Make it smart, and make it here!” These are rallying words heard around the world regarding keeping manufacturing and production jobs within their respective countries. The following are global efforts now under way:
In the EU, the EU-funded SMErobotics program and the Fraunhofer Institute have been developing and aiding in commercializing robotic technologies to augment the skills and productivity of small and medium-sized shops and factories. Both the SMErobotics group and the Fraunhofer Institute have booths at the forthcoming Automatica 2014 trade fair and conference in Munich, June 3-6.
- A big competition is the $10 million EuRoC European Robotics Challenges competition — an EU-funded grant program for innovations targeting three challenges to the EU manufacturing industry: reconfigurable interactive manufacturing cells; shop floor logistics, and manipulation and plant servicing and inspection.
- In the U.S., the government-funded Advanced Manufacturing Initiative has begun building a series of regional hubs to accelerate the development of cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and products. Four such hubs have already been launched this year — patterned after the Fraunhofer centers in Germany.
- In addition to the U.S. government, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is investing in military-service-affiliated manufacturing demonstration facilities that:
In addition to manufacturing initiatives, there are also educational initiatives in place to fill the skills gap. One of the challenges of advanced manufacturing technologies is that it generates employment needs for specially-trained technicians with an understand of engineering, mechatronics and robotics as well as production methods. They are in short supply at present. Community and tech colleges, as well as advanced tech universities, are attempting to meet those demands by offering certification and two- and four-year degrees in robotics and automation.
Recently the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in the U.S. and George Brown College in Canada have created fully online programs leading to their certificates or degrees in robotics (in WPI’s case, one can now get a Master’s in robotics engineering online); other colleges offer robotics technician certificates. A challenge to all of these programs is there is no standardization from one college to the next (whether online or not) and little coordination with local employers. Most cover the essentials but there are significant differences in curriculum.
Frank Tobe is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report. Edited by Jessica DuBois-Maahs, associate content manager, CFE Media, jdmaahs(at)cfemedia.com
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