Celebrate Robotics Week at IHMC Open House on April 11, 2025

Published 3.13.25

Want to meet the human who battles the humanoid robot Nadia at ping pong and boxing?

Or the researchers harnessing virtual reality and data visualization to help improve our ability to manage, synthesize, and act upon data in a slew of disciplines — from search and rescue and special warfare operations to the early detection of mild traumatic brain injuries and more.

The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition is where you want to be on April 11, 2025.

That’s the day that dozens of researchers, roboticists, engineers, cognitive scientists, and human performance experts will share what they love about their life in science during Open House for National Robotics Week.

From 4 to 7 p.m., IHMC staff will welcome families, students, and the public for tours, walk-throughs, and inspiration on the Pensacola campus on South Alcaniz Street. The final tour begins at 6:30 p.m.

The family-friendly event encourages scientific discovery through hands-on activities, challenges, and demonstrations while providing the opportunity to learn. Visitors will meet IHMC researchers and see first-hand their work in drones, robotics, virtual reality experiences, human performance research projects, data visualization, and more.

National Robotics Week was established by Congress in 2010 and aims to bring together students, educators, and influencers who share a passion for robots and technology.

Open House is a way for researchers like Jared Li, who wore the Eva exoskeleton on its first out-of-lab test, to share the love and enthusiasm for what they do with others. And possibly recruit a future colleague or two to the cause.

“IHMC is the best of all possible worlds as a researcher. You can do industry-style robotics research, but you also get the ability to do really cool new things that academia could also provide.
“Every day is great here, even though the research is hard, and the work can get difficult. A lot of the times you never have a good answer for the problems you’re trying to solve. It still is — daily — very satisfying to me.”

IHMC is a not-for-profit research institute of the Florida University System where researchers pioneer science and technology aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities. IHMC researchers and staff collaborate extensively with the government, industry and academia to help develop breakthrough technologies. IHMC research partners have included: DARPA, the National Science Foundation, NASA, Army, Navy, Air Force, National Institutes of Health, IBM, Microsoft, Honda, Boeing, Lockheed, and many others.