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Robots can explore dangerous terrain where humans should not go, search collapsed buildings and investigate bombs. They can search for signs of life on other planets. A robot can even take the form of an SUV that drives itself.

Carnegie Science Center visitors can get acquainted with many types of robots this weekend, when the center hosts a Robot Block Party. Displays will be spread out inside the North Shore building, on its lawn and in the SportsWorks parking lot. Visitors can get up close and interact with a variety of robots and learn about robotics technology.

"The whole idea is to bring together robots of all shapes, sizes and modes of movement ... and have people interact with them," says Linda Ortenzo. She is executive director of the center's SciTech Initiative, which promotes scientific and technological knowledge in the community.

"This is going to be really, truly enticing for people of all ages," she says. "There's going to be enough there so that every age group can be entertained, no question about it."

Visitors' "image of a robot is going to be very, very much broader by the time they leave this party," Ortenzo says.

Featured robots include Carnegie Mellon University's "Boss," a fully autonomous SUV that visitors can ride. Hazmat Robots will demonstrate their dangerous explosive-detecting duties. The Alcoa spokesrobot -- a 6-foot-tall social robot designed by International Robotics -- will serve as the official party host and circulate among visitors to dance with them and answer questions. Quasi -- a 2-foot-tall social robot from Interbots that is popular with kids -- will dance, sing and ask visitors questions. Many of the robots' creators will be on hand to answer questions, Ortenzo says.

One robotic highlight is Red Rover from Astrobotic Technology Inc. The roving robot -- a contender for the $30 million Google Lunar X Prize -- is designed to land on the moon's Sea of Tranquility and broadcast back high-definition video.

Visitors also can try riding a Segway, building and taking home their own small robots, explore robots built by students during the past year, participate in LEGO robot-building, and explore the North Shore with Sensor Safaris, which are portable packs of instruments and sensors designed to test the environment.

On Saturday, visitors can come to the center dressed as their favorite 'bot for a Robot Costume Contest. A panel of guest judges will award prizes beginning at 3 p.m. in the lobby. Participants can register on the center's Web site in advance, or on-site before 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Robot Block Party is presented in partnership with Robot 250, a joint project of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute and the UPCLOSE research project at the University of Pittsburgh.

The event is good publicity for Pittsburgh, Ortenzo says.

"It's really just making people aware and really excited about the fact that this area is one of the hottest beds in the world for robotics development," she says.

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