The International Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Fair, to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 11, will both show Brazilian businesses that robotics are easier and more beneficial to implement that many believe and drum up interest in science and technology among students. Sixty exhibitors and 50,000 attendees are expected to take part in the second annual fair, with two distinct areas set up: One exclusively for industry members, and the other focusing entertainment and recreation, which is open to the public. "We are living the robotics revolution," said fair director Eduardo Branco. "It is all around, in the industry, in medicine, and in everyday life. We want to awaken Brazilians to this new reality." The industry side of the fair will feature robots utilizing wireless programming and one that can make a small car. The entertainment portion will feature two different robots that can play checkers against each other, a car that transforms into a six-meter-tall robot, and a shirt that can "hug" the wearer using embedded software. Several competitions will be held for students, including a best-creation contest using Lego robot-assembly kits, and Sumo for Robots. One robot developed by students at FEI is able to display anger, sadness, or happiness through changing its eye color between red, orange, and green, respectively. The number of FEI students currently studying robotics has increased to 20 in recent years. "The engineering has advanced, as has the computing," explained FEI computer science coordinator Flavio Tonidandel. "What will change in those two fields from now on is the use of artificial intelligence." Tonidandel believes that businesses will soon have to realize that "robotics is not the future anymore. It is the present."
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