Robotics Institute
{{Short description|Division of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{One source|date=February 2015}}
{{COI|date=February 2015}}
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{{Infobox university
|name = Robotics Institute
|image = Robotics Institute logo.svg
|image_size = 150px
|established = {{start date and age|1979}}
|type = Private
|director = Matthew Johnson-Roberson
|city = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
|students =
|faculty =
|campus = Urban
|website = http://www.ri.cmu.edu/
}}
The Robotics Institute (RI) is a division of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. A June 2014 article in Robotics Business Review magazine calls it "the world's best robotics research facility" and a "pacesetter in robotics research and education."{{cite web|last1=Edwards|first1=John|title=Carnegie Mellon: The World's Premier Robotics Institute?|url=http://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/article/carneige_mellon_the_worlds_premier_robotics_institute|website=roboticsbusinessreview.com|publisher=Robotics Business Review|access-date=10 September 2015|date=6 June 2014}}
The Robotics Institute focuses on bringing robotics into everyday activities. Its faculty members and graduate students examine a variety of fields, including space robotics, medical robotics, industrial systems, computer vision and artificial intelligence, and they develop a broad array of robotics systems and capabilities.
Established in 1979 by Raj Reddy,{{cite web |url=http://www.ri.cmu.edu/ri_static_content.html?menu_id=247 |title=Robotics Institute: History of the Robotics Institute |access-date=2011-08-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627051612/http://www.ri.cmu.edu/ri_static_content.html?menu_id=247 |archive-date=2015-06-27 }} the RI was the first robotics department at any U.S. university.[http://www.ri.cmu.edu/general/about.html Robotics Institute: About the Robotics Institute] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509065941/http://www.ri.cmu.edu/general/about.html |date=May 9, 2008 }} In 1988, CMU became the first university in the world offering a Ph.D. in Robotics.
In 2012, the faculty, staff, students and postdocs numbered over 500, and the RI annual budget exceeded $65M, making the RI one of the largest robotics research organizations in the world.{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/robotics-schools-2014-7?op=1|title=The 10 Best Universities For Robotics In The US|work=Business Insider|access-date=2017-05-18|language=en}}
The RI occupies facilities on the Carnegie Mellon main campus as well as in the Lawrenceville and Hazelwood neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, totaling almost 200,000 sq. ft of indoor space and 40 acres of outdoor test facilities.
Major centers
The National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) was established in 1996 as the commercial arm of the RI, with the intention of applying robotic technology to commercial and defense applications. It has partnered with more than 300 companies such as General Motors, GE Ventures, Google and Apple, as well as with the U.S. military.
In September 2015, the NREC secured a $5.5 million gift from the car transport company, Uber, to support three robotics fellowships and research directed at developing safe, self-driving cars.{{cite web|title=Uber gives $5.5M to Carnegie Mellon for robotics fellowships|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/9/uber-gives-55m-to-carnegie-mellon-for-robotics-fel/|work=The Washington Times|access-date=9 September 2015}} This donation was made roughly seven months after Uber poached 40 NREC scientists, including its director, Tony Stenz, and other key program leaders, while the two organizations closely collaborated on driverless technologies.{{cite web|last1=Ramsey|first1=Mike|last2=Macmillan|first2=Douglas|title=Carnegie Mellon Reels After Uber Lures Away Researchers|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-uber-a-friend-or-foe-of-carnegie-mellon-in-robotics-1433084582|work=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=10 September 2015|date=31 May 2015}}
The Field Robotics Center (FRC) has developed a number of significant robots, including Sandstorm and H1ghlander, which finished second and third in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, and Boss, which won the 2007 DARPA Grand Challenge.
Media coverage and awards
In his book Almost Human: Making Robots Think, Lee Gutkind*{{cite book | author=Gutkind, Lee | title=Almost Human: Making Robots Think | location=New York | publisher=W.W. Norton | year=2006 | isbn=978-0-393-05867-3 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/almosthumanmakin00gutk }} describes the development of robots at the Robotics Institute, particularly focusing on the developers and describing field testing in remote locations.
The robot HERB was featured in the "Oreo Separator" video series.[http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57573865-1/knife-wielding-robot-herb-separates-oreo-cookies/ Knife-wielding robot HERB separates Oreo cookies]
RI robots and researchers have been featured in the Scientific American Frontiers episode "Natural Born Robots"{{Scientific American Frontiers |url=https://www.pbs.org/saf/transcripts/transcript1002.htm |name=NATURAL BORN ROBOTS"- SHOW 1002 |season=10 |episode=2}} and in multiple NPR radio segments.[http://m.npr.org/story/5067678 Robot Receptionist Dishes Directions and Attitude][https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1126630 Robo-cup][https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1508640 A Hall of Fame for Robots][https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16150048 Robot Road Test][https://www.npr.org/blogs/talk/2007/03/i_robot_1.html I, Robot]
The Advanced Robotic Laser Coating Removal System (ARLCRS) won a 2013 Edison Award gold award in the category of materials science processes.[http://edisonawards.com/winners2013.php 2013 Edison Award Winners]
Notable faculty (current and past)
Patents
- [http://www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/publications/patents/ Field Robotics Center patents]
- [http://www.googlesyndicatedsearch.com/u/nrec?sitesearch=rec.ri.cmu.edu&q=patent NREC patents]
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.roboticsnews.co.uk Robotics News]
- [http://www.ri.cmu.edu/ Robotics Institute Official Website]
- [http://www.travelchannel.com/video/dons-companion-robot Travel Channel showcase of the RI]
- [http://www.rec.ri.cmu.edu/index.html NREC Website]
- [http://www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/ FRC Website]
{{Carnegie Mellon|state=uncollapsed}}
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Category:Schools and departments of Carnegie Mellon