Robotics remained at the leading edge of technology development in 2021, yet it was one hundred years earlier in 1921 that the word robot (in its modern sense) made its public debut. Czech author Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) imagined a world in which humanoids called ‘roboti’ were created in a factory. Karel’s brother, the artist and writer Josef Čapek had first coined the term robot before Karel adopted it for this theatrical vision.

The Slavic root of the word is even older and even its first known appearance in English dates back nearly two hundred years. During the time of the Habsburgs and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, robot referred to a form of forced labour similar to slavery. In Čapek’s play, the roboti were being manufactured as serfs to serve human needs.

Nowadays we would see Čapek’s creations more as androids rather than robots in the modern sense. However, the outcome of the play, with the robots rebelling against the humans and taking over the world, has since become a trope of science fiction which persists to this day. And yet the intended message in Čapek’s play wasn’t about the inherent risks of robots but of the dehumanising dangers of rampant mechanisation. We know that popular culture has taken a different reading from the play, of course, with robots on screen and in print more likely to be cast as the bad guy, although there are some notable exceptions, too. It’s interesting to wonder how different the mainstream image of robots might be today if Čapek’s play had placed his roboti and their owners in a more mutually benevolent relationship.

Čapek’s robots first appeared on the screen in a BBC television production of R.U.R. in 1938. Three years later the word ‘robotics’ was first used as a term for the field of research and technology that develops and manufactures robots. Like ‘robot’ in its modern sense, ‘robotics’ also has its origins in the creative imagination, thanks to a man who was born in the same year that the Čapek brothers were bringing the modern ‘robot’ into the world. Science fiction writer Isaac Azimov famously coined his three laws of robotics, which continue to resonate in discussions about the ethical use of robots, in 1941. Incidentally, Azimov wasn’t a fan of the play itself but his laws were designed precisely to prevent the kind of tragedy imagined in Čapek’s play.

Photo credits: Studio Number One (SNO)

On March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD) we celebrate the political, socioeconomic and cultural achievements of women and the women right’s movement towards gender equality. “Whilst the social and political rights of women are greater in some places than others, there is no country where gender equality has been achieved” says Mary Evans, professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science in her book “The persistence of gender inequality” (Polity Press 2017). In 2022 this situation has not changed either globally or at the European level as indicated in the EU Gender Equality index for 2020 where the average of the EU is 67.4% and the maximum is Sweden with 83.8%. Although there has been a clear commitment from the European Union on gender equality (specially in innovation and science), there are still structural forms of inequality that must be challenged and changed. It is not the aim of this article to analyse or comment on those, but to show what is being done and is available, especially in the European Union, for us to contribute as individuals and as a community towards gender equality in the field of robotics.

Any journey starts with a first step, so I asked Maja Hadziselimovic, member of the Board of Directors of euRobotics and active United Nations (UN) Generation Equality champion of women and girls in STEM, how a person (no matter the gender) can contribute to gender equality. She told me “There are three actions you can take to be part of Generation Equality: Empower women and girls in science; raise awareness about gender equality and raise the visibility of women in science”. So, let’s explore different activities linked to those actions.

Maja Hadziselimovic (Photo Credits: Marijana Bicvic / UN Women)

Empower women

Although inequalities still exist, the EU has a well-established regulatory framework on gender equality and has made significant progress over the last decades. In March 2020, the European Commission published the EU Gender Equality Strategy for 2020-2025, setting out their commitment towards “a Union where women and men, girls and boys, in all their diversity, are free to pursue their chosen path in life, have equal opportunities to thrive, and can equally participate in and lead our European society.”

Thus, it is not surprising that the EC is making an eligibility criterion for all public bodies, higher education institutions and research organisations to have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) in order to participate in Horizon Europe. Those looking for extra information on GEPs, can take a look at the work of EU-H2020 project SPEAR (Supporting and Implementing Plans for Gender Equality in Academia and Research) which provides the SPEAR’s compass guide, to help you draft and implement gender equality measures in your Research Performing Organisation (RPO); and GEARING ROLES: Gender Equality Actions in Research Institutions to traNsform Gender ROLES with examples of implementation of GEPs in universities and research organisations, because ensuring effective implementation and avoiding resistance is not always easy.

Empowering women can also be done outside the EC sphere, at a national or local level. This is the case with the work of Ana-Maria Stancu, CEO of Bucharest Robots, founder of the association E-Civis, and member of the Board of Directors of euRobotics. She has a personal and professional mission to empower women and girls in the field of robotics in Romania: “One of the hashtags we are using in our work in Romania is #vinrobotii (robots are coming). We are not using this as a threat, but as a reminder that the robots are here and will develop further. So far, what I can see in my day-to-day work is that women are generally perceived as outsiders in this industry. Every time I talk to a potential client or public authority, the general discussion is led by me, but the minute they have a technical question, they unconsciously turn to my male colleagues. The main problem I see is that most of them do this unintentionally – which makes it even more problematic. It means that this perception is deeply rooted in people’s minds.” This probably sounds familiar to you and gender bias can be found in different fields. A good read in this regard is the book of “Invisible Women” (Chatto & Windus 2019) by Caroline Criado Perez.

Ana-Maria Stancu (Photo Credits: Scuola di Robotica)

Ana-Maria underlines how is important to be persistent in bringing women into the field of robotics: “There is no doubt that the robotics industry will see a tremendous growth in the very near future and will need lots of specialists. We have to make sure that this development will not include only men but will also reflect the activity of women. I believe this day – International Women’s Day – should be a reminder that we have to do more for more women in technical fields like robotics.”

To make sure women are not left behind in the robotics industry, Ana -Maria promotes robotics classes to all children and encourages girls to participate. The E-Civis association also organises robotics and programming summer schools just for girls, so they can learn in a pressure-free environment. From her experience in teaching programming and robotics in public schools in rural areas, she has no doubt that “girls are as interested as boys in this field. Every child loves robots! Let’s use this love to teach and encourage all of them to build them!”

Programming summer school for girls by E-Civis (Photo credits: E-Civis)

For those who do not have the time or opportunity to be involved in mentorship or for this level of commitment, there is one activity that all of us can do in our everyday life, this is to fight micro-aggressions, correct unconscious bias, and avoid what Rebecca Solnit calls “mansplaining” in her book “Men Explain Things To Me” (Haymarket Books, 2014), and provide a sexist-free workplace. An easy and hilarious read for women and men that offers different tools to fight sexism in the workplace is “Feminist Fight Club” by Jessica Bennet (Harper Wave, 2016). Of course, there is a multitude of excellent research papers, policy reports and books you can read, and just having a coffee and listening to or supporting your female colleagues can be already of great help.

If you are a member of euRobotics, I would like you to encourage your female colleagues or employees to present themselves as candidates for the next elections. Our research board is screaming for some women power!

Raise awareness on gender equality

Integrating the gender dimension in research ensures that researchers question gender norms and stereotypes and address the evolving needs and social roles of women and men. It is a matter of improving scientific excellence and increasing the number of women in science, research and innovation. Networks and portals born as FP7 and Horizon 2020 projects, are still in place nowadays to raise awareness on gender equality, provide training and share knowledge. This is the case of GENDERACTION, GE Academy: Gender Equality Academy, GENDER-NET PLUS and GENPORT.

Since 2013, the European Commission publishes every three years the “She Figures” report that monitors the state of gender equality in research and innovation in Europe. The ERA Progress report also monitors the implementation of the objectives set by the EC: gender equality in scientific careers, gender balance in decision making and integration of the gender dimension in R&I.

As an individual you can publicly show your support to gender equality. You can join the Women’s Day march in your city or raise awareness in your social media or your workplace. You can download women’s rights posters and square images by Studio Number One for free here. Be part of the wave of change today.

Raise visibility of women in science

In 2014 a new grassroots community was started to support women in robotics across the world – the Women in Robotics network. Since 2020, the network founded by Andra Keay and Sabine Hauert has grown exponentially and become a non-profit organisation in the U.S. This global community supports women working (or interested in working) in the field of robotics. Their activities include local networking events, outreach, education, mentoring and the promotion of positive role models in robotics. They also publish every year the “list of women in robotics you need to know” on Ada Lovelace Day (13 October). Why not to join the network today? https://womeninrobotics.org/

On International Women’s Day (8 March) The European Commission celebrates the #EUWomen4future campaign and the EU Prize for Women Innovators with a seminar co-hosted by Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and President Roberta Metsola. The event highlights women’s professional achievements in culture, education, sport and science. You can attend the event online here and still use the hashtag.

Women in Robotics publication on Ada Lovelace’s Day. (Photo credit: Women in Robotics)

This article shows a peak of a long list of projects, activities and work concerning gender equality in the area of science and technology (mainly in the EU), and some specifically in robotics. We are in a period of changes, of “Me too”, of breaking ceilings and structural inequality, of building the future we want for our sisters, our daughters, our partners, and most important of all, for ourselves. Don’t be afraid to be challenging, don’t be afraid to be loud.

By Kees Lokhorst, Project Coordinator of the agROBOfood project

During the last decades robots are transforming from simple machines to cognitive collaborators. The distance that has been covered is long, but there are still challenges, as well as opportunities that lie ahead. That was also the main topic of discussion in the agROBOfood event ‘Visioning the future of agri-food robotics’ by a panel of experts of the domain.

The topic was introduced by two inspiring presentations. The first one was by Jérôme Bandry, who shared the vision of CEMA (European Agricultural Machinery). According to their insights digitalization, precision agriculture and robotics will be part or even drive the re-shape of agricultural systems that address the societal challenges. Industrial leadership will be needed to address challenges on investments in the data infrastructure, legislation, and skills development. However, the biggest challenge is to bridge the gap between the development of innovative robotic solutions and the successful uptake of these solutions in practice.

The second one by Dr. Slawomir Sander, Chair of the EU-Robotics AISBL topic group on agriculture robotics showcased the opportunities and challenges for the community involved in the European Robotics for the agri-food production. Those are available in the strategic agenda that was developed by EU-Robotics along with agROBOfood, an H2020 project that aims to build a pan-European network of Digital Innovation Hubs in the agri-food sector. The purpose of this strategic agenda was to contribute to the development of the European Strategic Research and Innovation and Deployment Agenda (SRIDA) of the AI, Data and Robotics PPP, a broad and coherent view of the needs, applications, key challenges for robotics for the agri-food production domain in combination with data and AI, a 360o stakeholder view addressing technology, business, and ecosystem development, and a basis for the vision, alignment, and development of programs, projects, groups, and consortia that aim to contribute to the development and deployment of robotics, AI, and data in the agri-food production network.

The agenda’s vision is well encapsulated in the following sentence: “Future agri-food production networks will be flexible, responsive, and transparent, providing sufficient high-quality and healthy products and services for everyone at a reasonable cost while preserving resources, biodiversity, climate, environment, and cultural differences”. The mission’s respectively in the following: “Stimulate the development and integration of innovative robotic, AI, and Data solutions that can successfully be used in flexible, responsive, and transparent agri-food production networks”.

The current release of the agenda mainly focuses on the food production part. Being a working document though it will serve as a basis for further elaboration to encompass the whole agri-food domain in its full width and depth. With an emphasis on robotics and to a lesser extent on AI and Data, it provides a vision and mission on what robotics should contribute and how to facilitate the transition to a more sustainable agri-food production. Key challenges in terms of technology, ecosystem, and market are derived from 12 use-case themes within the agri-food production domain (table).

In case of questions, please contact Kees.lokhorst@wur.nl or visit https://agrobofood.eu/project/ and https://sparc-robotics-portal.eu/web/agriculture/home

European Robotics Week 2020 (ERW2020) began on Thursday and hundreds of interactive robotics events for the public have been announced. These will take place in countries across Europe and beyond, to show how robots will impact the way we work, live, and learn.

In a year when humanity has faced a global pandemic crisis, robotics companies and researchers across Europe have been able to demonstrate how robotics help societies and economies to keep operating in a world affected by Covid-19.

With the opportunities arising from Europe’s digital transformation driven by new technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, cloud computing and blockchain, the demand for ICT specialists continues to grow. In the future, 9 out of 10 jobs will require digital skills (source). Yet fewer women than men take up ICT-related jobs and education: for every 1000 women, only 24 graduate in digital fields (source). European Robotics Week (ERW) promotes digital skills for everyone to be used everywhere, be it in school, at university or on the job, putting the emphasis on inspiring girls to follow STEM-related careers.

What is happening in Europe?

Since 2011, European Robotics Week has been encouraging robotics researchers, universities and industry to open their doors to the public to raise awareness of the contribution that robots can make to our society. In 2020, despite the limitations imposed on physical events by restrictions to tackle the spread of Covid, organisers have been resourceful in arranging hundreds of activities throughout European and and beyond.

See the full list of activities: www.robotics-week.eu

ERW Central Event 23-25 November, Sarajevo, Bosnia (BiH) ONLINE

Every year the ERW chooses a location to host the Central Event, with an opening ceremony and an eco-system of various engaging activities. This year’s Central Opening event is hosted in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzigovina, during 23-25 November. The ERW2020 Central Event will be delivered entirely digitally, meaning that a great many people both within BiH and beyond, including children, will be able to interact with ERW2020’s online fair, workshops, webinars and lectures and competitions.

Under the theme Robotics for Humanity, the Central Event of ERW2020 in Bosnia and Herzegovina will focus on the positive effects of robotics and technology on everyday life, economy and health, especially taking into account challenges arising from global COVID-19 pandemic and technology’s potential to address them.

The event will also mark the 10th anniversary of European Robotics Week and it will coincide with the European Researchers’ Night celebrated on 27 November. It will be run by the Association for promotion of culture, science and cinematography BALKANFILM and the Info Centre of European Union to Bosnia and Herzigovina.

Background of 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 550,000 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 2020 (ERW2020) takes place across Europe and beyond during 19-29 November 2020.

www.robotics-week.eu

Social media

• Hashtag #ERW2020
• 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: www.youtube.com/user/euRobotics

This year, the heart of the European Robotics Week was a series of events in Bristol UK organised by euRobotics AISBL and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory.

Here are some of the highlights from Bristol and around Europe. And don’t miss the European Robotics Forum in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which will be the next meet-up for the European Robotics Community.

Debate and Discussion

The Robots & Society Night in Bristol brought together key policy makers, researchers, and the robotics industry for a debate on the economy, education, and ethics.

You can find videos of the debates below, as well as a summary here.

Discussions were also held across Europe. Finland looked at robot design, Spain explored the opportunities and dilemmas for AI, and Germany pondered the implications of robots working along-side humans.

From Imagination to Market

Bridging the gap between cutting-edge research in academia and the vibrant robotics startup ecosystem was the subject of the “Robots: From Imagination to Market” event in Bristol with leading UK and EU innovators, researchers, startups and strategists. You can watch select videos from the event below, and read a summary here.

France and Spain also hosted a variety of events including robot nights and startup weekends focused on helping new robots reach the market.

Kids and Robots

A large majority of events were focussed on kids and encouraging a new generation excited about Robotics. Spain was especially active this year with hundreds of events around the country engaging youth in robotics.

Hungary was also very active, here are some images showing the excitement at MTA SZTAKI.

And in Bristol, kids were tasked with building 100 nanoparticle robots to tackle “cancer cells”.

Competitions

The week was also home to a number of competitions, including the R2T2 robotic space rescue mission, and the FIRST LEGO League Trash TREK Challenge. During the 2015 EU-funded RockIN competition in Lisbon Portugal, robot teams were able to test their home and factory robots in front of a live audience. The winners of the RoCKIn@Home competition were Homer and SocRob, and the winner of RoCKIn@Work was smARTlab. EARS, which is an EU-funded project, took home the benchmark 3 challenge for speech recognition.

About euRobotics

euRobotics is a non-profit organisation based in Brussels with the objective to make robotics beneficial for Europe’s economy and society. With more than 250 member organisations, euRobotics also provides the European robotics community with a legal framework with which to engage in public/private partnerships with the European Commission though SPARC, the largest civilian-funded robotics innovation programme in the world. SPARC aims to strategically position European robotics for the benefit of the European economy and society at large.

Relevant Links

• ERW Website
• ERW Press Release
• European Events Listings

Social Media

• #ERW2015
• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

Media Inquiries
media@roboticsweek.eu

National Coordinators
List of Coordinators

Research labs around Europe open their doors to the public November 23-29 for European Robotics Week #ERW15. Photo credit: Bristol Robotics Laboratory

Over 600 events across the region will look at how robots will impact the way European citizens work, live and learn, as part of the 2015 European Robotics Week (#ERW2015), running 23-29 November.

Robots and Society is the theme of European Robotics Week 2015, a weeklong event that aims to inspire the next generation of technologists by hosting public events and opening the doors to research and industry labs across the region. Following the recent Eurobarometer Survey on Autonomous Systems (June 2015) – which showed that the more personal experience Europeans have with robots, the better their opinion of them – the event aims to give members of the public plenty of opportunities to interact with robots and be part of the discussion. The European Robotics Week has attracted over 200K participants since its launch five years ago.

Throughout the week, the impact of robots on society will be explored across the board: while Finland looks at robots to improve independent living, Poland discusses mining robots, Spain explores the opportunities and dilemmas for AI, and Germany ponders the implications of robots working alongside people. Plus a range of competitions, challenges and hackathons are being held to inspire the next generation of engineers needed to drive the European economy.

A full list of activities can be found here. 

“The European Robotics Week is an opportunity for robotics pioneers from industry and research to radiate excitement about robotics throughout Europe”, said Uwe Haas, Acting Secretary General of euRobotics AISBL – the non-profit association that is the main organizer of the event.

Public engagement and discussion

This year, the heart of the European Robotics Week is a series of events in Bristol UK organised by euRobotics AISBL and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. The highlight is a debate with leading European and UK experts on various aspects of “Robots and Society”, covering law, ethics, policy, education, innovation and economics. The public is invited to contribute and vote on their favourite questions here: http://robohub.org/join-the-debate-on-robots-society-during-erw2015. The Bristol audience will then join a full-day workshop on translating the latest research in robotics to market, and a buildathon where kids will help build 100 robots to “treat cancer”. Register for the Bristol events here: http://brl.ac.uk/euroboticsweek

Kids will build 100 robots to help them learn about nano-medicine at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory.

“The Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) is committed to research that has a positive impact on society,” said BRL Director Professor Chris Melhuish. “The European Robotics Week is an opportunity for us to share latest thinking, and develop further links between research academia, industry, and the public.”

Hundreds more events across Europe

Robotics researchers and industry members right across Europe are opening their doors to the public. Here are just some of the highlights:

• France and Spain will host variety of events including robot nights and startup weekends focused on helping new robots reach the market.
• At the EU-funded RoCKIn Competition in Portugal, 14 teams from 6 countries will showcase their robots for the home and factory in front of a live audience.
• The R2T2 robotic space rescue mission will allow over 100 kids in 6 countries to operate a robot in scenarios akin to the movie “The Martian”.
• And in Germany, kids will compete in a robo-sport event as part of the FIRST LEGO League Trash TREK Challenge. Their goal: make a robot that can collect, sort, and reuse trash.

About euRobotics

euRobotics is a non-profit organisation based in Brussels with the objective to make robotics beneficial for Europe’s economy and society. With more than 250 member organisations, euRobotics also provides the European robotics community with a legal framework with which to engage in public/private partnerships with the European Commission though SPARC, the largest civilian-funded robotics innovation programme in the world. SPARC aims to strategically position European robotics for the benefit of the European economy and society at large.

Tweets about #ERW2015, OR #ERW15

Relevant Links

• ERW Website: http://roboticsweek.eu
• European Events Listings:  http://www.eu-robotics.net/robotics-week/events-2015/index.html

Social Media

• Hashtag: #ERW2015
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/eu_Robotics
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/euRobotics
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eurobotics-aisbl
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/EuropeanRoboticsWeek

Media inquiries
media@roboticsweek.eu

National Coordinators
http://www.eu-robotics.net/robotics-week/national-coordinators/index.html