The first annual National Robotics Week starts tomorrow, and for the next eight days, robots and their human masters are going to be showing off at activities held in cities across the country.
The nationwide event is being sponsored by an alliance of tech companies, universities and non-profit organizations to celebrate how far robots have come from their “humble beginnings as strictly mechanized labour.” Competitions, demonstrations and open houses will showcase the roles that robots are already playing in agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, national defense and transportation, and there will be networking events and webinars where researchers and industry specialists will promote their unique visions of a future where robots “routinely perform delicate medical procedures, serve as companions to the elderly and infirm, and aid troops in combat,” among other things.
Organizers hope the public comes away from events having “experienced the possibilities” of using robotics technology in everyday life. They also hope that the week-long celebration of all-things-robotic will help them gain support for increased funding for domestic robotic research as they try to respond to concerns that the US has fallen far behind Japan, Korea and the European Union in the field of robotics. [Press Release, Scientific American]
Want to know if something is happening in your city? Check out the event map here, some selected events here and the week-long calendar here.
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