The National Science Foundation and IEEE Spectrum Radio have partnered to produce a terrific series of reports describing the frontiers of engineering research: These researchers are investigating new phenomena, devising new capabilities and designing new technologies. Innovations in engineering can help us overcome challenges in sustainability, launch whole industries and help people enjoy happier and healthier lives. Through their dedication to creating and discovering cutting-edge solutions, engineers are at the forefront of shaping our new millennium. What’s interesting for us is that there are lots of CISE-related research challenges amidst the featured topics — robotics, sustainability, and energy: Robots are emerging from industrial settings to help humans perform surgery, catch criminals and […]

The CCC Council is scheduled to meet in Washington, DC, on Friday, July 15, and will be discussing the role of fundamental computing research in Smart Health & Wellbeing as well as Sustainability. Here’s a formal announcement for the public portion of the meeting — which is open to anyone: You are invited to the public portion of a meeting of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC), a committee of 20 leading computer scientists from around the country.   The meeting will feature panel discussions on Smart Health and Wellbeing as well as the Role of Information Sciences and Engineering in Sustainability.   Friday, July 15, 2011 1:00 – 4:30pm ET Hotel Sofitel […]

Fresh on the heels of Friday’s big announcement about a new National Robotics Initiative, I thought now would be a great time to feature a recent talk by MIT CSAIL Professor Leslie Pack Kaelbling. Speaking at the “Computation and the Transformation of Practically Everything” symposium commemorating MIT’s 150th anniversary celebration back in April, Kaelbling described the emerging research frontiers at the intersection of robotics and AI: It used to be that the dream of what robots could do for us was big and romantic and exciting… all these robots from the movies. If you look at the commercial reality of robots… they’re sort of robot automata in factories that will weld whatever […]

A very impressive group of people came to CMU’s National Robotics Engineering Center for the announcement of the Advanced Manufacturing Program by President Barack Obama. I saw among the group: College Presidents: CMU, MIT, Georgia Tech, U Michigan, and RPI; US Senator: Bob Casey, Jr. (Pennsylvania); Government officials: Directors of DARPA and NIST, and the CTO of NASA; and Participants in the CCC Robotics Visioning effort: Henrik Christensen, Helen Greiner, Rod Brooks, and Matt Mason. President Obama was given a tour highlighting four projects: An IED detection robot developed at CMU; A sewer inspection robot developed at Redzone Robotics, a CMU spinoff; A military vehicle created for DARPA by Local […]

(This post has been updated; please scroll down for the latest.) In just a few minutes, President Obama will announce the launch of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) in a speech on U.S. innovation and competitiveness at Carnegie Mellon University, saying his administration will provide $500 million to encourage the Federal government, industry, and academia to work together to develop new technologies that spur high-tech manufacturing and boost job creation. (Watch the announcement live here.) A key pillar of this new initiative is a $70 million investment for major advances in robotics being made available today. According to advance press reports, the President will note that information technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology are critical enablers — providing essential tools […]

President Obama is scheduled to address the nation from the campus of Carnegie Mellon University at 11am EDT today. The President’s speech is expected to focus on American innovation and competitiveness: The president will be highlighting the importance of manufacturing to the U.S. economy, as well as key steps that government, industry and universities will take together to create new industries and new jobs. He will deliver remarks on the need to focus on cross-cutting technologies that will enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and speed up ideas from the drawing board to the manufacturing floor.   The visit will take place at Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center […]