Tag: Czech

As a kid growing up in Slovakia, computer programmer Kamil Szabo was always fascinated by the Mars Exploration Rovers. NASA calls them “robot geologists” based on their mission to search for signs of water on the Red Planet.

But let’s face it — even if those vehicles had no scientific purpose whatsoever, the fact that these “toys” are still roaming free seven years after they crash landed on Mars is absolutely amazing.

The 24-year-old Kamil’s robotic dreams are much closer to home. He wants to travel to Vienna in the fall of 2012 to compete in Robotour, an international five-country competition where robot designers send their creations to deliver a payload (a five liter beer barrel) to pre-selected coordinates in a city park.

A ticking countdown clock to 2012 Robotour anchors Kamil’s personal website, which chronicles the development of his Spirit Junior robot.

If NASA ever needs beer barrels delivered on Mars, perhaps the Spirit Junior could fill the void. Read More