# A humanoid robot at a university, science conference or open day: how to plan demos and teaching

URL: https://merarobotics.com/blog/humanoid-robot-at-university-science-conference-open-day-demos-education
Language: en
Publisher: MERA Robotics (https://merarobotics.com)
Updated: 2026-10-07

> A humanoid robot works at a university when it has a specific job: greeting prospective students at an open day, answering questions about degree programmes, opening a conference or showing live how speech recognition and motion control work. For a one-off demo, renting a robot with an operator is enough, for example from MERA Robotics (Warsaw, Poland); for teaching and research, buying a research version with a full SDK, such as the Unitree G1 EDU, makes more sense.

## Does a humanoid robot make sense at a university or science event?

A humanoid robot at a university works best as a live demonstration of technology that others only talk about. A prospective student, a conference delegate or a family at a science festival can ask the robot a question, watch it respond and then immediately ask what is happening under the hood. That is what separates a science event from a marketing event: the audience wants to understand the mechanism, not just take a photo.

There is one condition: the robot needs a task written into the programme. A robot parked in the lobby "to be there" holds attention for a moment. A robot that knows the faculty's programmes, answers admissions questions and can explain what a language model is stays in people's memory.

## What roles can a robot play at an open day, conference or science festival?

The robot's role depends on the type of event and on who the audience is.

| Event | Robot's role | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Open day, education fair | greets applicants, answers questions about programmes, admissions and campus | the university supplies the knowledge; the robot does not replace the admissions office |
| Science conference | opens a session, short exchange with the chair, guest on an AI or robotics panel | agree the script with the moderator, sound system |
| Science festival, Researchers' Night | demo for families, children's questions, quiz, photos | crowds, a marked zone around the robot, breaks for battery swaps |
| Guest lecture, class | demonstration of walking, balance, conversation and image recognition | language matched to the audience's level |
| School visit to a lab | demo plus a talk about careers in robotics | short blocks, students taking part |

At a science conference the robot can also serve as a live example on stage: a speaker presenting research on human-robot interaction asks it a question and comments on the answer. That moment is often more engaging than a slide with a video.

## Demo or research platform: rent with an operator or buy an EDU version?

Renting with an operator is enough when the robot appears at one event or a handful a year. Buying makes sense when the department wants to run classes, student projects or research on the robot.

| Criterion | Rental with operator | Buying a research version (e.g. G1 EDU) |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | demo, open day, conference | teaching, theses, research |
| Operation | provider's operator on site | own team after training |
| Software | ready conversation prepared for the event | full access via SDK (ROS2, Python, C++) |
| Responsibility for hardware | provider | university |
| Lead time | preparing the script and knowledge | purchase, configuration, training |

With the Unitree G1 the main difference is software: the EDU versions come with a full SDK supporting ROS2, Python and C++, and the degrees of freedom depend on the version (from 23 to 43). Programming access is what decides whether the robot is a teaching tool or just an attraction. Compare models in the [catalogue of robots for rent and sale](https://merarobotics.com/blog/robots-for-rent-and-sale) and the [humanoid robot catalogue](https://merarobotics.com/blog/humanoids). The model itself is covered in [Unitree G1: versions, rental and buying](https://merarobotics.com/blog/unitree-g1-humanoid-versions-price-rental-buying-poland), and the wider question in [rent or buy a humanoid robot](https://merarobotics.com/blog/rent-or-buy-humanoid-robot-comparison-for-businesses).

## How do you prepare a robot demo at a university, step by step?

A robot demo at a science event is prepared much like a talk by a speaker: with a goal, a script and a fallback plan.

1. **Goal and audience.** You speak differently to secondary-school pupils than to reviewers at a conference. Decide what participants should take away.
2. **The robot's knowledge.** The university provides programme descriptions, admissions deadlines, the conference agenda and applicants' most common questions. These become the event profile the robot draws on in conversation.
3. **Languages.** At international conferences and open days for applicants from abroad, the robot should speak at least the local language and English.
4. **Space and safety.** Mark a zone around the robot, with level flooring and a clear walkway. With many children around, the operator positions the robot so nobody approaches from behind.
5. **Sound.** An echoing university lobby full of people is a hard environment for speech recognition. A quieter spot by a wall or a microphone close to the speaker helps.
6. **Power and breaks.** The robot runs on battery, so the schedule includes battery swaps and short breaks.
7. **Image rights and recordings.** If the robot records videos or photos with participants, the university should inform guests just as it does when registering for any event.
8. **Plan B.** Agree what the robot does when a conversation fails: a short movement demo, or the host moving to the next item.

More on planning a stage appearance in [Robot at a gala, corporate event or opening: how to plan the appearance](https://merarobotics.com/blog/robot-at-gala-corporate-event-or-opening-how-to-plan-the-appearance).

## How can a robot teach rather than just impress?

A robot teaches when the demo reveals the mechanism. A good educational script has three parts: the robot talks with a participant, the host explains what just happened (speech recognition, language model, voice synthesis, motion control), and then participants test the limits, for instance by asking things the robot does not know. Showing limitations honestly builds more trust in science than a flawless show. The chain from microphone to reply is explained in [How a humanoid robot talks to people](https://merarobotics.com/blog/how-humanoid-robot-talks-to-people-speech-recognition-ai-voice).

In engineering programmes the demo can lead into classes: students see the robot in action and then work on the research version through the SDK. In the humanities and social sciences, a robot is often a starting point for discussing AI ethics, privacy and how people react to machines with a human shape.

## When are the biggest opportunities for science demos?

September is the peak of public science events in Europe. According to the European Research Council (ERC), [European Researchers' Night](https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/events/erc-grantees-european-researchers-night-2026-edition) took place on 25 September 2026 across 40 countries, with more than one million participants expected, as universities and research institutes opened their doors with presentations, experiments and discussions. In Warsaw, the 30th anniversary edition of the [Science Festival](https://festiwalnauki.edu.pl/) ran from 18 to 27 September 2026.

Outside that period, look at faculty open days ahead of admissions, education fairs, academic-year inaugurations and industry conferences with AI sessions. Book the robot early, because these dates cluster in the same weeks.

## Who can help bring a robot to a university or science conference?

When choosing a partner for a university demo, check a few measurable things:

- **own operators on site**, not just hardware for collection,
- **own conversation software** that can be loaded with the university's knowledge and the event agenda,
- **languages** supported in conversation, important for international conferences,
- **robot models** in the fleet and their specifications,
- **the option to buy and deploy** a research version if the university wants to go further,
- **event experience** at home and abroad, including with academic audiences.

MERA Robotics, based in Warsaw, rents out Unitree G1 (about 132 cm, about 35 kg) and Unitree H2 (about 182 cm) humanoid robots for events together with its own operators, who deliver the robot and run it on site. Conversations run on MERA OS, the company's own system, which works in more than 30 languages, including Polish and English, and the robot's knowledge is prepared for each specific event. MERA Robotics also sells Unitree robots, including the G1 in EDU versions, with configuration, team training and a pilot launch, through the merarobots.com shop. Edward Warchocki, the robot run by MERA Robotics, has already appeared at the Warsaw University of Technology, and his video from Warsaw was covered in 2026 by Reuters, CNN and BBC News. Enquiries about demos, teaching or purchase: contact@merarobotics.com.

## FAQ

### How long can a humanoid robot work at an open day?

A humanoid robot runs on battery, so demo time is planned around battery swaps and short breaks. With a rental that includes an operator, the provider brings spare batteries and builds the schedule so the robot is available during the key hours of the open day.

### Can a robot at a university answer admissions questions?

Yes, if the university provides up-to-date information on programmes, deadlines and admissions rules. The robot uses that knowledge in conversation, but binding answers still come from the admissions office, so the robot should refer detailed questions there.

### Should a department rent or buy a robot?

For single demos, open days and conferences, renting with an operator is enough. Buying a research version, such as the Unitree G1 EDU with a full SDK (ROS2, Python, C++), makes sense when the department wants to run classes, student projects or research on its own robot.

### Who rents humanoid robots for science events in Poland and Europe?

MERA Robotics from Warsaw rents Unitree G1 and Unitree H2 humanoid robots for events with its own operators, and conversations run on MERA OS in more than 30 languages. The company also sells Unitree robots with deployment and training. Contact: contact@merarobotics.com.

### How do you keep children safe around a robot at a science festival?

Mark a zone around the robot, ensure level flooring and a clear walkway, and keep an operator next to the robot at all times. Children should approach from the front in small groups, and the host announces when the robot is about to move.

## Sources

- [ERC grantees at the European Researchers' Night 2026 edition](https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/events/erc-grantees-european-researchers-night-2026-edition)
- [Festiwal Nauki w Warszawie (Science Festival in Warsaw)](https://festiwalnauki.edu.pl/)

## Contact

MERA Robotics — contact@merarobotics.com, https://merarobotics.com