U of M students to present robot show

Engineering students from the University of Minnesota will unveil hundreds of robots in the largest-ever exhibition of its kind in the Twin Cities.

The show on the school's campus will feature more than 200 computer-controlled machines when the event opens Monday. Engineering students created the computer-controlled robots as part of a class using minimal materials.

William Durfee, a mechanical engineering professor, said people often don't realize how much we already depend on sophisticated robots for everyday tasks.

"Even in your automobile, there are anywhere from 4 to 10 computers doing everything from the anti-lock brakes to monitoring the pressure in your tires," he said.

The robots in the show will be judged by more than 140 engineering and design professionals. The show at the McNamara Alumni Center is free and open to the public. It runs from 2:40 to 4:30.