Robots Go 2.O — Max Polyakov Starts BestRoboFest, Attracting Over 3000 Fans And Inventors
Family, Technology and Fun!
With less than 2 weeks left before the BestRoboFest 2017 on June 3–4, it is high time to take quick look back and recall how it was last year.
On the 4th and 5th of June, BestRoboFest 2016 was held in the city of Dnipro. It was the first event of its kind in Ukraine, as the whole 2-day festival was dedicated exclusively to robotics, innovation and new engineering achievements, bringing together fans, engineers and robots. The event was only possible thanks to the generous organizational effort from Noosphere and the initiative of Max Polyakov.
Over these 2 days at the Dnipro’s Makarov National Aerospace Educational Center for Youth. More than 3000 visitors of all ages attend to take in the festivities. BestRoboFest 2016 included something for everybody. Attendees participated in engineering workshops and presentations, listened to insightful lectures held by inventors, enjoyed the exhibition of robotic inventions and modern art, tasted delicious, international food and, most importantly, watched all kinds of robotic competitions.
The robots competition implied 5 specific categories:
* Scratch — a fun robo-battle for children
* Robo Race — sprints for autonomous, unmanned robots
* Copter Race — drone sprints
* Robo Sumo — robot ring-fighting
* Free Style — a contest for the most technically-developed, creative and handy robots.
The BestRoboFest 2016 competition drew out the competitor in 134 eager participants, ranging 6 to 60 years old. Along with competing for the cheers of the crowd, competitors battled it out for the hefty 30 000 UAH prize pool for the top-3 winners.
The robotics exhibition, was no less impressive than the robot battles. A number of exciting robot inventions showcased the greatness of human engineering. The robots that were unveiled, included R2-D2 and BB-8, well-known Star Wars characters. The Ukrainian Security Service got everyone’s attention when they demonstrated their robotic mine detector. Onlookers were also entertained by the real-time performance of a robo-painter, robo-gardener, robo-cleaner and robo-mime. Through the excitement, the robots WALLE and Nao still stood out from the crowd the most.
The most distinctive feature of BestRoboFest 2016, was its family friendly feel. Organizers included extra activities to make it even more interesting for children and youth. Young visitors were free to play various games like Twister and Frisbee, construct model rockets, or have their robots and faces painted. The fun outdoor activities, together with goodies from the food court and the main robotics show, definitely made all the guest plunge into the exciting atmosphere of technology and fun.
“This was the first time a family-oriented robotics festival was held in Dnipro and Noosphere is eager to do it again. Next year, we expect even more technology enthusiasts to show off their new designs. We believe that technology will continue to be used by the young and old alike, and the tech revolution will solve more and more of the world’s problems,” said
Max Polyakov, founder of Noosphere and the event initiator, at the closing ceremony of BestRoboFest 2016.