How are Robots Selected for the Robot Hall of Fame®?

The Robot Hall of Fame selected its first five classes of inductees with the aid of a distinguished international jury. This group included scholars, researchers, writers, and designers. The late science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, video game design guru Will Wright, and Star Wars actor Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) are among the notables who have served as jurists, as have academics such as MIT’s Rodney Brooks, Georgia Tech’s Henrik Christensen and Carnegie Mellon’s Raj Reddy. The jury both nominated robots and selected the final inductees.

In 2012, the Robot Hall of Fame 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: Education & Consumer; Entertainment; Industrial & Service, and Research. 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.