iRobot Corporation : Celebrate U.S. Innovation with National Robotics Week, April 7-15
04/04/2012| 08:35am US/Eastern
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Record Participation with More than 135 Events and Activities Planned
in all 50 States
Celebrating U.S. innovation in robotics, the third annual National
Robotics Week will take place April 7 - 15. Designed to get students
excited about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), National
Robotics Week serves to increase public awareness about the growing
importance of robots in education, industry and the future of the U.S.
economy.
Students from Weymouth, MA during a visit to the iRobot Cool Stuff Room for a hands-on learning experience with Genghis, a robot that was designed as a model for space exploration that has been displayed at the Smithsonian National Air and Science Museum in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Business Wire)
Breaking new ground for national participation, more than 135 regional
events and activities geared toward K-12 students are planned in all 50
states put on by robotics companies, universities and organizations
throughout the country. Each event offer opportunities for the public to
interact with robots in hands-on learning environments. Panel
discussions, robotics competitions, introductory courses on robotics for
kids, educational workshops for businesses, robot demonstrations and
tours of innovative labs provide networking opportunities and expose all
to the excitement of robotics. For a complete list of all National
Robotics Week events taking place across the country, go to: www.nationalroboticsweek.org/events.
As founding co-sponsor of National Robotics Week, iRobot
Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) actively promotes robotics as a pillar of 21st
-century American innovation for its ability to inspire technology
education. SPARK,
Starter Programs for the Advancement of Robotics Knowledge is
iRobot's unique and multi-faceted educational outreach initiative.
Designed to inspire students to choose careers in the robot industry and
become the roboticists of tomorrow, SPARK uses the wonder and genius of
robots to inspire K-12 students' interest in STEM subjects.
"Robots are a part of our daily lives, providing smarter ways to clean
our homes, protect those in harm's way and extend the independence of
our increasing aging population," said Colin Angle, chairman and chief
executive officer of iRobot. "A celebration of U.S. talent and
ingenuity, National Robotics Week 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."
In 2009, Congress established the second week of April as National
Robotics Week in recognition of this growing sector of the U.S. economy (H.Res.
1055). Since then, robotics experts across industry and academia
have joined together to build this "national platform" for robotics
technology.
"Robotics play a vital role in a broad array of our leading domestic
industries and have spurred countless advances in health care,
manufacturing and laboratory research, while also providing life-saving
technology for our military personnel on the front lines," said
Representative Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.). "The robotics industry creates
jobs that help the U.S. maintain a competitive advantage in the
innovation economy."
For more information about National Robotics Week, go to: www.nationalroboticsweek.org.
National Robotics Week is also on Twitter (@roboweek and #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 National Robotics Week Advisory Council is 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; Autodesk; Carnegie Mellon
University; FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of
Science and Technology); Georgia Institute Of Technology; Infamous
Robotics; Instructables; Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council;
Museum of Science, Boston; Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago;
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences; Robotic Industries
Association (RIA); The Tech Museum in Silicon Valley; Stanford
University and King Features.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50228367&lang=en
Fleishman-Hillard
Sarah Francomano, 617-692-0515
Sarah.Francomano@fleishman.com
or
Dave
Whiting, 212-453-2128
Dave.Whiting@fleishman.com
© Business Wire 2012
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