Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Grounded in human geography, and with a strong commitment to interdisciplinary and collaborative scholarship, I investigate how people experience design and technology in their surroundings, particularly in shared, public spaces and events.
My research takes place in a range of settings, scales and technologies. I have a longstanding research interest in the digital aspects of spatiality, investigating how people understand and imagine technology. A current focus is the use and impact of robots in public space and in everyday life, and the implications for new forms of human-robot collaboration. Previous research on digital spatialities has focused on automated light, the spatial experience of self-tracking and how people make sense of city data.
Another research interest is in memorial and heritage sites, investigating how their distinct affective and sensory affordances contribute to feelings of identity and collectivity. My reframing of state commemoration foregrounds its experiential aspects, including the contributions of digital technologies, and shows how these complicate its narration and political deployment.
My research is conducted through inventive digital, visual, sensory and design ethnographic methodologies. With colleagues, I have advanced new methodological approaches and applied these widely. I teach this methodology at undergraduate and PhD level, and many of my PhD students also employ this approach. I welcome inquiries from potential PhD students.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Sociology, PhD, Australian National University (ANU)
Award Date: 15 Jun 2011
Nationalism Studies, MSc, University of Edinburgh
Award Date: 1 Sep 1996
Sociology/Anthropology, BA, Carleton College
Award Date: 1 Jun 1992
Research area keywords
- Atmospheres
- Technology
- Public Space
- Design
- Design Ethnography
- Commemoration
Network
Projects
- 3 Finished
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Japanese and Australian perspectives on robots in public space
Sumartojo, S., Kulic, D. & Venture, G.
1/12/22 → 31/05/23
Project: Research
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CoM P2: City of Melbourne - City Data Futures Prototype
Pink, S., Lanzeni, D., Fridman, I., Duque Hurtado, M., Sumartojo, S. & Vallentine, B.
25/02/21 → 30/06/21
Project: Research
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Uncharted waters: Bluespace connection initiatives for wellbeing, education and planetary health
lisahunter, L., Burke, G., Humberstone, B. & Sumartojo, S.
24/09/20 → 30/09/21
Project: Research
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Concepts for robot geographies
Sumartojo, S., 2023, A Research Agenda for Digital Geographies. Osborne, T. & Jones, P. (eds.). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 41-52 12 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review
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The robotic production of spatiality: Predictability, partitioning, and connection
Sumartojo, S., Lundberg, R., Kulić, D., Tian, L., Carreno-Medrano, P., Mintrom, M., Lugli, D. & Allen, A., 2023, In: Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. 48, 1, p. 56-68 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus) -
Wandering Feasts: Relational Orientations in Academic Writing
Grocott, L., Holman Jones, S., Sand, A-L., Skovbjerg, H. M. & Sumartojo, S., 2023, In: Qualitative Studies. 8, 1, p. 282-313 32 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Approaching heritage sites atmospherically
Sumartojo, S., 2022, In: The Journal of Architecture. 27, 4, p. 558-572 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
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Design Ethnography: Research, Responsibilities, and Futures
Pink, S., Fors, V., Lanzeni, D., Duque, M., Sumartojo, S. & Strengers, Y., 2022, Oxon UK: Routledge. 237 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book › Research › peer-review
10 Citations (Scopus)
Activities
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Worlding Play
Lisa Helen Grocott (Organiser), Shanti Sumartojo (Invited speaker), Helle Marie Skovbjerg (Keynote/plenary speaker), Roger Manix (Keynote/plenary speaker), Stacy Jones (Invited speaker) & Mathias Poulsen (Invited speaker)
19 Sep 2022 → 20 Sep 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Living with Robots
Shanti Sumartojo (Contributor), Sarah Pink (Contributor), Dana Kulic (Contributor), Yolande Strengers (Contributor) & Michael Mintrom (Contributor)
2 May 2022Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public event
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Everyday Robots workshop
Shanti Sumartojo (Contributor) & Hannah Korsmeyer (Contributor)
19 May 2022Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public event
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What Next for Robots in Public Space?
Shanti Sumartojo (Contributor)
9 Jun 2021Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Robots in the City
Shanti Sumartojo (Contributor), Leimin Tian (Contributor) & Pamela Carreno-Medrano (Contributor)
Mar 2021Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public event
Press/Media
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Australia searches for national identity in the trenches of WWI
27/04/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Profile/Interview
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There’s only so much a robot can do
Shanti Sumartojo, Michael Mintrom, Dana Kulic, Leimin Tian, Pamela Carreno-Medrano & Robert Lundberg
7/11/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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IoT: 'Wireless technology helps reinvigorate smart city focus'
Sarah Pink, Bianca Vallentine, Melisa Duque, Ilya Fridman, Debora Lanzeni, Robert Lundberg, Shanti Sumartojo, Lisa Fu, Nicola Hearn & Tegan Kop
4/11/22
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Blogs
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THE FIFTH ESTATE: 'AI is watching you: How to ethically capture urban data for smart cities'
Sarah Pink, Bianca Vallentine, Melisa Duque, Ilya Fridman, Debora Lanzeni, Robert Lundberg, Shanti Sumartojo, Lisa Fu, Nicola Hearn & Tegan Kop
12/09/22
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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COUNCIL MAGAZINE: 'New approaches for smart cities public data-gathering'
Sarah Pink, Bianca Vallentine, Melisa Duque Hurtado, Ilya Fridman, Debora Lanzeni, Robert Lundberg, Shanti Sumartojo, Lisa Fu, Nicola Hearn & Tegan Kop
12/09/22
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature