City of Boston, Massrobotics to host a 'Robot Block Party'

On Sunday, October 15, the City of Boston will partner with MassRobotics to host over two dozen robots on City Hall Plaza as part of HUBweek 2017 for a "Robot Block Party." The City of Boston's Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics, in collaboration with HUBweek and MassRobotics, will celebrate all things robotics by exhibiting the latest in robotics and inviting the public to engage with industry leading technologists throughout the day. The event is free and open to people of all ages.

"Boston is home to some of the brightest minds solving some of the world's biggest challenges," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "This event gives all residents and visitors in Boston a chance to see Boston's inventions in person, and explore why Boston is a hub for innovation and technology."

The Robot Block Party will feature a broad range of demonstrations from start-ups, local universities and industry leading companies all under one big dome. Participants will have the opportunity to visit an "autonomous vehicle petting zoo" featuring nuTonomy, Optimus Ride, Delphi, and a Toyota/MIT collaboration. Leading engineers and roboticists will be on hand to answer questions throughout the day and City staff will be on-hand to collect input on the current autonomous vehicle program.

"The generous and engaged support of the City of Boston is integral to continued growth for both MassRobotics and the region's robotics/automation industry. Collaborating with the City to co-host the Robot Block Party as part of HUBweek is an opportunity to celebrate how much we've accomplished and to look forward to all that's still to come," said Tom Ryden, Executive Director at MassRobotics.

In the fall of 2016, Mayor Walsh released an executive order to establish a testing program for autonomous vehicles in the City of Boston. Since last fall, the City's testing partners have driven over 600 miles autonomously on Boston roadways. The event will provide an opportunity to see autonomous vehicles up-close and take part in other on-site demonstrations -- such as a new personal home robot, demonstrations from Jibo, Pong Robotics, Vecna Technologies and a "design your own robot" technology featuring interactive CAD tools which guide users through the robot design process.

Robot Block Party is a free event and open to the public with The HUB Pass. For more information or to register, visit www.boston.gov/calendar/robot-block-party 

In the fall of 2016, Mayor Walsh launched an Autonomous Vehicle testing program led by the Boston Transportation Department and the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics. The program is exploring the technology and policies that help unlock the immense promise of these vehicles to make our transportation system more reliable, more accessible, and safer for all users. Details on the program and the progress can be found at boston.gov.

MassRobotics is the result of the collective work of a group of engineers, rocket scientists and entrepreneurs with a shared vision to create an innovation hub and startup cluster focused on the needs of the robotics and IoT community. It has an extensive network of more than 400 companies, 10 academic institutions and 20 industry-focused associations and organizations. The organization drives international outreach and has active engagements with Ireland, UK, China, Singapore, Chile, France, Canada and UAE, and continues to engage with different countries. MassRobotics' mission is to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics and connected devices companies by providing entrepreneurs and innovative robotics/automation startups with the workspace and resources they need to develop, prototype, test and commercialize their products and solutions. www.massrobotics.org.