SOUTH PORTLAND — The inventor of the Segway stand-up scooter is visiting Maine to promote robotics in schools.

Dean Kamen is arriving by helicopter Thursday at Fairchild Semiconductor’s headquarters in South Portland. There, Kamen, Gov. Paul LePage and Fairchild officials will announce the formation of the new Robotics Institute of Maine, which was formed this year to coordinate student robotics competitions across the state.

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Dean Kamen 2001 AP File Photo

Maine robotics teams also will be on hand at Thursday’s event to demonstrate their Frisbee-throwing robots.

Kamen is a ceaseless advocate of robotics who founded an organization in 1989 called FIRST that develops ways to inspire students in engineering and technology fields.