wjr business beat

WJR Business Beat with Jeff Sloan: Lawrence Tech’s Annual Robofest Goes Virtual (Episode 78)

On today’s WJR Business Beat, Jeff shares news that the Lawrence Technological University Annual Student Robofest, which involves more than 2,500 LTU students, is going virtual this year.

The event, originally scheduled for May 14 to 16 on LTU’s Southfield campus, will now take place beginning August 28 through 29 and continue October 2 through 3 via video conferencing.

As reported in DBusiness magazine, C.J. Chung, Robofest inventor and professor of computer science at LTU, says, “We are proud to announce that Robofest is currently the only robotics world championship operating this year.”

Listen to today’s WJR Business Beat for more details on this entrepreneurial event:


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“These (events) drive technological advances. Ultimately these are the seeds; this is where it all starts, and we’re thrilled the event is going on.”
– Jeff Sloan

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WJR Business Beat Transcript

Good morning, Paul.

Today on the Business Beat, we’re pleased to report that the Lawrence Technological University Annual Student Robofest world championship, which involves more than 2,500 LTU students. Instead of canceling it, it’s moving online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event, originally scheduled for May 14 to 16 on LTU’s Southfield campus, will now take place beginning August 28 through 29 and continue through October second, third via video conferencing and other sign of the changing times. But we’re thrilled this event will go on the importance of events like this are these events help shape students’ minds. They force technological thinking, innovative and progressive thinking, which can result in the seeds of really interesting startup companies being born out of our region.

Now as reported in DBusiness magazine, C.J. Chung, Robofest inventor and professor of computer science at LTU, says, “We are proud to announce that Robofest is currently the only robotics world championship operating this year.”

That’s amazing. The only one, and of course it’s going to be operating online, but it will be taking place, Paul. Robofest teams can choose to participate in a variety of events. Love these.

How about golf bowl in which students design and build a robot to putt golf balls into holes on a six-foot table, while also knocking over water bottles.

How about bottle Sumo time trial, a competition in which robots try to push water bottles off a table. Robo arts, in which students create robots that offer artistic performances like music or dance. Robo med, in which students create medical care robots. And the list goes on and on.

Now, on the surface, these may seem playful and maybe even silly, but again, these drive technological advances. Ultimately these are the seeds. This is where it all starts, and we’re thrilled the event is going on.

I’m Jeff Sloan, founder and CEO of StartupNation.com and that’s today’s business beat on the Great Voice of the Great Lakes, WJR.


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