Humanoid robots, quadruped robot dogs, drones, interactive artificial intelligence applications, and scientific presentations awaited visitors at the Meet a Robot Day family day, held as the closing event of the Intelligent Robotics FAIR 2026 series at the ELTE Lágymányos Campus. The all-day, free program aimed to bring the world of robotics and artificial intelligence closer to families, young people, and all interested parties.

Visitors were not only observers but also active participants in the programs, as they could meet various robotic developments up close: INFUZE Robotics' humanoid robot Huba entertained the audience with a dance performance, while Enjoy Robotics' Eva robot, speaking several languages, offered a glimpse into the world of robot waiters. Óbuda University presented the latest solutions of robot-assisted surgery and its quadruped robot dog playing soccer, while Széchenyi István University gave insight into autonomous vehicle development, and UNEXMIN Georobotics brought the special world of underwater research robots to visitors.

The BME Aerospace Team arrived at the event with its own developed research rocket, while Euroknows' autonomous disinfection robot showcased the possibilities of robotics in healthcare. Visitors could also control the ELTE Faculty of Informatics' Silvanus field robot themselves and learned about the AlphaSort machine developed by the Department of Artificial Intelligence, which demonstrated how artificial intelligence can assist in automating everyday tasks by automatically sorting LEGO bricks. In addition, anyone who knew the Kodály hand signs for musical notes could play their favorite tune on the piano-playing robotic arm. The drone obstacle course and the prompt wizard workshop were especially popular with children, where they could try their hand as drone pilots and learn how to design their own games using AI.

One of the highlights of Meet a Robot Day was the popular science lecture series, where attendees were introduced to the most important questions of robotics and artificial intelligence in an accessible way. The talks covered the history of robotics, the development and future potential of AI, practical applications of humanoid robots, robotic solutions in education, and the connection between robotics and animal behavior research. The program also featured healthcare robotics, autonomous systems, drone technologies, automotive innovations, and developments in underground and underwater research robots.

The all-day event was concluded by the roundtable discussion titled “Spying Vacuum Cleaners and Gossiping Cars,” where experts discussed security issues in modern robotics and artificial intelligence. The conversation ranged from Isaac Asimov’s robotic laws drafted in 1942 to the latest AI Act regulations of the European Union, touching on issues such as data collection by smart devices, safe operation of autonomous robots, and cybersecurity challenges related to artificial intelligence. The participants of the roundtable organized by the Hungarian Robotics Association agreed that although technological advancement often outpaces regulation, with appropriate protective mechanisms and continuous risk monitoring, the future of robotics and artificial intelligence can be fundamentally positive and value-creating.

Within the framework of the all-day series, the joint card game development competition of Qubit and ELTE IK also concluded with great success, where guests could test robot-themed games throughout the day alongside the Meet a Robot Day exhibition area. More than 200 enthusiastic testers tried and evaluated the twenty pre-selected games at separate tables. The range of games was well-received by participants: several games received exclusively positive feedback!

Based on tester ratings, the Audience Prize was won by Zoltán Simon with his game Get Ready for Robot!. This is a family card game for 2-5 players, in which players must find suitable workplaces for their various robots and create the most valuable combinations. The unique aspect of the game is that the drafting and card-picking mechanics offer strategic depth for adults and easily understandable, intuitive rules for children.

The jury’s first prize went to Dávid Kara and Ádám Nemesházi for their game Biobot. This game is set in a fascinating post-apocalyptic world where humanity has fled Earth, but the abandoned, discharged robots have entered into symbiosis with a plant-fungus hybrid species, thus creating biobots composed of living tissue and metal. The game's accessories were also special: it uses partially transparent cards, whose combinations must also be utilized during gameplay.

The jury’s second place went to Dr. Szabolcs Pásztor for his game Robot System Architect, which can be played by up to eight people. The author works at the Hungarian Bosch group, which is reflected in the game: the cards feature illustrations of real-life industrial components. The game was created to fill a gap, as it teaches modern engineering approaches, software integration, lean principles, and optimization in a playful way.

Third place went to Zsolt Körösi with his game Martium – The Red Gold of Mars. The game combines mechanics of combat, production, and resource management. According to the story, Earth's resources are depleted, and survival depends on a special red crystal, martium, that can be mined on Mars. Players control different factions competing for Martian mines, continuously developing their combat and mining machines. Congratulations to all winners and participants, and thanks to all testers for the many games and your enthusiasm! The work of young developers and creators clearly showed that robotics is not only a scientific and industrial field but also a creative, playful, and community-building activity. 

This year’s Meet a Robot Day once again proved that robotics and artificial intelligence are not a distant future, but are becoming an increasingly defining part of our everyday lives. The hundreds of visitors, the filled lecture halls, and the constant buzz around the demonstrations showed that curiosity about robotics and artificial intelligence reaches all age groups. For the ELTE Faculty of Informatics, the only question now is not whether there will be a next Meet a Robot Day, but how to make it even more exciting for even more visitors.