Panel Leader: Dan Kara, Vice President, Robotics | WTWH Media LLC
Any Internet search using the terms “artificial intelligence” (AI), “cognition”, or “machine learning”(ML) with the word “robotics” will return a slew of research and commercial initiatives focused on focused on robotic decision making, object identification, vision processing, autonomous navigation, motor control, sensor integration and other functions, as well as speech, facial and emotion recognition. In this panel session, attendees will learn how the latest AI and machine learning software and hardware technologies and techniques are currently being employed in ground based, aerial and maritime systems to make robots more intelligent and functional. Emerging commercial opportunities will be highlighted.

Panel Leader: Eugene Demaitre, Senior Editor, Robotics | WTWH Media LLC
‘Motion’ in the physical world, whether in the form of changing place, position or posture, is perhaps the greatest differentiator between robotic systems and all other classes of engineered products. It is motion is that makes robotics systems ‘robotic’, and it is advances in motion control technologies that have spurred robotics innovation, with the result that there has been a dramatic increase in the use of robotics technologies and products around the globe. In this panel session, attendees will learn how support for robotic motion control has improved with the introduction of new products and technologies, and how they allow for new capabilities, new applications, and entry into new markets. Case studies and product examples will be used to highlight salient points. Topics include:

• Motion and Movement
• Motion Control Products and Technologies
• Robotic Motion Control Trends
• Applications and Vertical Markets
• Motion Control and Robotics Opportunities

Panel Leader: Steve Crowe, Editor | The Robot Report
Commercial robotic systems typically require multiple types of sensors to capture information about the physical world, which following fusion and further processing allows them orient themselves, avoid obstacles, navigate, and provide additional information. The number, type, and quality of the onboard sensors vary depending on the price and target application for the platform. Common sensor types include 2D / 3D imaging sensors (cameras), 1D and 2D laser rangefinders, 2D and 3D sonar sensors, 3D High Definition LiDAR, accelerometers, GPS and more. Thankfully, solution providers continue to release low-cost, increasingly powerful products, and new sensing technologies are always emerging. In this panel session, attendees will learn of the latest advances in sensing products and technologies, including use cases highlighting important trends and examples of the latest sensing trends and techniques.

YJ Lim, Senior Technical Robotics Product Manager | MathWorks
As the demand for highly complex robotics and autonomous systems applications grows, including the need to comply with industry standards such as ISO 26262 or DO-178B/C, so too does the need for high-performance, easy to use, and fully integrated development environments that can support robotics developers. Engineers must verify that the design meets requirements, is functionally correct, complies to certification standards, and is correctly implemented. Simulation with Model-Based Design (MBD) is a key capability to help understand the behavior of complex designs of robotics and autonomous systems. This talk will discuss how Model-Based Design can support modeling, simulation, verification, and in some cases automatic code generation, for robotics systems. Verification and validation techniques, required to achieve high quality and increase productivity, will also be discussed.

Jorgen Pedersen, President & CEO | RE2 Robotics
Today’s robotics companies are often focused on the role of autonomy as it pertains to robotic systems. However, the presence of humans is critical to enable a successful implementation of robotics, particularly in organizations that rely heavily on human intellect and physical capability.

In this presentation, Jorgen Pedersen, CEO and founder of RE2 Robotics, will delve into the importance of utilizing supervised autonomy in mobile manipulation as a workforce multiplier across multiple industries. Specifically, he will highlight key industries that can benefit from supervised autonomy in the near term, including Aviation, Construction, Energy, and Oil & Gas. He will also discuss why certain industries are ripe for supervised autonomous mobile manipulation systems, particularly their shared common requirements for trained personnel, controlled environments, resiliency to external factors, and the cognitive ability to learn and adapt.

Matt Robinson, ROS- Americas Program Manager | Southwest Research Institute
Manufacturers of aerospace parts, heavy machinery, and other industrial equipment require large automated manufacturing systems for painting, surface-finishing, inspection, and more. These systems often employ a gantry outfitted with an industrial manipulator to extend the work envelope over many meters. Due to their sheer size and associated costs, these systems must perform multiple operations to ensure adequate return on investment. Automating these large, multi-process-systems has challenges including motion planning for redundant kinematics, calibration of 3D scanning sensors, environment management, user-interface, and collision monitoring. In this session, Matthew Robinson, ROS- Americas Program Manager at Southwest Research Institute, which manages the ROS-Industrial Consortium Americas, will share recent experiences with several complex automation systems for large-scale manufacturing that have recently been placed into production where ROS was used to enable and support new capabilities.

Siddharth Chhatpar, Chief Architect, Innovation and Product Development | Vecna Robotics
In this session, Siddharth Chhatpar, Chief Architect, Innovation and Product Development at Vecna Robotics will describe a unique design method that can be summed up by the phrase – “Build to Learn.” This approach encourages engineers to start prototyping early in the design process, even before they have all the necessary information, so they can drive innovation, extract key insights into potential problems, and reduce risk. The process is unconventional and strays from industry norms, but it empowers product designers to take risks, learn from them right away, and to iterate to solve problems in real-time. In this session, Chhatpar will provide an overview of his “Build to Learn” process, offer steps to change traditional design protocol, and share ways organizations can adapt this idea into practice at their business.

Brian Coyne, VP Mechatronics Engineering | Harmonic Drive
Today’s innovative robot designs require actuators that are highly functional featuring position sensing and an integrated servo drive, without sacrificing package size or torque density. Robot design engineers are working at unprecedented paces, and are constantly exploring ways to increase the diversity and potential of robots while accelerating time-to-market. In this informative session, Brian Coyne, VP Mechatronics Engineering at Harmonic Drive LLC will examine how an actuator’s design can be more of a significant enabler in robotic development.