Museum of Science Robot Block Party

Robots have invaded! This was no science fiction at the Boston Museum of Science, robots were literally everywhere in the Museum’s Blue Wing. The Mass Technology Leadership Council’s Robotics cluster was proud to work with iRobot and the Museum of Science on their 2011 Robot Bock Party held on April 16th from 10am to 4pm. Museum attendees could drive robots, talk to robots, see what it would be like to operate with surgical robot and even make a robot.

There were over 21 different exhibitors displaying their robots including MassTLC cluster members,
- Artaic Innovative Mosaic
- Boston Engineering
- iRobot
- MIT Lincoln Labs
- PTC
- UMass Lowell
- vGo Communications
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
- WPI

The day also included inspiring talks on how robots can help introduce science and math concepts to our children who will one day grow up to create whole new generations of robots. iRobot employees first talked about their different roles at the company. Dr. Ingolf Tuerk and Dr. Michael Zinaman talked about their experience with the da Vinci surgical robot. Robin Saitz of PTC talked about her experience starting a FIRST team in her local community. LEGO Education’s Andy Bell gave a talk on how robots enhance learning in children by being hands on and connecting to math and science concepts in a concrete way.

There was also a panel talk that included iRobot CEO, Colin Angle; Jon Dudas, President of FIRST; Dr. Cynthia Breazeal, MIT Media Lab, Robotics; and Catherine Pierce, 13 year old FIRST veteran.

If you are interested in seeing and experiencing robots up close join us at our next Tech Tuesday featuring robotics on May 10th, http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1526841825. A panel discussion will precede Tech Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:30 talking about how Robotics is changing the way companies compete and do business, http://businessofrobotics.eventbrite.com.