The UCD Robotics Group is holding the first UCD Robotics Open Day on February 9th 2012. They are opening their labs and robots to students from schools and universities. There will be lab tours, hands-on demonstrations and invited talks featuring robotics researchers from all over Ireland.

Details about the talks and demostrations can be found here

The Irish FIRST LEGO League (FLL) be will held on Saturday 21st of February in the Radision hotel Galway. FLL is an international program for children ages 9-16. It combines a hands-on, interactive robotics program and a research presentation with a sports-like atmosphere. Teams consist of up to 10 members and focus on team building, problem solving, creativity, and analytical thinking. National winners go on to compete at European and World championships.

There is also be a 3rd level mini-sumo competition with robots being entered from Trinity College, GMIT and UCD.

It has been a while since I last ran a Make Night, but the Christmas Jumper one is great!

Make Nights are returning to the Science Gallery 30th of November (6pm-8pm). Relaxed making will once again be the order of the day. Make Nights are about making anything you want at all in a friendly atmosphere, but since it is Christmas Season (well almost!) this extra special event is about making Christmas jumpers.

Yes think Bridget Jones Diary. Just bring a jumper and will we provide the materials to make it festive! We will have red ribbons, fake snow, holly etc ... So bring your creativity and any other "bits and pieces" you have to create an unique Christmas jumper which will wow your existing friends and win you new better friends.

As always Make Nights are open to all and is admission is Free.

The Irish Robotics Club will be holding a class on microcontroller programming using the popular Arduino board in the Science Gallery on 14.08.2011

What’s an Arduino?

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environment.

What you’ll learn

• Familiarisation with the Arduino programming environment
• How to read digital and Analogue inputs
• Digital and Analogue outputs
• Set up a communication port between the Arduino and an laptop

We’ll be blinking more LEDs than you could possibly ever want!

At the end of the class we will put all the skills together to make a simple breathalyser using an alcohol sensor.

What You’ll need

A laptop with the Arduino IDE installed from here 

We’ll give you a lend of an Arduino board for the class or you can bring your own. You’ll get to keep the alcohol sensor circuit at the end.

No previous electronics experience or programming experience is required.

Arduino boards will be available to buy in Science Gallery shop after the workshop if you wish to do so.

Workshop length 3-4 hours approx. 

Tickets (10 Euro) are available from the Science Gallery Website