FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2003
THE ROBOTICS SOCIETY OF AMERICA ANNUAL ROBOT GAMES AND EXPO
Date: Sunday, December 15
Time: Expo: 10-6 / Games: 12:30-4
Where: Ft. Mason, Building C, San Francisco
Cost: $5/adult, kids 17 and under free
URL: http://www.robotics-society.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
David Calkins
415-297-2789
dcalkins@robotics-society.org
Roy Hellen
415-339-8832
roy@robotcombat.com
Hundred of robots to fill Fort Mason;
Amateur roboticists to show their stuff alongside industrial roots, movie
robots, and robot combatants;
NASA robots to be demonstrated in San Francisco;
FIRST robot teams from Marin to demonstrate robots;
San Francisco - The Robotics Society of America (RSA) will be holding their
annual Games and Expo at the Fort Mason Center Building C, San Francisco,
California. The event will be co-hosted by Roy Hellen, the famous bot wrangler
from BattleBots and RobotCombat.com, and David Calkins, president of the
Robotics Society of America and robot guest from TV shows on TechTV, Discovery,
CBS, and others. Proceeds from the event will help support the RSA's goals of
robotics education.
From industrial robots to combat robots, NASA explorers to tiny bots weighing
under a pound, homemade robots to mass-produced robots for the home, the RSA
Robot Games and Expo has it all. Come see hundreds of robots up close! See
demonstrations, displays, and a multitude of ingenious competitions. Everyone,
regardless of age, is encouraged to come and watch all the competitions, rent a
robot for a short match, or bring their own robot to compete in the daylong
activities. The program will also feature robot related slides, videos,
lectures, and other great events.
People should not be discouraged if they don't have their own robots. People
interested in competing or needing more information on the rules should visit
http://www.robotics-society.org High Schools and Colleges are strongly
encouraged to contact the RSA and build a robot for the competition. Sumo bots,
Mindstorms bots, and Aibo performers can all be designed and built within a week
or two. Help is available for students and teachers wanted to build robots for
this competition - send e-mail to schools@robotics-society.org.
Robots on display include BattleBots® and RobotWars™ builders and their robots
(who will be signing autographs), NASA prototype and demonstration robots,
including a mock-up of the Mars Rover, interactive and art robots including the
works of Semen, OmniCircus, SRL, and other bay area roboticists; QBox mechanical
and kinetic arts showcase; famous movie robots; and many home-built robots which
will surprise and delight people with their unique abilities and widely-varying
designs.
Robot Demonstrations include NASA’s FIRST Competition, BotBall Student League,
and First Lego League - robots all build by junior high and high school students
to solve complex problems while competing against other schools; ExploRobot - a
robot built for the discovery channels upcoming "Dungeons of Alcatraz"; Robots
you can talk to that can talk back; and amazing Lego Mindstorms creations by one
of the inventors of Mindstorms - including copy machines, ATM's, and other
things that take Lego's to heights undreamed of.
For those who bring their own robot, cash prizes are included as competitors
meet head on in:
* ANT WEIGHT COMBAT - one pound robots attack each other in a destructive flurry
to determine who's the most lethal - this event will be hosted by SOZBots, the
leaders in ant weight robot combat.
* ROBOT SUMO WRESTLING - Promises chills, spills, and thrills aplenty as the
automatons attempt to 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!
* THE LINE SLALOM - Pits robot rivals in a challenging 10-foot curved track they
must negotiate on their own, collecting data as they proceed.
* LEGO MINDSTORMS CHALLENGE - Kids and adults both test their skills to complete
a lap around courses of increasing complexity in time trials. Anyone with a Lego
Mindstorms kit can compete.
* B.E.A.M. ROBOT COMPETITION - BEAM stands for Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics,
and Mechanics - These tiny analog robots will amaze you as they crawl and evolve
before your eyes. These dirt-cheap robots are some of the most amazing to watch!
* AIBO PERFORMER - Competitors program their Aibos to perform tricks or
routines. Get ready to laugh and be stunned by their flexibility and cuteness.
* OPEN EVENTS - Best engineered, best-choreographed, youngest robot builder,
best Lego design and others. Bring any 'bot you've got!
For those who can't build their own robot, RSA members have built several robots
for short-duration rentals on site. Enjoy the thrill of combat for a single
match as you run your own robot.
This exciting event will also include many retailers of robots - such as
robotstore.com, RobotCombat, and evolution robotics. Vendors will be selling
robots throughout the day, so holiday shoppers should remember to bring their
checkbooks.
This event will be broadcast live via web simulcast by robotcombat.com - so for
those who can't make it to the show, they can watch all the action live from
home.
The games are still looking for sponsors - contact sponsors@robotics-society.org
if your company or group would like to become an event sponsor and garner
publicity, gratitude, and a tax-deductible donation that helps more people gain
access to robotics.
ABOUT THE ROBOTICS SOCIETY OF AMERICA:
The Robotics Society of America is dedicated to the exchange of information
about robotics in order to stimulate education in the sciences, create new
businesses, and to promote the enjoyment of robotics as a hobby. Meetings
feature guest speakers, demonstrations, robot news & video clips and event
planning. Weekly builders’ workgroups, frequent robot building workshops, and
monthly speaker series are also sponsored by the RSA. The Robotics Society of
America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with chapters in New York,
Sacramento, Oregon, and San Francisco. The San Francisco chapter of the RSA
holds meetings the first Wednesday of each month at the San Francisco
Exploratorium at 7:30 PM in the classrooms located at the center of the complex.
ABOUT DAVID CALKINS:
David Calkins is actively involved in robotics (both building and teaching). He
is the president of the Robotics Society of America; a judge for BattleBots,
Steel Conflict, Robot Street Fight, and BotBash robotic combat competitions and
judges for NASA’s FIRST Lego League robotic challenge and BotBall competitions
for high-schools; is a robotics mentor for the NASA FIRST team from Galileo High
in San Francisco; teaches classes on sumo-robotics to both children and adults;
hosts the bi-annual Robot Games and Expo at the SF Exploratorium at Ft. Mason;
hosted Rhizome’s "Art in a Browser and Other Electronic Oddities"; is a
consultant to Sun Corporation’s JavaNator robotic development group; a
consultant and beta-tester for Evolution Robotics Corporation; star of the
upcoming Discovery Channel special "Dungeons of Alcatraz" in which he build a
robot to explore the depths of the island; is recurring robot guest-expert on
Tech TV’s "ScreenSavers" and "Call for Help"; and has been featured in Time
magazine, the New York Times, CNN, Salon.com, the radio shows "Tech Success"
with Jesse Berst and Brian Mallow’s "But Seriously..."; and can’t seem to escape
robotics no matter how little he tries. He is currently writing "the Complete
Idiot’s Guide to Robots" for Alpha/Penguin publishing.
ABOUT ROY HELLEN:
Roy Hellen has a long-standing reputation as a Robotic promoter, organizer, and
educator. Mr. Hellen has announced, worked and created environments for many
tournaments across content: BattleBots, Robot Wars, Pennsylvania Robot Club, Las
Vegas Street Fight, BBIQ Universal Studios, to name a few. Mr. Hellen's most
recent works can be found as Editor-and-Chief of BattleBots Magazine.
ABOUT BOTCAST
BotCast.com is an effort between RobotCombat.com and other robotic enthusiasts
to provide Internet based live broadcasting of robotic sports events at minimal
cost to the viewer.
ABOUT ROBOT COMBAT
RobotCombat.com is an Internet resource for the robotic combat community. They
provide extensive selection of robot build parts, links to other retailers, tips
for new builders, links to competitors around the world, an archive of related
press and announcements, a comprehensive list of clubs and events, and the
largest database of robotic combat entries.