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

What are your questions about “Robots and Society”?

During the European Robotics Week 2015 (ERW2015), Europeans will explore how robots may impact the way we work, live, and learn through over 400 events. In just five years, the European Robotics Week has attracted over 200,000 participants of all ages. A full list of events can be found here.

This year, the heart of the European Robotics Week is a series of events in Bristol UK organised by euRobotics and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory. The highlight is a debate on 24 November with leading European and UK experts on “Robots and Society”. The public is invited to contribute and vote on their favourite questions below. We’ll ask the top ones to the panelists and record the discussion for you. You can also register to the event here.

Panelists include:
Mike Aldred
Focus: Consumer Robots
Electronics Lead, Robotics and Cordless at Dyson Ltd

David Bisset
Focus: UK robotics roadmap
Road-mapping Expert at euRobotics AISBL, Chairman of RAS-SIG Advisory Board

Andrea Bertolini
Focus: Robots and the Law
Scuola Superiore S. Anna – Pisa Italy

Amanda Deeks
Focus: Policy and Region
CEO of South Gloucestershire Council

Andrew Graham
Focus: Robotics Startups
Technical Director of OC Robotics

Alan Manning
Focus: Economics
London School of Economics

Fiorella Operto
Focus: Education and Ethics
School of Robotics – Genoa Italy

Phil Williams
Focus: Innovation to Market
Knowledge Transfer Network

Alan Winfield
Focus: Research and Ethics
Bristol Robotics Laboratory

So what do you want to ask the panel? Please post your questions and upvote below. And help spread the word! You can also comment on reddit.

The European Robotics Week, organised by euRobotics AISBL and taking place Nov 23-29 2015, brings together hundreds of robotics events across Europe. Over the past five years, the event has attracted over 200,000 robot enthusiasts of all ages. The week aims to connect the robotics community to the public, and engage kids in fun and educational activities. You can register and view all the events here, or follow the latest on social media #ERW2015.

This year, the heart of the European Robotics Week is Bristol UK and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, which will host public events exploring robots and society. Over two days, the public will hear a debate with leading European and UK experts, participate in a full-day workshop on translating latest research in robotics to market, and have the opportunity to bring their kids to the science museum to help researchers build 100 robots to “treat cancer”.

Additional information about the Bristol events and free registration can be found below. Robohub will also be on site to help with coverage and organisation, so stay tuned!

Robots & Society Night
Tuesday 24 November
19:00 – 21:00
Free registration

The “Robots & Society Night” will serve as the official launch of the EU Robotics Week. The evening will start with a live demonstration of a Nao robot avatar directed by Dr. Paul Bremner from the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, and will continue with an in-depth debate with key experts from Europe and the UK about the role of robots in society.

Robots: From Imagination to Market
Wednesday 25 November
9:00 – 17:00
Free registration

The “Robots: From Imagination to Market” event aims to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research in academia and the vibrant robotics startup ecosystem.

Starting with an introduction to robots in science fiction, we will dive into the latest state-of-the art research, hear from up-and-coming startups, and learn from successful companies. Additional highlights will include a tour of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, an overview of legal and ethical questions, and a panel discussion on how to go from imagination to market.

Robot Buildathon
Wednesday 25 November
18:00 – 20:00
Free registration

At the Robot Buildathon, kids from 5 to 15 years old will help researchers build 100 robots to treat artificial cancer cells. They will also interact with researchers, educators, and students at four robot stations throughout the museum. Stations will showcase a swarm of 200 coin-sized robots, Thymio and TiddlyBot robots they can program, and the latest robots from the Robogals team from Digimaker and the University of Bristol.

Are you running a European Robotics Week event? Make sure you register your event with EU Robotics and check what else is happening in your region. An overview of events will be provided early November.

#ERW2015 Tweets