Kevin Blankespoor
Lead Robotics Engineer, Boston Dynamics

Abstract

The BigDog Robot is a fully autonomous quadruped in development by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA. BigDog is able to trot and walk over rough terrain and steep inclines. Its also able to carry several hundred pounds on flat terrain and over 100 pounds on challenging terrain. BigDog uses dozens of sensors to perceive its environment and adapt accordingly. It acts as both a vehicle for legged locomotion research and as a prototype for helping soldiers carry heavy loads in terrain inaccessible by existing tracked and wheeled vehicles.

Biography

Kevin Blankespoor is the Chief Engineer for the Bigdog Program. He's developed and implemented many of the controls algorithms currently used by the platform. He's also worked as a servo engineer in the hard disk drive industry and as a mechanical engineer in the automation industry. He holds a MEEE from the University of Colorado and a BSME from the University of Virginia.

Steve Roux
Senior Group Leader, Reticle Positioning, ASML

Abstract

Part of an ISO definition describes a robot as being “an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose, manipulator programmable in three or more axes, which may be either fixed in place or mobile for use in industrial automation applications”. With that in mind it is clear that ASML’s lithogrpahy scanners are densely popluted with robots and robotic elements. This talk will start by looking back in time and contrasting the technology that was used in early lithography steppers to that found in current scanners. The number of servo loops has gone up exponentially and at the same time the required precision is rapidly tightening. In many parts of the machine robots are required to hand off material from one to another. Often this exchange occurs between elements that are servoed to different reference frames where the reference frames have substantial relative motion between them. Coordination of motion throughout the machine creates the need for complex software architectures with strict functional definitions and boundaries.

Biography

Steve Roux is currently managing a cross functional team of systems engineers, mechatronics/servo control experts, mechanical, materials science and electrical engineers as well as project managers responsible for Reticle Stage development at ASML. His enginering career started later in life after a twelve year career as a navigating officer on various ships, salvage tugs and large schooners. He completed his BSME degree while working as a technician and later as a junior engineer at IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center. He later added an MSME degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 1997 he moved to work for SVG Lithography. This meant going from using Lithography tools in his daily work to designing subsystems for these fascinating machines. In 2001 ASML and SVG merged and the company is currently in a dominant position in this vital photolithography market, supplying the tools needed to constantly shrink features on integrated circuits keeping Moore’s Law alive. Steve Roux is named as inventor or co-inventor on 28 US patents and numerous foreign patents. He is married and lives in Connecticut. His primary hobby is participating in sports car racing as a fan as well as a driver/car owner.

Charles Remsberg
CEO, Hocoma

Abstract

Successful rehabilitation of neurologically involved patients suffering from stroke, traumatic brain-injury, spinal cord-injury and other neurological disease requires intensive function specific activities. Robot’s have been used for gait rehabilitation of the lower extremity, as well as task specific training in the upper extremity with mixed success. Future developments will see improved degrees of freedom, improved patient-robot interaction and the implementation of augmented feedback (Virtual Reality). This presentation will report on recent technical challenges in robotics controls for medical devices in both upper and lower extremity robots and the incorporation of augmented feedback for improved patient engagement.

The IEEE Conference on Technologies for Practical Robot Applications (TePRA) is held in the greater-Boston area and offers numerous advantages to students. Students can learn about the state-of-the-art in practical robotics R&D and meet representatives of both industry and the military, who are the main consumers of practical robotic systems. Students can take part in a robotic competition for which prizes are awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd teams. Finally, there is a reduced registration fee for students. The details of the student competition will be announced soon.

Student Competition Guidelines

To be announced.

Co-Chairs

Michael A. Gennert	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
William R. Michalson	Worcester Polytechnic Institute

 

Technical Program Committee

William Agassounon	Textron Defense Systems
Kevin Blankespoor	Boston Dynamics
Martin Buehler	iRobot
Julian Center	Autonomous Explorations, Inc.
Jeanne Dietsch	Mobile Robots, Inc.
Sorin Faibish	EMC
Gregory Fischer	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Chris Jones	iRobot
Ted Kochanski	University of New Hampshire
John Masciola	Caliper Life Sciences
Peter Meyer	Philips
Taskin Padir	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Karen Panetta	Tufts University
Ryan Pettigrew	IEEE RAS Boston Chapter
Jean-Pierre Rasaiah	Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc.
Gretar Tryggvason	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Peter Wells	Foster-Miller