The eighth annual National Robotics Week will be in full effect April 8-16 as students and robotic-enthusiasts across the United States participate in STEM-related (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) events and contests.

Founded by iRobot, a technology company focused on creating consumer robots such as the Roomba, and established by Congress in 2010, the initiative raises awareness about education that is focused on science and technology-related concepts and the growing importance of “robo-technology” in our society and economy.

"National Robotics Week provides the perfect opportunity for parents, teachers, and those who share a passion for robots and technology to reach and inspire a new generation of engineers, roboticists, and scientists," says Colin Angle, CEO of iRobot, in a press release. "When students get excited about STEM, and learn about what is possible, it's truly a rewarding experience for everyone involved."

Toy companies are also leveraging robotics to raise the bar on play. Toys that incorporated robotics were big at this year’s 114th North American International Toy Fair and Toy Industry Association (TIA) experts named the rise of STREAM-based toys (Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Arts, and Math) as one of the hot toy trends for 2017. 

“Educational toys that incorporate STREAM features are getting a lot of attention in the toy space,” says Adrienne Appell, TIA toy trend expert. “We expect that to continue to grow as toy companies create exciting and engaging products that fuel kids’ imaginations while teaching them important skills, like building and coding robots.”

National Robotics Week will include panel discussions, introductory robotics courses for kids, competitions, demonstrations, tours of innovative labs, science fairs, and more, taking place in schools, universities, and robotics-dedicated companies across the country.  A list of registered events can be found on the National Robotics Week website under Events.