To commemorate robotics innovation in the U.S., the third annual National Robotics Week will be celebrated from April 7 to 15, 2012. Hosted to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among young students, National Robotics Week will serve as an ideal source where the public can comprehend the emerging potentials of robots in education, engineering and industry and their positive impact in the future of the U.S. economy.
This exceptional national event will have over 135 regional events and activities in 50 states, hosted on behalf of K-12 students. The events were planned by robotics companies, organizations, and universities across the country. During each event, the public can have live interaction with robots in real-time environments. In addition, the event will include robotics competitions, panel discussions, robot demonstrations, and robotic introductory courses for kids, tours of innovative labs and educational workshops for businesses to enhance visitor’s exposure in robotics.
iRobot is the founding co-sponsor of National Robotics Week and works to establish robotics as a centerpiece among 21st -century American innovation, taking account of robotics’ potential to inspire technology education. iRobot will also host a special and multi-faceted educational outreach initiative called SPARK (Starter Programs for the Advancement of Robotics Knowledge). SPARK aims to ignite and promote the interests of K-12 students in STEM subjects, turning them to be the revolutionary, next-generation roboticists of future.
In 2009, the second week of April was celebrated as National Robotics Week. The congress implemented this event to mark the growing sector of the U.S. economy (H.Res. 1055). Following this implementation in 2009, robotics experts and technologies throughout the country continued progressing this innovative opportunity to construct a national platform for robotics technology.
Source: http://www.nationalroboticsweek.org/