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“Any sufficiently advanced technology,” Arthur C. Clarke once wrote, “is indistinguishable from magic.”
This fall, the “magic show” comes to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, where more than 150 companies will show off the robots and AI tools that are reshaping industries. For Beaver County — long known for steel mills and smokestacks — the spectacle is more than entertainment. It’s a glimpse of how advanced technology can fuel the county’s next chapter.
“Robotics and AI Discovery Day demonstrates how physical AI solutions are now driving real business impact, powering transformative innovation, accelerating progress and redefining what’s possible across multiple industries,” said Jennifer Apicella, executive director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network.
Last year, attendees watched Boston Dynamics’ four-legged “Spot” robot trot the convention floor while Aurora Innovation parked a gleaming prototype of its self-driving semi cab in the hall. Aurora—whose autonomous trucks now test on Beaver County roads—will return this year. “Pittsburgh has long been the birthplace and proving ground for robotics, AI and autonomy,” said Aurora co-founder and chief scientist Drew Bagnell. “Robotics and AI Discovery Day shines a spotlight on how innovations rooted here are now reshaping industries and redefining what’s possible.”
Beaver County’s Role in the Robotics Conversation
For Beaver County, the robot parade isn’t just a curiosity. It’s a preview of technologies that could help reinvent a county still best known for steel mills, smokestacks, and the occasional bridge replacement project that never seems to end.
At the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC), students can now enroll in Mechatronics, a program that mixes mechanical, electrical, and computer skills into the sort of hybrid talent robots require. A recent federal grant has also expanded CCBC’s STEM Academy, giving high schoolers early access to college-level robotics and engineering coursework.
“This is about preparing a workforce that can compete in tomorrow’s economy,” a CCBC spokesperson said when the program launched. Translation: fewer teenagers shipping out for Pittsburgh, and more staying here to program the machines that may soon outwork us all.
The Beaver County Career & Technology Center is also nudging students toward automation by teaching advanced manufacturing and maintenance. It’s not robotics in the flashy, humanoid sense, but it’s the wiring, welding, and wrench-turning knowledge that keeps robotic arms moving and factory floors humming.
Regional Resources, Local Payoffs
Just downriver, the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute runs a Robotics Manufacturing Hub where small and mid-sized manufacturers can test automation equipment without betting the factory on it. That means a Beaver County shop can try out a robotic welder before spending the cash—and maybe discover that the machine not only welds straighter seams but also never asks for a coffee break.
Companies that have gone this route report safer workplaces and better productivity. And if it works in Allegheny County, there’s no reason the same can’t apply in Beaver County.
A County Looking Ahead
The county’s economic landscape is shifting quickly. Potter Township now boasts the Shell cracker plant, Aliquippa is welcoming 72 Steel, and Midland and New Galilee are seeing data centers and advanced manufacturing plans sprout on old industrial ground. Robotics is the connective tissue that could hold these investments together, making them more efficient, safer, and sustainable.
For Beaver County’s young people, that could mean staying close to home for high-tech careers. For small manufacturers, it’s a chance to level the playing field against bigger competitors. And for the rest of us, it might mean a future where Beaver County is remembered for more than mills, Oram’s donuts, and traffic on Route 51.
Robotics and AI Discovery Day may be held in downtown Pittsburgh, but its lessons travel well. With training pipelines at CCBC, technical education in Monaca, and regional partners ready to help, Beaver County has every reason to imagine itself not only as part of Pittsburgh’s robotics story—but as one of its next chapters.
If You’re Going …
Robotics and AI Discovery Day 2025
- Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
- Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Location: David L. Lawrence Convention Center,
- 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
- Admission: Free and open to the public (no tickets required)
- Exhibitors: 150+ companies and organizations showcasing robotics, AI, and autonomy technologies
- Expected Attendance: Over 10,000 visitors
- Highlights: Demonstrations of industrial robots, autonomous vehicles, and AI applications across multiple industries
- Parking: On-site Convention Center garage (via 10th Street) and multiple nearby garages and lots; public transit options available via Port Authority bus and T systems
- More Info: pghrobotics.org/robotics-discovery-day
