{"200741":{"#nid":"200741","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Robots to Spur Economy, Improve Quality of Life, Keep Responders Safe","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERobots are being used more widely than expected in a variety of sectors, and the trend is likely to continue with robotics becoming as ubiquitous as computer technology over the next 15 years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat is the message Henrik Christensen, Georgia Tech\u2019s KUKA Chair of Robotics in the College of Computing, will bring to the Congressional Robotics Caucus on March 20 as he presents \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/robotics-vo.us\/sites\/default\/files\/2013%20Robotics%20Roadmap-rs.pdf\u0022\u003EA Roadmap for U.S. Robotics: From Internet to Robotics - 2013 Edition\u003C\/a\u003E.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe report, which outlines the progress of robots in multiple industries over the last five years and identifies goals for the coming decade, highlights robotics as a key economic enabler with the potential to transform U.S. society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRobots have the potential to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., to improve our quality of life and to make sure our first responders and warfighters stay safe,\u201d said Christensen, who is also the coordinator of Robotics Virtual Organization (VO), sponsor of the report. \u201cWe need to address the technical and educational needs so we can continue to be leaders in developing and using robotic technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA group of more than 160 experts from universities, industry and government came together for five workshops over the last year to fully evaluate the use of robotics across various applications and create a roadmap to the future. Christensen is presenting that report to lawmakers as a guide on how to allocate resources to maximize progress.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost notably, the group found using robots in manufacturing could help generate production systems that are economically competitive to outsourcing to countries with lower wages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies such as Apple, Lenovo, Samsung and Foxconn already have begun to \u201creshore\u201d manufacturing by using robotics in production systems. The sale of robotics in manufacturing grew by 44 percent in 2011 as robots have become cheaper and safer. The use of robots is shifting from big companies such as General Motors, Ford, Boeing and Lockheed Martin to small and medium-sized enterprises to enable burst manufacturing for one-off products, the report found.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChristensen notes that automation in manufacturing will not lead to job losses for U.S. workers, but will create new high-value jobs. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome jobs will be eliminated, but they are the \u2018dirty, dull and dangerous\u2019 jobs,\u201d Christensen said. \u201cThose jobs will be replaced with skilled labor positions. That\u2019s why one of the goals in the roadmap is to educate the workforce.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to manufacturing, robots are helping businesses such as Amazon improve logistics and reduce delivery costs, a savings that could be passed on to the consumer. In agriculture, robots are being used to precisely deliver pesticide onto crops, reducing unnecessary exposure of chemicals on produce. The report recommends continued progress in both areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith advances in human-like manipulation, robots are increasingly assisting individuals with disabilities with tasks such as getting out and preparing meals. They are also being used in 40 percent more medical procedures than a few years ago and in a greater number of surgical areas such as cardiothoracic, gynecology, urology, orthopedics and neurology. The use of robots for surgery can reduce complications by 80 percent, the report found.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERobots have proven their value in removing first-responders and soldiers from immediate danger. More than 25,000 robotic systems were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan for ground and aerial missions. More than 50 percent of pilots in the U.S. Air Force operate remotely piloted systems and never leave the ground.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlso robots are becoming an integral part of space exploration, such as the Opportunity and Curiosity on Mars rovers. A \u201crobonaut\u201d is on the International Space Station helping with menial but important research tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs impressive as the progress in robotics has been, the report outlines five-, 10- and 15-year goals to take robotics to the next level. Critical capabilities that should be developed for robotics include 3-D perception, intuitive human-robot interaction and safe robot behavior.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe report is an update of the initial robotics roadmap, which was published and presented to Congress in May 2009. That roadmap led to the creation of the National Robotics Initiative, an effort jointly sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Institutes of Health. It also established Robotics VO, a community networking platform that brings all robotics players together to focus on joint initiatives including research, STEM outreach and technology transfer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRobotics is one of a few technologies capable of building new companies, creating new jobs and addressing a number of issues of national importance,\u201d said Christensen. \u201cWe hope this report will help foster the discussion on how we can build partnerships and allocate resources to move the robotics industry forward.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERobots are being used more widely than expected in a variety of sectors, and the trend is likely to continue with robotics becoming as ubiquitous as computer technology over the next 15 years, according to the new report.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Henrik Christensen, Georgia Tech\u2019s KUKA Chair of Robotics, presents \u201cA Roadmap for U.S. Robotics: From Internet to Robotics - 2013 Edition\u201d to Congress."}],"uid":"27462","created_gmt":"2013-03-20 08:31:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:13:51","author":"Liz Klipp","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-03-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-03-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"200761":{"id":"200761","type":"image","title":"Henrik Christensen, KUKA Chair of Robotics","body":null,"created":"1449179943","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:59:03","changed":"1475894853","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:33","alt":"Henrik Christensen, KUKA Chair of Robotics","file":{"fid":"196566","name":"10p1000-p71-032.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10p1000-p71-032_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/10p1000-p71-032_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1658067,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/10p1000-p71-032_1.jpg?itok=jrygWAHC"}}},"media_ids":["200761"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.robotics-vo.us\/node\/332","title":"Robotics VO"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.roboticscaucus.org\/members\/default.asp","title":"Congressional Robotics Caucus"},{"url":"http:\/\/robotics-vo.us\/sites\/default\/files\/2013%20Robotics%20Roadmap-rs.pdf","title":"A Roadmap for U.S. Robotics: From Internet to Robotics - 2013 Edition"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/henrik-christensen","title":"Henrik Christensen, Georgia Tech\u0027s KUKA Chair of Robotics"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/blog\/2013\/03\/20\/road-cutting-edge-robots","title":"White House Office of Science and Technology Policy blog post"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"155","name":"Congressional Testimony"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"346","name":"congress"},{"id":"11890","name":"henrik christensen"},{"id":"12239","name":"RIM"},{"id":"62031","name":"Robotics Roadmap"},{"id":"62041","name":"Robotics VO"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["klipp@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}