The Robotics Technology Consortium, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Innovation Accelerator have announced that the first RoboBowl competition will take place during the “Innovation Accelerator @ Carnegie Mellon” event at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa., on October 13, 2011. The competition is the first of what is expected to be a series of new-venture competitions intended to find and foster start-up and early-stage companies seeking to develop “big idea” products and services in healthcare, manufacturing, national defense, education, and other domains based on next-generation robotics technology.  

RoboBowl Pittsburgh is open to any U.S.-based start-up or early-stage business with an idea or concept for using next-generation robotics technology to develop and bring to market a compelling product or service that addresses unmet or underserved needs in the healthcare and quality-of-life industries.  Entrants will submit business summaries that judges will review to select semi-finalists who will make online presentations.  Judges will then select five finalists, each of whom will win $5,000 in cash prizes, to compete in a live final round on October 13, 2011 for a chance to win an additional $20,000.

Future RoboBowl competitions are expected to take place in various locations across the U.S. and focus on next-generation robotics technology solutions in other domains such as manufacturing and logistics, national defense, homeland security, civil infrastructure, energy, transportation, and field industries such as agriculture and mining.