Augsburg, 9 November 2018 – From 16 to 18 November, Augsburg will be in the spotlight, hosting the Central event of the European Robotics Week 2018. Augsburg combines tradition and innovation; it is home to numerous technology companies and world class research at the heart of the economic region of Bavaria.
The European Robotics Week (ERW) offers to the public one week of hundreds of interactive robotics events everywhere in Europe. euRobotics, the organiser of ERW, chooses every year a different city for its Central event to host an eco-system of engaging activities.
“As a company that is proactively involved throughout Europe and is responsible for social issues relating to robotics, we are delighted that the European Robotics Week Central event is being held in Augsburg this year”, says Bernd Liepert, Chief Innovation Officer at KUKA (Platinum sponsor of the event) and President of the euRobotics association.
On Friday, 16 November, from 3 o’clock, ERW2018 will start with an Opening, gathering high-level representatives from industry, research, policy and politics at the Town Hall (Rathaus). This event is in English and is open to everyone.
From Friday 16 to Sunday 18 November, a robots exhibition, several public talks and activities for adults and children will be offered at the Zeughaus.
“Robots and people working together is an increasingly important topic, not only in factories but in our workforce, in our society and in our future. The various European Robotics Week events, where many people will have the opportunity to interact with their first industrial robot, to discuss the future with a technology expert and to gain insights into what our careers might look like in ten years, are a valuable part of this dialogue”, says Steven Wyatt, Marketing and Sales Manager, Robotics at ABB (Platinum sponsor of the event) and Vice President of the International Federation of Robotics – IFR.
During the exhibition, the public will have the chance to:
- See ABB’s YuMi folding box application, serving give-aways for visitors
- Compete against KUKA’s Building Challenge application and get an autograph signed by a robot
- Watch Roboception’s rc_visard, picking apples from a bin
- Shake hands with SCHUNK’s 5 five-finger hand, resembling its human model
- Interact with PAL Robotics humanoids: REEM-C and TIAGo
- Learn how easy it is to program Yaskawa’s Red Dot Design robot Motoman GP8
Other exhibitors to showcase their robots are: Hochschule Karlsruhe, LUHbots, Open Roberta, Regio Augsburg Wirtschafts GmbH, Stefan Holzer Feinmechanik.
A group of teenage robotics enthusiasts from Bosnia Herzegovina, supported by euRobotics, will visit Augsburg and the exhibition.
On Saturday, 17 November, from 3 o’clock, the public will be able to meet renowned futurologist Vito di Bari, at the Zeughaus. His presentation “Robots, AI and the Future – Technology vs. Humanity” will take the attendees on an exciting journey into the future; one in which man and robot work hand-in-hand. This presentation is in English and is open to everyone.
What is happening in Europe?
One week before the start of ERW2018, around 900 events showing how robots will impact the way we work, live, and learn both have been announced. Robotics researchers, Universities and Industry are opening their doors Europe-wide, from the very West in Spain to Romania in the East, from far North in Finland, to the Southern reaches of Cyprus.
West and South of Europe are leaders in number of events announced this year. In Southern Europe, the Italian Scuola di Robotica is organising over 300 events, and in Spain, more than 230 events are planned, out of which 190 are in Catalonia. In Western Europe, Germany is organising over 120 events, on various topics, with open doors by companies and research institutes alike.
Central-East Europe is focusing on extending access to new technologies for all. In Romania, e-Civis, the organiser of the European Robotics Forum 2019, is teaching the teachers how to integrate robotics in the curricula, and Bosnia Herzegovina and Hungary will both organise kids’ workshops on programming and competitions.
Supporters of the ERW2018 Central event in Augsburg
Social Media
Hashtag #ERW2018
Twitter: twitter.com/eu_Robotics twitter.com/SPARCrobotics
Facebook: www.facebook.com/euRobotics www.facebook.com/SPARCrobotics/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/eurobotics-aisbl
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/euRobotics
Photo credit: @SPECS_lab
Tweet: Over 1000 events expected during European Robotics Week 2018 #ERW2018. Find an event near you: https://goo.gl/jrGQyh
Contact: media@roboticsweek.eu
For national coordinators and local events organisers
National coordinators actively promote the Week in their country among robotics organizations, research institutes/universities and encourage them to open their doors, and sponsor or organise various robotics events for the public.
Check your country page! euRobotics has an extended page on the website to promote the national coordinators and show gratitude for their involvement. We encourage national coordinators to send their own pictures, organisation’s logo, and description of their local activities or a quote.
Register your event! Registration is easy. Make sure to pick a topic, describe your event and it will be accessible from the brand new heated map of events.
Spread the word! Forward this press release to your local media and add a short description about your regional events. You can translate and tailor your press release to give it a local touch.
We also welcome any pictures, blog posts, and videos during the week. Simply send them to media@roboticsweek.eu by email or tweet them using the hashtag #ERW2018. We’ll make sure it gets posted on social media and on our website.
Background of the European Robotics Week
ERW was conceived with the desire of the European Robotics community to bring robotics research and development closer to the public and to build the future Robotics Society. Many more than 500,000 people across Europe have been part of ERW since its first edition in 2011. The European Robotics Week is organised under SPARC, the public-private partnership for robotics between euRobotics and the European Commission.
European Robotics Week 2018 (ERW2018) will take place around Europe on 16-25 November 2018.
About euRobotics and SPARC
SPARC is the public-private partnership between the European Commission and euRobotics to maintain and extend Europe’s leadership in civilian robotics. Its aim is to strategically position European robotics in the world, thereby securing major benefits for Europe’s economy and society at large.
SPARC leads the driving strategy behind the largest civilian robotics research and innovation programme in the world, with €700 million in funding from the European Commission from 2014 to 2020 and triple that from European industry, to yield a total investment of €2.8 billion. SPARC will stimulate a more vibrant and effective robotics community that collaborates in development and commercial exploitation in all regions.
euRobotics is a non-profit organisation based in Brussels with more than 250 members, representing the Robotics community in Europe.