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| Carme Torras | |
|---|---|
| Name | Carme Torras |
| Birth date | 1956 |
| Birth place | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Computer scientist, roboticist, novelist |
| Alma mater | Autonomous University of Barcelona, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Robot perception, humanoid robotics, cognitive robotics, science fiction |
Carme Torras is a Spanish computer scientist, roboticist, and novelist noted for work at the intersection of robotics, artificial intelligence, and cognitive neuroscience. Her career spans research on robot perception, manipulation, and human-robot interaction at institutions in Spain, collaborations with international laboratories, and a parallel literary output in Catalan and Spanish. Torras's scholarship and fiction have earned recognition from engineering societies, cultural organizations, and national academies.
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Torras completed undergraduate and doctoral studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and postgraduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During her formative years she engaged with research networks linking the University of Barcelona and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and pursued interdisciplinary training that connected laboratory practice with theoretical frameworks developed at institutions such as the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and the Max Planck Society. Her doctoral research integrated methodologies from laboratories influenced by the work of figures like Rodney Brooks, Hans Moravec, and Judea Pearl, reflecting ties to traditions in MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory-style robotics and probabilistic reasoning.
Torras served as a research scientist and professor at the Institute of Robotics and Information and Communication Technologies within the Spanish National Research Council and held faculty positions at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. She has been affiliated with research centers including the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and collaborative programs with the European Commission under Horizon 2020 frameworks. Torras participated in editorial boards and governance bodies of professional societies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the European Association for Artificial Intelligence, and the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. Visiting appointments and collaborations brought her into contact with laboratories at the Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Oxford, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.
Her research spans robot perception, sensor fusion, motion planning, robot manipulation, and cognitive robotics, integrating concepts from the Bayesian probability traditions, Markov decision processes, and models influenced by David Marr and Antonio Damasio. Torras contributed to perceptual algorithms for visual servoing drawing on work related to the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and to grasp synthesis influenced by research in the Toyota Research Institute. She developed approaches to tactile sensing and compliant manipulation that intersect with themes from the Human-Robot Interaction community and the International Journal of Robotics Research literature. Torras's projects advanced embodied cognition perspectives resonant with theories proposed by Andy Clark, Alva Noë, and Rodney Brooks, exploring how sensorimotor contingencies support robot learning. Collaborative work linked her to European robotics initiatives such as EURON and euRobotics programs that sought integration across perception, planning, and interaction.
Torras's recognitions include memberships and fellowships from national and international bodies such as the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences of Barcelona and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers fellowship programs. She received awards from Spanish institutions including the Princess of Girona Foundation and honors connected to the Spanish Royal Academy and the Catalan Institute for Cultural Research. Her achievements have been noted by professional organizations like the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and by cultural bodies such as the Generalitat de Catalunya through prizes that acknowledge intersections of science and literature.
Torras authored and coauthored numerous peer-reviewed articles in venues including the International Journal of Robotics Research, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, and proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation and Robotics: Science and Systems. Her technical monographs and edited volumes address robot perception, manipulation, and cognitive architectures, reflecting influences from the Oxford University Press and series associated with the Springer Verlag. In addition to technical papers, she published novels and essays with publishers active in Catalan and Spanish literary scenes, drawing connections between speculative themes and contemporary debates in artificial intelligence and ethics.
Beyond academia, Torras engaged in science communication and public debate, participating in forums organized by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the European Commission outreach programs, and cultural festivals such as the Sónar and Primavera Sound where technology and arts intersect. Her fiction — written in Catalan and Spanish — explores ethical and social implications of robotics and AI, aligning with traditions in speculative literature associated with authors celebrated at events like the Barcelona International Literary Festival and engagements with institutions such as the Institut Ramon Llull. Torras contributed op-eds and essays to newspapers and magazines linked to the La Vanguardia, El País, and cultural reviews coordinated by the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, fostering dialogue between scientific research and public audiences.
Category:Spanish computer scientists Category:Roboticists Category:Women in science