Crowds of investors, fans and students on Wednesday celebrated the region's thriving robotics industry and its many innovators at the 2015 Silicon Valley Robot Block Party hosted by WilmerHale and Silicon Valley Robotics, a professional association that supports innovation in robotic technologies.
The more than 40 robots at the event exhibited the many ways in which robotic technology can improve lives, ranging from toys that teach technology to young people to advanced robotics that protect soldiers on the battlefield or assist surgeons with delicate surgical procedures. The exhibitors included some of the Silicon Valley's hottest startups demonstrating the region's coolest robots, hobbyists and high school students who created homemade robots for competitions.
"At WilmerHale, we are proud to host the block party and be part of the success of the robotics industry in Silicon Valley," said Mark D. Flanagan, partner-in-charge of the firm's Palo Alto office. "WilmerHale is the first and only law firm to host the Silicon Valley Robot Block Party, and its support of these innovative entrepreneurs demonstrates the growth and maturity of the region's robotics industry."
The Silicon Valley Robot Block Party was free and open to the public. It is one of the premier events of the sixth annual National Robotics Week, April 4-12. The week-long commemoration celebrates America's leadership in robotics, educates the public about robotics, advocates for increased funding for robotics and seeks to inspire students of all ages to pursue careers in robotics and other science, technology, engineering and math-related fields.
"The block party showcases the many robotic innovations fueling a new economic ecosystem that promises to be as significant to the Silicon Valley as the computer technology revolution," said Andra Keay, Silicon Valley Robotics managing director. "With WilmerHale’s support, the block party exhibitors have been able to show how more affordable and adaptable robotic technologies can transform the home and the workplace."