IRIM’s Henrik Christensen presents “Robotics: An Economic Driver for the 21st Century” as part of the Georgia Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association’s breakfast series. 

Sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group, the event will be held at The Georgian Club, located at 100 Galleria Parkway in Atlanta. The club is on the 17th floor and the parking garage is adjacent to the building.

Details

• Online registration
• Open to the ­first 125 registrants
• Deadline for registration is June 9 at noon
• Breakfast will begin at 8:00 am
• Dress is coat and tie

Abstract

Over the last decade we have started to see a significant pickup in use of robotics and intelligent machines. This includes use of robot technology for reshoring manufacturing, using robot systems to give increased independence to people with disabilities, and increasing the safety of first responders. In this presentation we will discuss current advances in robotics and the research frontier for robotics across manufacturing, services, and defense applications.  We will use examples from the Georgia Tech Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM) to illustrate advances, but also try to provide the broader perspective on robotics and its impact across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, homeland security, and driverless cars.

Bio

Henrik I. Christensen is the KUKA Chair of Robotics and a Distinguished Professor of Computing. He is also the director of the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at Georgia Tech.

Christensen received his first degree in mechanical engineering and subsequently received M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Aalborg University in Denmark. His research focuses on human-centered robotics, specifically perception, human-robot interaction, and systems modeling. A large number of companies have commercialized his research and he has maintained active collaborations with researchers and companies across three continents. Christensen also serves as an advisor to numerous companies and agencies across the world.

The author of more than 300 contributions in the areas of computer vision, artificial intelligence, and computer vision, Christensen held positions at Aalborg University, Royal Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania before joining the Georgia Tech faculty.

Additionally, Christensen was the founder of the European Network of Excellence in Robotics (1999-2006), and in 2011, he founded the U.S. Robotics Virtual Organization. He was the coordinator of the effort to formulate the National Robotics Roadmap, which was presented to congress in 2009 and 2013.

Christensen received the Engelberger Award in 2011, the highest honor awarded by the robotics industry. He was also awarded the Boeing Supplier of the Year award in 2012, along with three other colleagues at Georgia Tech. He is a fellow of American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). In 2014, Christensen received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Aalborg University.