ROBOT lovers are in for a treat at a University of Plymouth conference next week.

The RoboThespian, a seasoned mechanical luvvy who performs theatrical pieces and entertains people, will be at the event to wow the crowds.

And the uni's UK Humanoid Robot football team will also be giving demonstrations of their ball skills at the conference.

Researchers and industry leaders will be brought together at the Towards Autonomous Robot Systems conference, at the university next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Organisers said that, for the first time in the UK, the conference will feature a debate between industry specialists and academics about the kind of robots needed to be developed in the next five years.

Conference organiser Dr Guido Bugmann, of the University of Plymouth School of Computing and Mathematics, said: "Research into users' needs shows that people want robots to do very practical things, rather than simply entertain them.

"Future developments could be especially important for elderly and disabled people.

"This conference aims to bring together the best researchers in the field and the leaders in the robotics industry, so they can develop products which will perform real services for people."

Keynote speaker, Geoff Pegman, of RURobots Ltd, will present a personal view on the prospects for personal robots entering widespread use in the next decade.

The UK Humanoid Robot football team, developed by the university's Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems, will give demonstrations before they leave to compete in this year's Federation of Robot Soccer Association competition.

Companies interested in going to the conference to see what robotics could mean for them are invited to register on the www.taros.org.uk website.