The fifth annual National Robotics Week event will be held April 5-13, 2014. Georgia Tech’s open house will be held on Tuesday, April 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Since the launch of National Robotics Week in 2010, Georgia Tech has participated annually in the event by sponsoring an open house and conducting lab tours and demonstrations for middle school and high school students.

Sponsored by Georgia Tech’s Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM), our 2014 event promises to be even bigger and better than last year!

Robot Trading Cards

For the second year in a row, Georgia Tech’s Institute for Robotics & Intelligent Machines (IRIM) has released a set of trading cards to celebrate National Robotics Week. These fun cards feature some of Tech’s most talented and productive players!

And for 2014, we have something special for you: IRIM teamed up with IEEE Spectrum and iRobot to create a second set of cards. This “national league” deck features ten famous robots developed by companies and researchers in the U.S. If your favorite robot is not included, don’t worry—we plan to make more cards next year. In the meantime, don’t forget about IEEE Spectrum’s award-winning, internationally acclaimed Robots for iPad app, which you can get for FREE on iTunes.

Event Schedule

Students attending both the morning and afternoon sessions will tour different robotics labs; the sessions are not duplicates.

9:00      Check-in for Tours Begins (Outside CCB Bldg.—Klaus Atrium in case of rain)
9:30      Tours Depart—Morning Session
11:45    Lunch (Klaus Atrium)
12:45    Check-in for Tours Begins (Klaus Atrium)
1:00      Tours Depart—Afternoon Session
3:00      Event Concludes

Registration Details

PLEASE NOTE:

• Registration is limited and submissions will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please complete the registration form early to ensure your student or student group can be accommodated. We will maintain a waiting list, and we will contact the registrants on the waiting list as openings become available. If your registration is placed on the waiting list, you will receive a direct message from us within 48 hours of submitting the form.  
• We are unable to accommodate students enrolled in pre-K or K-5 programs, or children who have not yet reached pre-K age.

Required Consent Forms

To attend the event, each student must have a parent or legal guardian complete a Parental Release Form, related to liability, and a Model Release Form, related to the use of photographs and video footage taken during the event. Chaperones should also complete the Model Release Form. These forms may be collected, scanned, and emailed in one file to IRIM@cc.gatech.edu prior to the event, or the primary point of contact may present paper copies of the signed forms during check in.

Event Parking

Personal vehicles should park in a campus visitor’s lot. The two closest locations are the Area 4 Lot, located at the intersection of Ferst Dr. and State St., and the Area 5 Lot (W23 Deck), located on State St., close to the intersection of 10th St.

Personal Vehicle Parking Fees

• The Area 4 Lot fee rate is $2.00 per hour, payable in advance by cash or card.
• The Area 5 Lot fee rate varies by total hours parked, from $1.50 for up to one hour to $15.00 for six–24 hours. 
• More information about visitor parking is available on the GT Parking & Transportation Services website. 

Bus Parking Details

There is no charge to park buses in the designated area on Tech Parkway NW. Buses should plan to drop students off at the intersection of Ferst Dr. and Atlantic Dr. where signs will be posted directing them to the nearby check-in location. Afterwards, bus drivers who elect to remain on campus must park on Tech Parkway NW.

Attire

Regardless of whether you are signing up for just one or both tour sessions, walking outdoors is a necessary component of this event. Please wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather, which in Atlanta during spring may change with little advanced warning. Transportation will be provided to some of the more remote tour locations on campus.

Lunch

Lunch will be held in the Klaus Advanced Computing Building atrium. Students have the option of bringing a brown bag lunch or visiting the Georgia Tech student center to purchase a lunch. The student center offers a full-range of items in the food court, as well as additional options in the commons area, and is located less than a three minute walk from Klaus. Beverages will be provided to all students.

Henrik Christensen, KUKA Chair of Robotics and the executive director of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM), will address participants during lunch. Our graduate students who are conducting robot demonstrations will be available to answer questions and provide additional information about their research projects. Also, representatives from the College of Computing’s Office of Outreach, Enrollment and Community will be in attendance to answer questions about college admissions and program requirements.

National Robotics Week T-shirts and Other Products

Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog is the official mascot of National Robotics Week. T-shirts and other Bleeker-branded products are available for purchase in the “Bleeker Store” on the CafePress website. 

Additional Questions

If you have questions that are not answered on the event page or in the additional details provided during the registration process, please contact IRIM@cc.gatech.edu.