Robo Days 2020: Exploring the Potential of Educational Robotics in Bulgaria
In the past year, the Bulgarian tech scene enjoyed some quite impressive developments in the robotics field: we witnessed the creation of a humanoid robot and the fastest chocolate candy manufacturing line in the world, while a robot assisting people with disabilities was honored at the Central European Startup Awards. Educational robotics is also gaining traction and up to this point nearly 20, 000 students in Bulgaria specialized in the field of robotics as it is revealed in the innovative research and mapping project of the Bulgarian Professional Association of Robotics and Automation (PARA).
A glimpse into the future of the Bulgarian robotics ecosystem
Going one step further, PARA has organized multiple events for students (mentorship days at schools, the Robo League Regional Robotics Competition, etc.). This year, however, the association is introducing a new type of event to their agenda – an educational robotics forum which will take place on 19.09.2020 and 20.09.2020. “Robo Days 2020” will be free and streamed online on the website, Facebook, and YouTube pages of PARA. Even though the event organizers were limited by the coronavirus situation in terms of the online format of the forum, they will prepare an exhibition on the ground floor of Sofia Tech Park in accordance with all health measures to showcase robots created by Bulgarian students.
The event will present the potential of clubs on educational robotics to students, parents, teachers, and companies in an interactive way through short videos and panel sessions. Kristiyan Mihailov, who is one of the founding members of PARA, has shared that the goal of “Robo Days 2020” is to show its audience the role of STEM in modern education and the positive impact of educational robotics on the development of the students in school.
Young people in the robotics ecosystem
The 2-day forum, to which Trending Topics is an official media partner, will focus on the Bulgarian Robotics ecosystem. The first day is dedicated to the latest changes in the robotics ecosystem in 2020 and the role of robotics in school. Important topics such as dual education and the future outlook of the job market are to be discussed. The second day of the forum will provide young robotics enthusiasts with an update on contemporary programming languages, robotics, and 3D printing and the possibilities for development of the ecosystem in the different regions in Bulgaria. The speakers at the event comprise a diversified mixture of qualified specialists. On the stage will be Vasil Takev, an LBM Motion and Robotics specialist and Customer Value Creator at ABB, the Bulgarian branch of the international corporation focused on electrification, robotics, and automation. “Robo Days 2020” will also be joined by Dimitar Serafimov (one of the young enthusiasts behind EduBots, a company that enables kids to take their first steps in the world of robotics), Georgi Grozdanov who is a Head of Technical Engineering at FESTO Bulgaria, a supplier of automation technology, and Diman Mihnev, a crucial part of the team behind the annual competition “Robo League Bulgaria”.
