Silicon Valley Comic Con kicks off in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- The second annual Silicon Valley Comic Con kicked off on Friday. An estimated 85,000 people are expected to jam the Convention Center now through Sunday.

For many, Silicon Valley Comic Con is all about fun, dressing on cosplay as their favorite characters.

"It's nice to be around a bunch of weirdos who are into the same thing," Castro Valley resident Aurora Hawley said.

What makes this gathering different is how creator Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, wanted to include elements of space, science and technology. Star Wars' C-3PO and NASA are sharing the floor.

"The people that come and dress in cosplay are the same people that are designing, doing the engineering at NASA. It's the same group and these two passions really overlap," Silicon Valley Comic Con CEO Trip Hunter said.

MORE: Rare movie memorabilia up for auction at Silicon Valley Comic Con

There were 65,000 people who attended the event last year. This year, numbers could hit 80,000. A three-day pass costs $99. A one-day ticket is $50.

However, there's also a free festival at Cesar Chavez Plaza, where families can experience virtual reality and other fast-developing technologies.

Collectibles are popular with the Comic Con crowd. Some people think nothing of spending $500 for a character they covet.

An Einstein lookalike is a personal robot that is about to hit the market. Production started this week in China. The inventor says it's patient with kids with their incessant questions.

"The robot you ask the same question over and over again. He has a lot of patience, but more importantly, he can keep going down more and more depth," Hanson Robotics inventor Andy Rifkin said.

This personal robot costs $249 with a show discount. He also is a bit of a character.

"It's always good to speak with a fellow scientist. We're going to do some great work together, trust me. I'm a genius," the robot says.

Click here for more information on Silicon Valley Comic Con.

Disney is the parent company of Lucasfilm and this station.