ROBOTICS SOCIETY OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL ROBOGAMES
INTERNATIONAL ROBOT GAMES - January 21, 2005
INFO: Simone Davalos, press@RoboGames.net
FACTS AT A GLANCE:
Date: Thursday-Sunday, March 24-27, 2005
Time: 10 AM - 11 PM.
Where: San Francisco State University - 1600 Holloway St, San Francisco
Cost: $20/adult, $15/kids 17-7, 6 and under free
Web: http://www.RoboGames.net or info@RoboGames.net
Images: Print ready photos at http://RoboGames.net/pix.shtml
San Francisco - Second annual RoboGames stands poised to overtake San Francisco with thousands of robots from around the planet.
The Robotics Society of America (RSA), the "Mister Robotics" TV show, and San Francisco State University (SFSU) are co-sponsoring the event.
RoboGames 2004 was a raging success with over 600 engineers coming from 11 countries with 411 robots competing for the gold medals. The upcoming 2005 event expects to draw 500 robots from all continents to compete! Audience members will thrill to the crashing of combat robots, be awed by Robo-One walking androids, amused by the art robots, amazed by the speed of soccer bots, and impressed by the number of kids who can compete on par with the adult builders. Each builder has a compelling story about their home-made creations - dreaming it up, building it, and finally competing against the best in the world.
"This is an exciting time," said RSA President and robotics professor David Calkins. "Robots are becoming more integral parts of our everyday life, and RoboGames will showcase the best robots in the world! Most people know the combat robots from TV, but the event also showcases fully autonomous robots that play soccer, solve mazes, walk, run, and put out fires - to name a few."
While robot competitions have a long history in varying parts of the world, RoboGames is the only event to bring all robot competitions together at the same place and time. Says Calkins: "Our goal is to educate. But not just to educate non-robot builders about robots; we also want to cross- polinate. Too often, robot builders over-specialize. At RoboGames, they get a chance to meet roboticists from other disciplines. Vision guys hang out with motion engineers. Machinists meet AI experts. They all come away with new insights and end up better engineers. Meanwhile, they've put on a heck of a show for the audience! After all, why should athletes have all the fun?"
This second annual international unified ROBOlympic competition includes:
* ROBOT SOCCER - Cubes, Aibos, and humanoid robots go for the goal using advanced artificial intelligence.
* ROBO-ONE - Bipedal humanoid robots capable of wrestling up to delicate tasks like door opening and one-legged balancing.
* COMBAT ROBOTS - Made famous by TV, robots fight it out in the RoboGames' version of boxing. Always spectacular, always a crowd pleaser, always noisy, and always resulting in robots coming apart...
* RIBBON CLIMBER - Autonomous robots climb thin ribbons using solar power.
* MAZE SOLVING - Robots teach themselves how to get out of maze. Fastest one out wins.
* EXO-SKELETON - Contestants build human-assisted metal exoskeletons that compete in lifting, and carrying contests.
* FIRE-FIGHTING - Robots find fires and put them out - an upcoming home technology.
* ART BOTS - A fusion of hard science and artistic beauty - from musical bots to non-functional sculpture.
* ROBOMAGELLAN - Remember the DARPA Grand Challenge? Autonomous robots find their way across campus!
* ROBOT SUMO - The major robot sport of Japan, promises thrills aplenty as the automatons knock each other out of a one-meter sumo circle.
* HEXAPOD CHALLENGE - Watch as six-legged robots scurry across the challenging rink to determine who's the best bug!
* BIPED RACE - Androids make the 50 yard dash an obsolete sport.
* THE LINE SLALOM - Robots negotiate their path along a curving line.
* LEGO CHALLENGE - Kids and adults test their programming skills in timed laps around courses of increasing complexity.
* B.E.A.M. - These tiny analog robots will amaze you as they crawl and evolve before your eyes
* AIBO PERFORMER - Competitors program their Aibos to perform tricks or routines.
* ROBOT TRIATHLON - Just like the human version, Robots complete a three-stage race: legs, wheels, and water. This may be the most difficult robot contest ever. Robot Triathlon was invented just for this event!
* BEST OF SHOW - Those bots that don't fit into other classes get their chance to shine here!
SPONSORS NEEDED:
Several of the teams are University-based and still seeking funding to be able to make it to the games. Teams from Japan, Korea, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Israel, Iran, and other nations Would like the opportunity to compete, but they need sponsorship help. RoboGames and the RSA are still seeking sponsors to help pay their flights, robot shipping, and housing while in San Francisco. Sponsorship opportunities abound and the level of press form last year's event (CNN, USA Today, Wired, Radio Toyota, all four networks, etc.) guarantee a high level of visibility of sponsor logos.
Robotics is becoming the new lifestyle sport of the thinking age. The Renaissance had classical music, we have hi-powered DC motors. RoboGames is the channel by which it becomes validated and showcased to widely diverse audience. An audience with both a voice and a higher than average disposable income. The games are still looking for sponsors - companies or groups should contact sponsors@RoboGames.net if they would like to become an event sponsor and garner publicity, gratitude, and a tax-deductible donation that helps more people gain access to robotics.
Proceeds from the event will help support SFSU and robotics education.
RoboGames Photos
RoboGames, Combat Robots, San Francisco, California, USA
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RoboGames, Combat Robots, San Francisco, California, USA
RoboGames, Combat Robots, San Francisco, California, USA
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RoboGames, Wrestling Robots, San Francisco, California, USA
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