Brian Duffy aims to understand and develop the emerging field of social robotics and seeks to research the fine line between observed and designed function and form. It is an exploration of the illusion of life and intelligence in artificial entities. Brian's interest in designing and building social humanoid robots developed from previous research at the Department of Computer Science at University College Dublin where he completed a doctoral thesis. Prior to this, Brian spent two years in artificial intelligence research and building robot prototypes at GMD’s (now the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Institute) Autonomous Intelligent Systems Institute. Before moving to Germany in 1994, two years were spent at Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon in France working in the field of Distributed Artificial Intelligence and Multi-Agent Systems.

Brian also holds a Masters of Engineering Science Degree from University College Dublin, Ireland and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from Trinity College Dublin (undertaken at Bolton St. C.O.T.)