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Bernardo Monechi PhD

Bernardo Monechi PhD

Sony Computer Science Laboratories Paris

Cities are the social and economic innovation core of modern nations. Despite their importance, they still suffer from many problems: social segregation, accessibility inequality, overcrowding, pollution and infrastructure malfunctions are only a few examples. In my research, I exploit the specific tools of Complex Systems Physics and Machine Learning to find new approaches for studying Urban Environments, looking for solutions to their sustainability problems. I am also interested in general techno-social systems’ modelisation (Music Production, Railway Systems, Innovation Dynamics), involving citizens in the research process through their engagement in gamified social experiments.

Collective Creativity and Sustainable Solutions with LEGO Bricks

LEGO bricks are among the most popular toys for children (and adults), and they also are popular tools capable of fostering individual creativity and problem-solving skills. In relatively recent times, some scientific works exploited LEGO bricks for a wide variety of different purposes, from the measurement of cognitive effects on problem-solving in social sciences to the representation of molecular structures, while in some cases, they became part of the experimental apparatus. In this presentation, I will talk about my past work with LEGO Bricks, starting from the first experiments on collective creativity during free building events that took place in Rome. From these experiments, we began to develop a new interactive experience in which the “free building” task is replaced by the task of finding sustainable solutions for problems related to urban environments. This new experiment requires a realistic modeling framework for the dynamics of the cities. I will conclude presenting the current issues and research questions related to it.