Servo - August 2015

But there was MORE! When I arrived — anticipating to be wowed and awestruck by the competition — I found that there was more than a robot “Super Bowl” planned. I found myself in the middle of an ongoing robotics “half-time” in the form of an out-of-this-world robotics exposition.

This robot expo was bigger than any I had ever attended. It was chockfull of not just the companies and schools that were competing, but robotics vendors each exhibiting, promoting, and demonstrating robots of every size, shape, and configuration. I suddenly found myself in robot heaven!

I rolled into the Fairplex at about 9: 30 in the morning to see the Robotics Challenge. I came to the DRC for several reasons: the first one being to enjoy watching 24 robot building teams compete for a grand prize of $2 million; and the second one, to promote my own college of robotics.

If you have been living under a rock, you might be asking “What is DARPA?” When I first heard of DARPA, I assumed because of the “.mil” of the website it was the part of the US military installation building and researching Terminator-esque robots. I had guessed that their sole purpose was to militarize robots so that we could replace soldiers with T600s and human-guided military drones with autonomous hunter-killer robots. Even DARPA’s mission statement, “Creating breakthrough technologies for national security” might lead one to believe that “Skynet” was in the works.

Robot Heaven: The Technology Expo at the DRC

Going to the DRC, one entered the event grounds walking into one of the biggest and most advanced robotics and technology exposition in perhaps the world. With over 70 exhibits and demonstrations put on by robotics organizations, colleges, clubs, and first responders, it was like a robot Disneyland! Still, I was not there just to gawk at the latest cutting-edge robotics technologies, I was there actually on a three part quest. First, to support the Robotics Society of Southern California, to which I had belonged for more than 10 years. Second, to experience the DRC and its expo as a attendee, and third — and perhaps most importantly — to showcase the California Institute of Robots: a robotics engineering college that I am working to open in Southern California.

On Saturday, June 6th of this year, I had the joy of attending what the Huffington Post called the "Super Bowl for Robots" — the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals (DRC). You see, I am a long time roboticist, having built my first robot over 40

years ago and not stopping since. When I heard a few months back that the DRC finals were being held in Pomona, CA — about 40 miles from my home — I let out a child-like scream of delight! I literally bounced up and down with joy. I could not contain myself! The DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals were being held less than an hour drive from my home! Not only would I be able to watch this riveting (excuse the pun) event with my own eyes, but I would be able to talk to the brilliant robotics engineers that designed, built, and programmed these steely mechanical men.