Hampton Roads is leader in robotics technology

Hollywood it isn't. Two days after the opening of the movie "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," scientists and suits gathered Friday in Suffolk at the Sensor Science & Technology Forum for Robotics and Unmanned Systems. … Friday's forum, sponsored by the Hampton Roads Technology Council and a number of local tech businesses, offered the robots' creators an opportunity to discuss ways the region can continue to build its lead in the field. …

Batten College's Engineering Technology Department professor Guoqing Zhou showed off a lightweight plane that uses commercial GPS systems to fly without a pilot or remote. He said he hopes the device can be used in emergency scenarios such as natural disasters.