On April 26, 2025, the Spatial AI and Robotics (SAIR) Lab welcomed K-12 kids, undergrad students, teachers, and families from across Western New York for Robotics Day 2025, a vibrant outreach event aimed at engaging K-12 students in the exciting world of robotics, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems.

Throughout the day, visitors explored live demos of cutting-edge robots, including humanoid robots, quadruped drones, and wheeled robots, all powered by advanced AI techniques developed in the lab. Participants had hands-on experiences with robot navigation, real-time vision processing, and human-robot interaction systems.

Faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers from SAIR Lab guided tours and presented interactive exhibits to showcase how robotics research can transform the future of transportation, healthcare, and space exploration. The event also featured a student poster session, Q&A panels with researchers, and interactive games where children could interact with robots using voice commands and gestures.

“Robotics Day is one of our favorite ways to connect with the community,” said Prof. Chen Wang, director of SAIR Lab. “We want young students to see that robotics isn’t just science fiction, it’s an exciting, creative, and collaborative field where they can make a real impact.” SAIR Lab’s Robotics Day is part of its broader mission to promote STEM education and early engagement in research. The event drew over 100 attendees and received enthusiastic feedback from students and parents alike.