IROBOT CORP : Second Annual National Robotics Week Will Be Held From April 9-17
03/09/2011 | 09:05am
The second annual National Robotics Week will be held from April 9-17
with a weeklong series of regional events and activities aimed at
increasing public awareness of the growing importance of
?robo-technology? and the tremendous social and cultural impact that it
will have on the future of how people will live, work and play worldwide.
National Robotics Week occurs annually on the second week of April to
recognize robotics technology as a pillar of 21st century
American innovation. The week's aim is to highlight the growing
importance of robotics in a wide variety of application areas and to
emphasize its ability to inspire students while building their interest
in technology and innovation.
From Palo Alto to the National Mall in D.C. to Boston, events being held
throughout the week will feature dozens of opportunities for the public
to interact with robots in a hands-on learning environment. Panel
discussions, robotics competitions, introductory courses on robotics for
kids, educational workshops for businesses, demos and tours of
innovative labs will provide networking opportunities and expose many to
the genius and wonder of robotics.
National Robotics Week is a product of an effort by leading universities
and companies to create a ?national roadmap? for robotics technology,
which was initially unveiled at a May 2009 briefing by academic and
industry leaders to the Congressional Caucus on Robotics. U.S.
Representative Mike Doyle (PA-14), co-chair of the caucus, and other
members submitted a formal resolution (H.Res. 1055) that Congress passed
on March 9, 2010 to support the designation of the second full week in
April as National Robotics Week.
?Now in its second year, National Robotics Week continues to be a
tremendous success in educating the public on how robotics impacts
society, both now and in the future,? said Rep. Doyle. ?Robotics
provides an exciting, hands-on way for students to learn science,
technology, engineering and math subjects, and the industry is poised to
create many high-tech jobs in the U.S. in areas ranging from
manufacturing to healthcare.?
The current effort is being coordinated by a National Robotics Week
Advisory Council, organized by iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) and The
Technology Collaborative, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit economic
development organization, along with a number of other companies,
universities and organizations, including: Adept Technology (NASDAQ:
ADEP); the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International
(AUVSI); AUVSI Foundation; Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Science
Center of Pittsburgh; FIRST® (For Inspiration and
Recognition of Science and Technology); Infamous Robotics; Innovation
First International; Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council; Museum
of Science, Boston; Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; Robotic
Industries Association (RIA); The Tech Museum in Silicon Valley; and
Stanford University.
Robotics technology is expected to fuel a broad array of next-generation
products and applications in fields as diverse as manufacturing,
healthcare, national defense and security, agriculture and
transportation. At the same time, robotics is proving to be uniquely
adept at enabling students of all ages to learn important science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts and at inspiring them
to pursue careers in STEM-related fields.
?Robotics is rapidly proving to be one of the most effective, compelling
and engaging means for teaching and reinforcing fundamental STEM
concepts,? said Colin Angle, chairman and chief executive officer of
iRobot. ?National Robotics Week plays a key role engaging students in
science and technology, and has emerged as an important platform to
highlight the growing importance of robotics. iRobot is extremely proud
to be a part of this important initiative through our SPARK program.?
Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog, a new comic strip by Jonathan
Mahood, celebrates National Robotics Week with a special weeklong series
in which Bleeker (a robotic dog) and his young owner attend educational
events about robotics technology. The Bleeker series of strips
will run online and in newspapers across the United States during
National Robotics Week.
During National Robotics Week, numerous events and activities will be
held in cities across the country, including:
Boston, Mass.
FIRST Boston Regional, FIRST Robotics Competition,
Agganis Arena, Boston University, April 7-9
New England Regional Botball Tournament, University of
Massachusetts Lowell, April 9
Robotics Innovations Competition and Conference, Woburn, Mass.,
April 10
IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Practical Robot
Applications, Woburn, Mass., April 11-12
Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Workshop, Museum of Science,
Boston, April 15-16
Robot Block Party, Museum of Science, Boston, April 16
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Teruko Yata Memorial Lecture, Carnegie Mellon University, April 14
MOBOT Races, Demonstrations and a Reception, Robotics Institute,
Carnegie Mellon University, April 15
Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Workshop, Carnegie Science
Center, Roboworld, April 15-17
Chicago, Ill.
Robot Block Party, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, April
9-10 and 16-17
Washington, D.C. Area
CSM Robotics Challenge, College of Southern Maryland, April 9
Robotics Educational Seminars for children by Infamous Robotics,
Smithsonian American History Museum, April 9-10
AUVSI Foundation's Student Ground Robot Demonstration on the
Washington, D.C. National Mall, April 9-11
Unmanned Vehicles inside the Museum, National Air and Space
Museum, April 14-15
San Francisco Bay Area, Calif.
Young Innovators Day, The Tech Museum, San Jose, April 10
Robotics Executive Roundtable, Adept Technology, Pleasanton, April
11
Robot Block Party at the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab,
Stanford University, April 14
RoboGames 2011, San Mateo Event Center, April 15-17
Rocklin, Calif.
Open House at Parallax Inc., April 15
Bloomington, Ind.
Indiana University Robotics Open House, April 14
Hilo, Hawaii
Big Island Regional ROV Contest, April 16
Durham, N.C.
Robot Rumble, Museum of Life and Science, April 16
Orlando, Fla. Area
7th Annual Florida Regional ROV Competition, April 9
Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Workshop, VEX Robotics World
Championship, April 10 and 16
VEX Robotics World Championship and BEST World Championship, ESPN
Wide World of Sports Complex, April 14-16
Branchburg, N.J.
RoboCupJunior - Programming self-awareness for the robot event,
April 12-13 and 17
Baltimore, Md.
Johns Hopkins Robo-Challenge 2011, April 16
For a full listing of National Robotics Week events from around the
country and an extensive inventory of robotics-related resources and
information, please visit us at www.nationalroboticsweek.org
or on Twitter (@roboweek or #roboweek) and Facebook
(facebook.com/roboweek).
About the National Robotics Week Advisory Council
The NRWAC's goal is to recognize robotics technology as a pillar of 21st
century American innovation, highlighting its growing importance in a
wide variety of application areas, and emphasizing its ability to
inspire technology education. The effort is organized by iRobot Corp.
(NASDAQ: IRBT) and The Technology Collaborative, a Pittsburgh-based
non-profit economic development organization. They are joined by Adept
Technology (NASDAQ: ADEP); the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems
International (AUVSI); AUVSI Foundation; Carnegie Mellon University;
Carnegie Science Center of Pittsburgh; FIRST® (For
Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology); Infamous
Robotics; Innovation First International; Massachusetts Technology
Leadership Council; Museum of Science, Boston; Museum of Science and
Industry, Chicago; Robotic Industries Association (RIA); The Tech Museum
in Silicon Valley; and Stanford University. For more information on the
National Robotics Week Advisory Council, please visit www.nationalroboticsweek.org.
