Toy Industry Association, Inc.

What kid doesn’t love a robot (even if it’s not R2-D2)? Attendees at this year’s American International Toy Fair got to meet Zoomer the robotic dog, who can do more than 60 tricks like fetch, play dead, sit, and shake. The annual tradeshow sponsored by the Toy Industry Association, Inc., featured some 150,000 toys, in addition to Zoomer.

International Federation of Robotics

Robots come in all shapes and sizes these days. There are robots that bake cookies, robots that do a load of laundry, even a robotic fork for dieters that tells them when to stop eating. To check out the latest in robotics science from leading researchers and engineers, head to the annual International Symposium on Robotics, sponsored by the International Federation of Robotics.

Robotics Industries Association

Almost 22,600 robots were sold to North American companies in 2012, according to the Robotics Industries Association, which represents robot manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, research groups, and consulting firms. RIA estimates that U.S. factories currently “employ” about 225,000 robots, making the U.S. second only to Japan in robot use.

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