How do you present robotics research findings?

1 Know your audience

The first step in preparing a presentation is to identify and understand your audience. Who are they? What are their backgrounds, interests, and expectations? What do they already know and what do they need to learn? How will they benefit from your research? Depending on your audience, you may need to adjust the level of detail, technicality, terminology, and format of your presentation. For example, if you are presenting to experts in your field, you can use more jargon and acronyms, focus on the novelty and significance of your results, and use graphs, tables, or equations to support your arguments. However, if you are presenting to a general or non-technical audience, you may need to simplify or avoid jargon and acronyms, explain the motivation and relevance of your research, and use more visual aids, such as images, videos, or demonstrations, to illustrate your points.

2 Structure your presentation

The second step is to organize your presentation into a clear and logical structure. A common structure for a research presentation is to begin with an introduction, providing background information and summarizing the main objectives, hypotheses, and contributions. Then, you should describe the methods or techniques used to conduct your research, highlighting the advantages or limitations of your methods and how they compare to existing or alternative approaches. After that, present the results or outcomes of your research, using data visualization tools to show them clearly and convincingly. Explain the implications or interpretations of your results and how they support or reject your hypotheses. Follow this with a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of your research, the limitations or challenges that you faced, the implications or applications of your results for your field or society, and the future work or directions that you plan to extend or improve your research. Finally, conclude by summarizing your main points, restating your contributions and significance, and thanking your audience for their attention and feedback.

3 Prepare your slides

The third step is creating slides or other visual aids for your presentation. Aim for clarity, conciseness, and consistency. When selecting a font, size, and color scheme, keep it simple and readable. Use bullet points, keywords, or phrases instead of full sentences or paragraphs. Incorporate images, videos, or animations to illustrate concepts, methods, or results - but avoid low-quality, irrelevant, or copyrighted materials. Graphs, charts, or tables can show data or comparisons - but be careful not to use complex visuals that may misrepresent or obscure your data. To display code snippets or pseudocode, use

tags - but don’t overwhelm your audience with too much code. Lastly, transitions, effects, and sounds may enhance your presentation - just make sure they are not too many or inappropriate.
###### Practice your presentation
The fourth step is to practice your presentation before the actual event. Practicing will help you improve your confidence, delivery, timing, and interaction with your audience. To do this, you should practice in front of a mirror, a camera, or a friend to get feedback on your content, structure, slides, voice, posture, gestures, and eye contact. You should also familiarize yourself with the equipment and environment that you will use for your presentation and adjust your pace and tone according to the duration and purpose of your presentation. Additionally, anticipate the possible questions or challenges that your audience may have and prepare your responses or clarifications. Doing all these will ensure that you are well-prepared for the event.
###### Deliver your presentation
Delivering your presentation with enthusiasm, clarity, and professionalism is the fifth step. Begin by greeting your audience, introducing yourself, and providing a title or overview of your presentation. Utilize your structure and slides as a guide without reading verbatim. Speak loudly, clearly, and confidently to emphasize your points, using appropriate gestures and expressions. To capture the attention of your audience, use humor, anecdotes, or questions but avoid any that may be offensive or irrelevant. At the conclusion of your presentation, summarize your main points, restate the contributions and significance of your work, and thank the audience for their time. Invite questions or comments from the audience and listen attentively to their feedback. If you don't know an answer to a question, admit it and offer to follow up later.
###### Follow up your presentation
The sixth and final step is to follow up your presentation with additional communication or action. Following up will help you maintain your connection and relationship with your audience, while also enhancing your reputation and impact as a robotics researcher. You could send a thank you email or note expressing your gratitude and appreciation. You could also share your presentation or paper on social media to expand your reach and visibility. Additionally, you should revise or update your presentation or paper based on the feedback you received from your audience. Finally, take the opportunity to network or collaborate with your audience, peers, or mentors to build professional relationships and seek advice.
######Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?