Robots are designed to explore various activities like going to the surface of the moon, an automated car that drives by itself, robots that detonate suspected bombs, toy robots or a six-foot robot named “Al” that can dance. All of these robots and more will be participating at the Carnegie Science Center Robot Block Party, from July 19-20.

Robot Block Party, Pittsburgh’s largest and diverse public gathering of robots, will allow people to experience real robots in an interactive manner. Activities like taking rides in Boss, an SUV that navigates a virtual urban-environment autonomously, or controlling robots designed to crawl onto collapsed buildings or more such activities, are planned to display the robotic technology.

 

Robot Block Party is presented in partnership with Robot 250, a joint project of the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon and the UPCLOSE research lab at the University of Pittsburgh.

 

“For more than 20 years, Carnegie Science Center has been a leader in developing robotics-oriented exhibitions and educational programming,” stated Ron Baillie, Carnegie Science Center chief program officer. “The Robot Block Party takes that programming to a new level. With our numerous partners in this event, we will present today’s latest in robotics technology in a hands-on, interactive environment. These are one-of-a-kind robots, and the roboticists that will be on-hand to meet our visitors are some of the leading minds in this ground-breaking research.”

Robots participating in the celebration include Al, the Alcoa spokesrobot, which is a six-foot tall social robot designed by International Robotics. Al will be the official host of the Robot Block Party, answering questions, dancing with visitors and more. Zoë, which is a solar-powered astrobiological robot, designed to look for life on other planets. Hazmat Robots, from Nuvision Engineering – for dangerous terrain. Boss, from Carnegie Mellon University. Quasi, from Interbots – a two-foot tall social robot. Battling Bots, student-built battling robots.

 

Red Rover, from Astrobotic Technology, Inc., a hardy, intelligent roving robot by Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute, is the platform for a joint venture of Carnegie Mellon, The University of Arizona, and Raytheon (News - Alert).

 

Participants can build and take home their own small robot based on the hardware, explore a variety of robots built by students, participate in LEGO robot building, and also explore the North Shore with Sensor Safaris, packs of instruments and sensors to test the environment.