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Robot
Rocket Rally (SM) at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
March
14-16 Celebrates Leading-Edge Robotic Technology
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Event Features
NASA Robots and Hands-On Exhibits;
Will Coincide
with March 16 SpaceX Launch to Deliver Robotic Legs to ISS
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Cape
Canaveral, FL – March 2014 / Newsmaker Alert / A robot revolution will
invade Kennedy Space Center
Visitor Complex March 14-16 for the first-ever Robot Rocket Rally (SM),
a three-day festival celebrating the latest in robotic technology from
NASA, industry leaders and universities.
Robot
Rocket Rally will allow visitors to explore the fascinating world of robots
with examples of NASA-developed robots, discover how robotic technology
is lending more than just a helping hand to benefit mankind, meet working
robots, hear from robotics experts and even operate a robot. Robot Rocket
Rally is sponsored by the Visitor Complex and WFTV Channel 9.
The
three-day event features a robotic expo with hands-on exhibits and games
showcasing the latest in robotic and engineering technology. The study
of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is at the heart
of Robot Rocket Rally, with exhibitors ranging from middle school robotics
clubs to veteran NASA scientists and engineers.
To
provide adequate time to explore Robot Rocket Rally and all the Visitor
Complex has to offer, visitors may consider purchasing an annual pass to
allow for a cost effective multiday experience.
“Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex is thrilled to work with NASA and other robotics
experts to present this comprehensive, inside look at what is being done
now and for the future with robots in space exploration and other important
scientific and real-life applications,” said Therrin Protze, Visitor Complex
chief operating officer.
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Robot
Rocket Rally also celebrates NASA’s next big step forward in robotic exploration
by supplying robotic climbing legs to Robonaut-2, currently aboard the
International Space Station (ISS), with the launch of SpaceX 3, the third
resupply mission to the ISS by Space Exploration Technologies. SpaceX is
scheduled to launch its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule on March 16
at 4:41 a.m.
Visitors
also can learn more about today’s robotic technology by learning from the
experts during a series of 20-minute, multimedia presentations on Saturday,
March 15 and Sunday, March 16.
Robot
Rocket Rally is included in daily admission. Exhibits will include:
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NASA’s
Robonaut 2 (R2): Robot Rocket Rally will provide one of the first opportunities
to view the completed Robonaut 2, a dexterous, humanoid robot, developed
by NASA to assist astronauts in zero gravity. The torso model, similar
to R2 at the International Space Station, is accompanied by an engineering
model of R2’s legs, an exact replica of the actual legs launching to the
ISS in March. A separate R2 display demonstrates human-like upper-body
dexterity.
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NASA’s
X1 Robotic Exoskeleton and Robo-Glove (Human Grasp Assist device): These
NASA-developed technologies are used to assist people with serious ambulatory
needs to begin to walk independently for the first time and increase the
strength of a human’s grasp to assist with rehabilitation muscle atrophy.
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NASA’s
RASSOR: A robotic miner, RASSOR is designed to skim lunar soil to collect
and transport moon dust to be converted into rocket fuel or breathing air
for astronauts.
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PhoneSat:
A new generation of satellites, PhoneSat is the size of a coffee cup and
built from commercial, off-the-shelf materials, thus reducing the cost
of creating a satellite, and is able to operate from an everyday smart
phone
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Kinect
Engineering with Learning (KEWL) XBOX Interactive Exhibits: Guests can
experience operating R2 remotely and flying through the ISS in zero gravity.
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University
of Central Florida (UCF) Robotics Club: Guests can see and test drive UCF’s
ground competition robot that placed second in the 19th Annual Intelligent
Ground Vehicle Competition.
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Open Source
Robotics Foundation Virtual Reality Robot Demo: Guests can put on the Oculus
Rift, a virtual reality headset, and control an Atlas robot in a 3D world.
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Otherlab:
Guests will interact with Bop’em Pop’em Robot, a life size inflatable boxing
robot, a Pneubotic manipulator and an active fabric orthotic. The “Pneubotics”
program at Otherlab has produced the world’s first inflatable, robotic
arm technology that makes highly capable, low-cost robots.
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iRobot
110 FirstLook® and 510 PackBot®: Guests can drive the iRobot 110
FirstLook robot, a small, lightweight “throwable” robot that surveys areas
and investigates confined spaces, and view the 510 PackBot in action. This
same type of PackBot performs bomb disposal and other dangerous missions
for troops and first responders.
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Virginia
Tech Robotics: Meet Charli, the first autonomous, full-size walking robot
with humanoid characteristics developed in the United States. The four-limbed
robot walks, talks, turns, kicks and performs gestures and simple upper
body manipulation tasks.
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DARwin-OP
miniature humanoid robots: Watch Kennedy Space Center’s version of a robot
soccer cup match. With sophisticated sensors and dynamic motion ability,
these robots placed first at the RoboCup kids-size competition in 2011,
2012 and 2013.
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FIRST®
Robotics: View competition-ready robots hand built by Central Florida middle
and high school FIRST teams.
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Space
Trek: Space Trek features robots made from LEGO MINDSTORMS kits. These
robots use the NXT programing language to direct robot movement and various
sensor functions. Guests can watch demonstrations as these programmed robots
sense and react light, touch and color.
About
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex brings to life the epic story of the U.S.
space program, offering a full day or more of fun and educational activities,
including the Kennedy Space Center Tour featuring the Saturn V Center with
an actual Saturn V moon rocket, the new Angry Birds™ Space Encounter, Shuttle
Launch Experience, 3D IMAX® space films, Astronaut Encounter, Exploration
Space: Explorers Wanted and many other interactive exhibits. The new $100
million home for Space Shuttle Atlantis (SM) opened June 29, 2013. Admission
also includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, featuring historic
spacecraft and the world’s largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia,
which opens daily at noon and closing times vary by season. Only 45 minutes
from Orlando, Fla., Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens daily at
9 a.m. with closing times varying by season. Admission is $50 + tax for
adults and $40 + tax for children ages 3-11. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor
Complex offers annual passes starting at $75 + tax for adults and $60 +
tax for children ages 3-11. For more information, call 877-313-2610 or
visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.
About
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts
Delaware
North Companies Parks & Resorts is an industry leader, providing
Stewardship and Hospitality in Special Places (SM) with hotel, retail,
food service, recreation and transportation operations at historic and
scenic properties in North America and Australia. The company operates
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida; in Yellowstone, Grand
Canyon, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Olympic (Kalaloch Lodge), Shenandoah and
Yosemite national parks, including The Ahwahnee and other Yosemite lodges;
The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ohio; Harrison Hot Springs Resort &
Spa in British Columbia; Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.;
Peaks of Otter Lodge on the Blue Ridge Parkway and in Niagara Falls State
Park. The company also owns and operates Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite; the
Park Gate Lodges at Yellowstone, which are the West Yellowstone Holiday
Inn, Gray Wolf Inn and Suites and Yellowstone Park Hotel, as well as the
new Explorer Cabins, all in West Yellowstone, Mont.; and five luxury resorts
in Australia: Lizard Island Resort, Heron Island Resort, Wilson Island
Resort, Kings Canyon Resort and El Questro Homestead and Wilderness Park.
To learn more about Delaware North Companies’ hospitality management expertise,
visit www.DelawareNorth.com/parks-and-resorts-home.aspx.
About
Delaware North Companies
Delaware
North Companies is one of the largest and most admired privately held hospitality
companies in the world. Founded and owned for nearly 100 years by the Jacobs
family, it is a global leader in hospitality and food service. Its family
of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware
North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel
Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North
Companies International and Delaware North Companies Boston, owner of TD
Garden. Through these companies, Delaware North manages and provides food
and beverage concessions, premium dining, entertainment, lodging, and retail
at many large venues and special places. These include high-profile venues
ranging from sports stadiums, entertainment complexes, national parks,
airports, and some of the top regional casinos in the country. Delaware
North Companies has revenue exceeding $2.7 billion annually and 55,000
associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada,
the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit
www.DelawareNorth.com.
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Media
Contact:
Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex
Kennedy
Space Center, Florida
Andrea
Farmer, 321-449-4318
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