More than eight decades after Westinghouse Electric Corp. introduced Televox --a crudely conceived humanoid that could answer the telephone and route calls--robots finally have a week out of the year that they can call their own. In addition to celebrating how far robots have come from their humble beginnings as strictly mechanized labor, National Robotics Week (April 10 to18) is an opportunity for researchers and industry to promote a future where robots routinely perform delicate medical procedures, serve as companions to the elderly and infirm and aid troops in combat. [More]