To promote community development and relationship building, the RoboBusiness Conference and Exposition provides a number of special events both on and off the exposition floor that are open to RoboBusiness conference attendees.

On Thursday morning, June 22, 2006, the The Technology Collaborative, the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) and Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute will host a site visit to the National Robotics Engineering Center. The site visit begins  with an 8:45am pick up at Sheraton Station Square and returning at 11:15am.

About the National Robotics Engineering Center
The National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) is an operating unit within Carnegie Mellon Universitys Robotics Institute (RI), the worlds largest robotics research and development organization.

NREC technical personnel include RI faculty and staff, as well as personnel dedicated to furthering robotics education in elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools. NREC maintains close ties with campus-based Robotics Institute faculty and staff through project collaborations, staff and graduate student exchange, and seminar participation. RI faculty often keep office space at both locations.

The NREC frequently adapts and refines technology developed at the Robotics Institute for industrial or government use. A typical NREC project includes a rapid proof-of-concept demonstration followed by an in-depth development and testing phase that produces a robust prototype with intellectual property for licensing and commercialization. All through the process, the NREC applies best practices for software development, system integration, and field testing.