Eura sports hall was buzzing with technology and lively conversation on Thursday October 16, as the RoboAI Roadshow arrived to showcase the latest innovations to local school children and companies. Throughout the day, visitors saw firsthand what technologies from areas like robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation can enable, and what they can offer for the future of Satakunta.
School children got hands-on with technology
In the morning, 5th and 6th grade pupils from local schools were invited to explore various technologies through six playful tasks. In total, around 260 children got to try tasks related to mobile robotics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. For example, they got to challenge an AI system to misidentify safety gear, controlled a motion-capture-suited instructor using voice and movement, and identified different wellbeing technology devices.
In their welcome speech, Heads of Research Johanna Lainio and Taina Jyräkoski reminded the kids that these are exactly the kinds of technologies they could study at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in the future.
– It’s good to stay curious about many different things and listen carefully in class early on – one day, you might be working at RoboAI, playing with robots for a living, they encouraged with a smile.
New perspectives for business and production
The afternoon program was designed especially for local companies. Companies had the chance to hear about the latest technologies and test them in practice. In total, the event featured 15 booths and workshops, presenting the activities of RoboAI Research Center and its partners.
The Roadshow attracted several company representatives from Eura. Niko Aromäki, Technician and Laser Safety Officer at ETS-Lindgren, and Tero Sainio, the company’s IT Manager for Europe, found the event highly relevant.
– We’re currently automating our production across several areas to meet new business challenges. We’re particularly interested in production modernization through robotics and the potential of local AI in administrative work. That’s why this RoboAI Roadshow was a perfectly timed and relevant event for us, Aromäki and Sainio explained.
Participants also came from farther away in Satakunta. Anne Kontula, Head of R&D at TVO, and Riika Hämäläinen, R&D Project Manager, said they wanted to stay up to date with the latest technological developments.
– A nuclear power plant has many parts that need to be modernized. We wanted to see what’s available and what kinds of opportunities exist. For example, we had never heard of this AI-assisted safety gear inspection before – we’ll definitely share this idea with our occupational safety unit, said Kontula and Hämäläinen enthusiastically.
Tero Sainio and Niko Aromäki from ETS-Lindgren, as well as Anne Kontula and Riika Hämäläinen from TVO, attended the RoboAI Roadshow to learn more about the opportunities offered by new technologies.
Collaboration brings vitality to Satakunta
The RoboAI Roadshow received plenty of praise from participants for its practical approach and inspiring atmosphere. The day highlighted the strong technological expertise that exists in Satakunta and the importance of bringing it to all corners of the region.
– This event was very much needed in Eura. I received a lot of positive feedback and appreciation for organizing something like this close to local companies. RoboAI Roadshow showed that even smaller towns have the interest and the need for technology and research-driven solutions, says Kari Kankaanranta, Municipal Manager of Eura.
Photos from the RoboAI Roadshow goes Eura
The RoboAI Roadshow was organized as part of the RoboFleet project, which is co-funded by European union through Regional Council of Satakunta.
