Sheffield Hallam University's Centre for Automation and Robotics Research (CARR) visited Hunters Bar Junior School in December 2014 to talk to Year 4 pupils about robots and research into robotics. They were joined by colleagues from the University of Sheffield who, together with CARR, form the Sheffield Robotics framework.

After a brief introduction in which University’s researchers talked about robots, what robots can do and the current state of research into robotics, pupils had the chance to meet real robots.

CARR showed a robot which follows the bar code on a piece of paper and explained the complicated process behind making the robot. Another robot demonstrated the automatic process of handling an object. University of Sheffield’s representative brought a robot called Zeno which can show facial expressions and with which pupils fell in love. It is a friendly, social robot which can engage with children and even talk to them!