FIRST Joins RoboNexus As Association Co-Sponsor

Dean Kamen, FIRST Founder and President of DEKA Research and Development, to Give Keynote Presentation on the Use of Robotics to Further Educational Aims

NORTHBORO, MA, AND FRAMINGHAM, MA, AUGUST 18, 2004 - Robotics Trends and IDG World Expo today announced that FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) has joined RoboNexus as an Association Co-Sponsor. Also, Dean Kamen, Founder of FIRST and President of DEKA Research, is to give a keynote address at the event. RoboNexus, the educational, business development and consumer event for personal, service and mobile robotics, will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA on October 21-23, 2004. The conference website is http://www.robonexus.com.

According to Dan Kara, conference chairman, President and Co-Founder of Robotics Trends, "We are delighted to have FIRST join RoboNexus as an Association Co-Sponsor, and to run competitions and exhibitions at the event. We are equally excited to have Dean Kamen deliver a keynote presentation on the use of robotics and robotic competitions as a way to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and technology. The FIRST Association Co-sponsorship of RoboNexus, as well as Dean Kamen’s keynote, speaks volumes to the correctness of focusing on the educational aspects of robotics at RoboNexus, as well as developing sessions and demonstrations that emphasize that robotics can be instructional, inspirational and fun.”

Paul Shay, Executive Director of FIRST notes, “The emphasis of RoboNexus on the educational use of robotics, as well as the RoboNexus Academic and Educational Outreach Programs, is tightly aligned with FIRST’s own vision of developing a love of science, technology and learning in school children through the hands-on development of robots and robotic technology. We look forward to working with Robotics Trends, the developers of RoboNexus, to build an event that excites children and their parents, inspires corporations to support technology education initiatives such as FIRST, and exposes teachers and curriculum developers to the use of robots and robotic technology to develop an interest in science and increase self-esteem in students of all ages.”

About FIRST
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With the support of many of the world’s most well-known companies, the non-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students and the FIRST LEGO™ League for children 9-14 years old. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

About Robotics Trends
Robotics Trends is the world’s first integrated media firm serving the burgeoning personal, service and mobile robotics marketplace. Robotics Trends serves their clientele through three major business divisions:

• Publishing, which produces www.roboticstrends.com, an online magazine launched in October 2003, which produces over 300,000 page views monthly;

• Events, which produces RoboNexus and the Emerging Robotics Technologies & Applications Conference; and

• Analyst Services, which serves the strategic consulting needs of leading emerging robotics manufacturers.

About IDG World Expo
IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces technology-focused tradeshows, conferences and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. As the leading technology event management company, IDG World Expo leverages its experience and knowledge of technology-focused events and conferences, enabling technology companies to capture the attention and loyalty of influential buyers. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Macworld Conference & Expo®, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo®, Bio-IT World Conference + ExpoTM, Health-IT World Conference + ExpoTM, Portable Power Conference & ExpoTM, and Wireless Sensing SolutionsTM and RoboNexus. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About IDG
International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, research, and event company. A privately-held company, IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers including Bio-IT World, CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Network World, and PC World. The company features the largest network of technology-specific Web sites with more than 400 around the world. IDG is also a leading producer of more than 170 computer-related events worldwide including LinuxWorld Conference & Expo®, Macworld Conference & Expo®, DEMO®, and IDC Directions. IDC provides global market research and advice through offices in 50 countries. Company information is available at http://www.idg.com.

For RoboNexus information, please contact Dan Kara at dk@roboticstrends.com or 508-351-6606 x102. Subscribe to Robotics Trends Insights, the free bi-weekly newsletter from the producers of Robotics Trends!

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