For the first time ever, the public has been invited to vote on four robots for induction into the Robot Hall of Fame ©. The robots will be inducted in a ceremony October 23, 2012, when they will take their place alongside of such notables as NASA's Mars Sojourner, Honda's ASIMO and Star War's R2-D2 and C-3PO.

People can vote for one robot in each of four categories: Education and Consumer; Entertainment; Industrial & Service; and Research. Voting will continue through September, 30.

In 2012, the Robot Hall of Fame(RHoF) altered its selection process. Rather than impanel a set jury, RHOF officials surveyed 107 authorities on robotics from industry, academia and elsewhere, inviting them to anonymously nominate robots in four categories. The top three nominees in each category were then placed on the ballot for induction and the public was invited to vote online for one nominee in each category. The final decision on inductees is based half on the public vote and half on the survey of experts.
“The technology and art of robotics are advancing at an increasingly rapid rate and so the Robot Hall of Fame also must evolve,” said Shirley Saldamarco, RHOF director and a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center. “As more students, workers and consumers become accustomed to robots, it seems like a natural step to give the public a voice in selecting inductees.”

Created in 2003 by Carnegie Mellon University, the RHoF recongnizes excellence in robotics technology. It honors both the fictional robots that inspire innovation and the real robots that embody it. In 2009, it was intergrated into Carnegie Science Center's roboworld™ exhibit.

To vote for one robot in each category, click here.

To purchase tickets for the Robot Hall of Fame induction ceremony, click here.

The RHoFa induction is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University, the ETC, Carnegie Science Center, the Pittsburgh Technology Council and RoboBusiness.