The Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC) is a non-profit industry organization formed in 2008 to speed the creation and deployment of ground robotics technology for the U.S. Dept. of Defense and other government entities. The RTC, with a membership of nearly 200 large and small commercial companies, academic institutions and non-profit organizations, develops solutions to meet critical needs identified by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise (OSD/JGRE) to support national security objectives.

Christensen is KUKA Chair of Robotics in the College of Computing’s School of Interactive Computing, as well as director of the Robotics and Intelligent Machines Center (RIM@GT).  He is former chair of the European Robotics Research Network and led the 2008-09 Computing Research Association effort to develop a roadmap for U.S. robotics research. In March, Christensen received the Engelberger Award, considered the world’s highest honor in industrial robotics.