francisco Jiménez and Ana Mejón, from the Dept. of Communication and the TECMERIN research group (Television-Cinema: memory, representation, and industry) at UC3M. Furthermore, they will explain the application of generative AI in this field and its visual and narrative impact.
“The psychological price of disinformation on social media” is the title of the talk to be given by researcher Uxía Carral, from the UC3M Dept. of Communication, at the Fair’s Science Agora. “Understanding the psychological effects of disinformation on social media is key to analyzing how this content influences the perception of reality, decision-making, and the emotional well-being of citizens,” notes Professor Carral. In her talk, which will take place at 4:00 PM, she will practically address the main dynamics associated with false or misleading content in digital environments that cause anxiety, depression, or Eating Disorders (EDs), among others.
Additionally, the UC3M SONORA association will be present at this edition of the Madrid es Ciencia Fair to provide special radio coverage of the event, featuring a chronicle and several interviews that can be heard via their website (uc3m.es/radiosonora and radiosonora.es).
The Office of Information and Scientific Outreach (OIDCI) of the Vice-Rectorate for Communication, Culture, and Transparency at UC3M coordinates UC3M’s participation in the Madrid es Ciencia 2026 Fair, a scientific outreach event organized by the madri+d Foundation for Knowledge of the Community of Madrid. Additionally, it counts on the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) of the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities.
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