“Nineteen years ago, in an effort to ‘hook’ students on the fun and excitement of science and technology, FIRST created a national robotics competition that now draws more than 250,000 participants a year. The thinking was that the younger and more diverse the participants, the better chance we will have of producing a generation of innovative problem solvers,” said Dean Kamen, noted inventor, president of DEKA Research and Development, and FIRST Founder.

In advance of National Robotics Week, the organizing committee has launched a new Web site, www.nationalroboticsweek.org. Here, visitors can gain access to an extensive inventory of resources and information such as:

• An updated listing of National Robotics Week events around the country
• Opportunities for organizations to submit their own events for inclusion in National Robotics Week
• Robotics-related activities and resources for educators, parents and other participants

To learn more about National Robotics Week events and activities, or to find other robotics-related resources and information, please visit: www.nationalroboticsweek.org.

About the National Robotics Week Advisory Council

The NRWAC’s goal is to recognize robotics technology as a pillar of 21^st century American innovation, highlighting its growing importance in a wide variety of application areas, and emphasizing its ability to inspire technology education. The effort is organized by iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) and The Technology Collaborative, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit economic development organization. They are joined by Adept Technology (NASDAQ: ADEP); the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI); AUVSI Foundation; Botball^® (KISS Institute for Practical Robotics); Carnegie Mellon University; Carnegie Science Center of Pittsburgh; FIRST^® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology); Georgia Institute of Technology; Infamous Robotics; Innovation First International; Johns Hopkins University; MIT; Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council; Museum of Science, Boston; Robotic Industries Association (RIA); The Tech Museum in Silicon Valley; Stanford University; University of Massachusetts Lowell; University of Pennsylvania; and University of Southern California. For more information on the National Robotics Week Advisory Council, please visit www.nationalroboticsweek.org.

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Contact:

Fleishman-Hillard
Sarah Francomano, 617-692-0515
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