Source: RIA
The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) has launched a website paying tribute to Joseph F. Engelberger, known as the “Father of Robotics.” Engelberger, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, was an engineer and entrepreneur who pioneered the robotics field.The tribute site is located on the RIA website, Robotics Online.
“It’s important to remember our history in robotics,” said Jeff Burnstein, president of RIA. “This website provides a timeline of his many accomplishments in the field of robotics that is still revolutionizing modern manufacturing processes today.”
Engelberger founded the world’s first robotics company, Unimation, in 1956.
The RIA also announced nominations are now being accepted for the world's most prestigious honor in the field of robotics, the Joseph F. Engelberger robotics awards. The awards are presented each year to individuals for excellence in robotics technology development, application, education and leadership. Since the awards inception in 1977, they have been presented to 116 robotics leaders from 17 different nations. Recent winners of the Engelberger award include Dean Kamen, founder of the FIRST Robotics competition and Rodney Brooks, co-founder of iRobot and current Chairman and CTO of Rethink Robotics.
The 2016 awards will be presented in the categories of Leadership and Application. Each winner receives a $5,000 honorarium and a commemorative medallion with the inscription "Contributing to the advancement of the science of robotics in the service of mankind." These distinguished awards will be presented in conjunction with the International Symposium on Robotics in Munich, Germany, June 21 to 24, 2016.
The nomination form is available on the RIA website. Applications must be received by Jan. 15, 2016.
Also read our interview with the 2015 winner of the Joseph F. Engelberger robotics award: Engelberger Robotics Award Honoree Discusses RoboEarth, Cybersecurity and More
