Living
in the 21st century, it is hard to
imagine a world without computers and internet, a world where communication
between two people on opposite sides of the earth was nearly impossible or
meant spending months waiting for a hand-written letter. The technology and
devices depicted in sci-fi and space movies from 50 years ago seemed out of
this world at the time. Today, we are not only making impressive progress in
space voyage, but we are using all sorts of devices, similar to those in the old
sci-fi movies, to perform everyday tasks like look up recipes or send emojis to
our friends across the world.
Advancements
in technology are something we have come to expect rather than something that
seem distant or improbable in our life-time. Innovation has become a standard in
almost every industry – we are constantly looking for ways to be more
efficient, more productive, more adaptive. And the technology in our disposable
is allowing us to push even more boundaries and test our limits. This is true
in almost every aspect of life – technology has allowed for better healthcare,
for more inclusive education, for instantaneous communication and for automated
production.
At
the start of the industrial revolution, the biggest fear people had was losing
their jobs to machines. In some ways that was exactly what happened – a simple task that previously required four
or five employees could now be performed by an automated production line much
more quickly. So some jobs were indeed lost, however, new and different jobs
emerged. Automated production lines needed engineers to perform maintenance and
to monitor and improve the systems. We are seeing another revolution taking
place today – a rise of the robots of sorts. Driverless cars,
package-delivering robots or even robot vacuums are shaping the way we perform
simple tasks. Not unlike with the industrial revolution, using robots for tasks
previously performed by humans can be scary. That is why we need more awareness
of the implementation possibilities and benefits of robotics.
One
way to bring these technologies closer to the people is to showcase them in a
fun, engaging and creative setting. A small but innovative country called
Estonia is doing just that by organizing the biggest robot competition in
Europe. The competition, appropriately named Robotex, is held in cooperation by
two of the biggest universities in the country. Robotex has celebrated technology
and engineering for 15 years already and has grown into quite an international
event, with participants from more than 15 different countries coming together
to have their robots face off in nearly 20 different competitions.
The
three-day competition and festival is a family event with robotics and
technology-related activities for all ages. There is plenty to see and do even
for those who are just getting acquainted with the field of robotics – the
program includes workshops, creative contests, a science conference and an
impressive technology exhibition. The best part of this impressive event is
that it’s free for both competitors and visitors. So for everyone even slightly
curious about the world of robotics and technology – this is the event of the
year.
This
year’s Robotex competition will take place 2. - 4. December in Tallinn, Estonia.
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