European Robotics Week 2013 – 25th of November to 1st of December 2013

Brussels, 22 November 2013
 – Robots are the future! No surprise that robots occupy the mind of youngsters, teenagers, students – everybody. Robots are cool – not so much when watching them performing supernatural actions in SciFi movies, but it is much more fun to build them, to let them move like an insect, to have them play football or dance on a stage like a puppet.

European Robotics Week is about translating this excitement into valuable educational practice, motivating to learn the insights of natural science and mathematics, but also to develop a responsible opinion for the use of robotics in our society.

Robotics spur interest in STEM subjects in school

Robotics is not only for nerds. Tens of thousands of school children in Europe, who might have no interest in technical subjects, change their mind. Robots can do what no educator or teacher was able to do: to get them motivated to learn not only the basics of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), but also to go on for an exploratory, self-motivated learning path, to learn how to learn without a teacher.

European Robotics Week: Events all over Europe, squeezed into a single week

This year during the European Robotics Week industry companies, research institutes, and universities have again the possibility to raise public awareness in the field of robotics by offering various robotics related activities. With open labs, exhibitions, challenges, robots in action on public squares, school visits with lectures on robotics, guided tours for pupils and much more, students of all ages can be inspired. Just as in 2011 and 2012, there is the possibility to show all robotics activities live online for the whole world to see here: www.robotics-labs.eu.

Robotics – A key element for dealing with societal challenges in Europe

Stimulating the youth and all grown-ups who want to join the many tours and events has a second, equally important effect: to become aware of what robots can do in our society. To learn that robotics provides a solution for many societal challenges, namely: to do a job in dangerous work areas; or, to help re-establishing industries in Europe to produce wonderful technological highlights. And many laboratories participating in European Robotics Week even show how robots could, in the future, help elderly persons staying longer at home.

Background and History

European Robotics Week was born out of the initiative and desire of the European Robotics community of bringing robotics research and development closer to the European public. Its main aim is to inspire students of all ages to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and also to inform the general public about the real impact of robotics in the society.

After the great success of the 2011 and 2012 editions with more than 30.000 people participating each year on over 200 robotics related activities, the aim of this year’s Robotics week is to continue raising the awareness of the general public to the growing importance of robotics in Europe.

The third edition of the week will take place from 25th of November to 1st of December 2013 and counts with 334 events in 24 European Countries.

Special highlights this year are, for example, the presence of special guests like Tony Dyson, the creator of the famous robot R2-D2 from the Star Wars films, and Tomotaka Takahashi, the robot designer of KIROBO, the first speaking humanoid robot in outer space.

Credentials and Contacts

The European Robotics Week is possible thanks to the voluntary work of all the organisations and people involved in robotics organisations across Europe.

For more details about European Robotics Week 2013, please have a look at: 

www.robotics-week.eu

In case of any questions and further information please contact:

José Pedro Cardeiro

euRobotics AISBL

Boulevard A. Reyers 80- 1030 Brussels 

Email: jose.cardeiro@eu-robotics.net 

Tel: +32 2 706 8203