Brussels, 25 October 2016 – The European Robotics Week (ERW) offers one week of various robotics related activities across Europe for the general public. Through the organisation of over 700 events, Europeans get the opportunity to have their questions about how robots will impact the way we work, live, and learn, addressed. Every year the ERW changes the central event and hosts an eco-system of various engaging activities in the chosen location. The official opening for this year is located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
“The European Robotics Week is about translating the excitement for robots into valuable educational practice. Under this year’s overarching title, Robots at your service, we want to show a glimpse of a future where robotics will be ubiquitous in everyday life. As a result we need to involve the public, young and old, in the discussion”, says Reinhard Lafrenz, Secretary General of euRobotics
The central event provides a forum for dialogue on science-driven societal issues, since we believe that we need science-conscious citizens to make informed decisions. Moreover, the event highlights the growing importance of robotics in various application areas and also of skills in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
The Opening – Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The opening on the 18th November will feature a number of dignitaries from The Netherlands, and EU officials from the European Commission and Parliament, who will welcome and present the ERW to members of Dutch the public. Presenting keynotes, Khalil Rouhana (DG Connect), Mady Delveux-Stehres (MEP) and Bernd Liepert (CIO KUKA) will express their views for robotics developments and education in Europe.
Two public talks are planned for the day focusing on Roboethics and Our Robotics Future. The “Roboethics” discussion will serve as a platform to outline some of the main developments in the ethical, legal, and societal aspects of robotics. We also ask the question of how society is to deal with our changing relationships with the robotics technology and what we can expect in the future. Dispelling myths about some of the fears people may hold, key experts from Europe will deliver an in-depth analysis of the role of robots in society.
The night of Friday the 18th November also sees the opening of the Hack for Healthy Ageing, an elderly-centric, 48-hour hackathon for designers, makers, coders, developers, data scientists, engineers, researchers, students, startups, caretakers, architects, entrepreneurs, or anyone else who believes their skill is valuable in tackling this societal challenge. During a 48-hour hackathon, multidisciplinary talents are going to prototype robot applications that allow the elderly to remain independent. Inclusivity is a key part of the event and young and old, boys and girls, will be able to experiment and interact with new technologies such as 3D printing and virtual reality.
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 350,000 people across Europe have been part of ERW in its five years of existence.
Register for the Amsterdam events here
Additional Information
Website: old.eu-robotics.net/robotics_week
European events: old.eu-robotics.net/robotics_week/events/index.html
Handbook for event organisers: upload/About_euRobotics_Week/ERW-HANDBOOK-150ppi.pdf
Social Media
Hashtag #ERW2016
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: https://www.youtube.com/user/euRobotics
Tweet: Robots at your Service: Over 700 events expected during European Robotics Week 2016 #ERW2016. Find an event near you: https://goo.gl/jrGQyh
Thumbnail Photo credit: @SPECS_lab
For national coordinators and local events organisers
National coordinators actively promote the Week in their country among robotics organizations, research institutes/universities and encourage them to open their doors, and sponsor or organise various robotics events for the general public.
Check your country page! euRobotics has a brand new page on the website to promote the national coordinators and show gratitude for their involvement. We encourage national coordinators to send their own pictures, organisation's logo, and description of their local activities or a quote.
Register your event! Registration is easy. Make sure to pick a topic, describe your event and it will be accessible from the brand new heated map of events.
Spread the word! Forward this press release to your local media, and add a short description about your regional events. You can translate and tailor your press release in order to give it a local touch.
We also welcome any pictures, blog posts, and videos during the week. Simply send them to media@roboticsweek.eu by email, or tweet them using the hashtag #ERW2016. We’ll make sure it gets posted on social media and on our website.
About euRobotics and SPARC
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 entity to engage in a public/private partnership with the European Commission, named SPARC.
SPARC, the public-private partnership (PPP) between the European Commission and euRobotics, is a European initiative to maintain and extend Europe’s leadership in civilian robotics. Its aim is to strategically position European robotics in the world thereby securing major benefits for European economy and the society at large.
SPARC is the largest research and innovation programme in civilian robotics in the world, with 700 million euro in funding from the European Commission between 2014-2020, which is tripled by European industry to yield a total investment of 2.1 billion euro.
SPARC will stimulate an ever more vibrant and effective robotics community that collaborates in the successful development of technical transfer and commercial exploitation.
Outreach image
Credit: DASA Working World Exhibition, Woidich Hannes
Possible caption: Girl interacting with robot