MARS happened this week, and no, we’re not talking about the planet.

It’s Amazon’s annual invite-only event focusing on Machine learning, Automation, Robotics and Space – MARS.

This year’s attendees included big names from the tech innovation industries and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Veteran astronauts including Mike Massimino and Story Musgrave, were also there.

Jeff Bezos, who is currently still enjoying “richest man in the world” status, seemed to be having a great time.

Here’s GeekWire:

This week marks the fourth annual MARS gathering, which has now given rise to an open-to-the-public spinoff called “re:MARS.”

The first re:MARS conference is planned for June 4-7 in Las Vegas, with a $1,999 admission charge.

Lots of weighty subjects are addressed at MARS, but Bezos says the most important metric for judging success is to “have some fun.”

And fun is what Bezos had, if this video of him with a robotic dragonfly is anything to go on:

We can all aspire to find someone who looks at us the way Jeff Bezos looks at that robot.

The BionicOpter, created by Festo AG, is designed to fly like (and look like) an oversized dragonfly.

In the workaday world, BionicOpter is meant to be used to provide sensor data continuously from the air, via a wireless connection. But at The Parker Resort in Palm Springs, the purpose appears to be purely to have some fun.

Bezos released the BionicOpter to take a few spins around his head, and then the dragonfly’s keeper gracefully grabbed the dragonfly from the air.

“You’re good at catching it,” Bezos said. “You’ve done that before.”

Afterward, the billionaire registered one request: “Thank you @FestoAG, but bigger please…. I want to get on!”

I don’t. But you do you, Jeff.

[source:geekwire]