International Collaborative Robots Workshop (#ICRW2014) on Tuesday, September 30 at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, California

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 16, 2014 -- Collaborative robots are the hottest topic in robotics today, but there are many implications surrounding this new technology. To help address these issues, the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) is hosting the International Collaborative Robots Workshop (#ICRW2014) on Tuesday, September 30 at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, California.

"The robotics industry is at a critical inflection point where traditional industrial robots are emerging from behind their cages and working alongside people," according to Jeff Burnstein, President, Robotic Industries Association. "The robotics entrepreneurs, suppliers, users, and thought leaders set to address workshop attendees will no doubt make for an interesting and provocative day."

Attendees will hear the world's top robotics experts answer these questions:

What is a collaborative robot? The workshop will kick off with an overview of collaborative robots presented by Erik Nieves from Yaskawa Motoman. Erik is a passionate speaker who will define collaborative robots and explain their implications in the robotics industry.

Who makes collaborative robots? Hear Rethink Robotics Founder, Chairman and CTO Rod Brooks talk about the development of their collaborative robot, Baxter, and its future. The CTO of Universal Robots, Ebsen Østergaard, will introduce their robotic arms that have revolutionized the market. Finally, there will also be speakers from other industrial robotics companies such as KUKA, Adept, ABB and Yaskawa Motoman talking about and showing their collaborative robots.

Are collaborative robots safe? Safety is certainly a paramount concern in the robotics industry, as both suppliers and integrators alike work diligently to help ensure that users are safe. Hear from Pat Davison, RIA's Director of Standards Development and Björn Matthias from ABB's corporate research group on safety considerations and an update on collaborative robot safety standardization.

Do people today use collaborative robots? Yes, and there will be a panel of users from a wide range of companies (including BMW, Jabil, Novartis Foundation and General Motors) discussing their current collaborative robot applications, along with their future needs and plans. Sam Bouchard from Robotiq will present advances in gripping technology that has allowed robotics to be used in different applications and industries that weren't previously possible.

I see collaborative robot uses in manufacturing, but what about other uses? One of the most anticipated talks at the workshop will be from Steve Cousins, CEO of Savioke. The company recently introduced SaviOne, a revolutionary delivery robot for the services industry. Cousins believes the personal robotics industry has the potential to change the world the way the PC industry did 30 years ago.

What is the future of collaborative robots? The perfect speaker to help answer that question is Rich Mahoney, Director of the Robotics program at SRI International. Rich leads a team at SRI working on cutting-edge robotics projects and will speak on the future of collaborative robots as he sees it.

Can I see these robots in action? Yes, as part of the workshop there will be an exhibits area of collaborative robots and related technologies, allowing attendees a hands-on experience with leading robotic products. The exhibition space will be open during breakfast, lunch and an evening networking reception.

Silicon Valley Robotics is an association sponsor of this event. Registration for RIA and Silicon Valley Robotics members is $645 ($695 for non-members).

For more information on this event, please visit http://www.robotics.org/ICRW2014, and follow the event conversation @RIA_robotics #ICRW2014

About Robotic Industries Association (RIA)
Founded in 1974, RIA is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to improving the regional, national and global competitiveness of the North American manufacturing and service sectors through promotion and enhancement of robotics and related automation. RIA represents 340 robot manufacturers, system integrators, component suppliers, end users, consulting firms, research groups, and educational institutions. The association hosts a number of events including the International Collaborative Robots Workshop (September 30, 2014 in San Jose, California), the National Robot Safety Conference (October 14-16, 2014 in Ann Arbor, Michigan), the Robotics Industry Forum (January 21-23, 2015 in Orlando, FL) and the biennial Automate Show & Conference (March 23-26, 2015 in Chicago). RIA also provides quarterly robotics statistics and has a content-rich website, Robotics Online. For more details on RIA, visit www.robotics.org, call 734/994-6088 or follow us @RIA_robotics.

About Association for Advancing Automation (A3)
The Association for Advancing Automation is the global advocate for the benefits of automating. A3 promotes automation technologies and ideas that transform the way business is done. A3 is the umbrella group for Robotic Industries Association (RIA), AIA - Advancing Vision + Imaging, and Motion Control Association (MCA). RIA, AIA, and MCA combined represent 780 automation manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, research groups and consulting firms from throughout the world that drive automation forward. For more information, please visit our websites: A3 - www.A3automate.org. RIA - www.robotics.org. AIA - www.visiononline.org. MCA - www.motioncontrolonline.org.