In this inspiring and wide-ranging keynote session, Mel Torrie, CEO and Founder of Autonomous Solutions Inc. (ASI), will provide attendees with a first-hand account of the opportunities and challenges delivering field robotics solutions to the marketplace. His story will begin with ASI developing industrial robotic solutions with John Deere 22 years ago in agriculture, landscaping, and construction, and expanding into mining, logistics, and automotive autonomy testing. Attendees will be provided with lessons in adversity, culture creation, robotics development, bootstrapping, fundraising, negotiating with billion-dollar OEMs, and successful autonomy product rollout.
It seems an incongruity that to date the construction industry, estimated exceed over $10 trillion in 2022, has not benefited from robotics automation like some other industries, many of them much smaller than the construction sector. That however, is changing, and fast. In this keynote session, Noah Ready-Campbell, Founder & CEO of Built Robotics, will describe the next major leap in construction technology since hydraulics, namely heavy equipment robotics. He will outline the development of Built’s flagship product, the Exosystem, a heavy equipment aftermarket upgrade that transforms excavators into fully autonomous trenching robots. In addition, we will describe:
· Where construction automation technology stands today.
· How robots are being evaluated and integrated into workflows on construction sites to boost productivity, improve safety, and generate value.
· How robotics will help us meet goals to tackle environmental change, work opportunities, economic growth, and innovation in infrastructure.
Waymo is the world’s leading developer of autonomous driving technology, with public robotaxi services up and running in Phoenix and San Francisco. In this engaging keynote, Thackston will give attendees an inside look at the major technical challenges involved with developing autonomous vehicles. She will also provide updates on recent deployments and what the future holds for autonomous vehicles.
Battery decisions for mobile robotics are critical for achieving power autonomy, but they can be complex:
• How much capacity is needed?
• Where can I put the Battery?
• What is the best charge method?
In this session, attendees will learn the answers these questions (and more). In addition, detailed information for designers who need reliable portable power for mobile robotics will be provided. Additional topics covered during the session include system considerations such as non-motive loads, battery placement issues, and how to design for re-generative braking charging. Also discussed will be wired and wireless charging pros and cons, plus the trade-offs between short, quick charging and once-per-shift charging methodologies.
The next generation of field robotics will need to perform a wide variety of tasks in highly variable environments and workspaces. To successfully design, build, and deploy, engineers will need to be open minded to different designs and approaches. The ability to iterate quickly and try new things in the field will be an asset to the engineer. In this session, Andrew Willig, Lead Mechanical Engineer of HEBI Robotics, will provide a high level overview of several field robotics projects undertaken by HEBI, and describe how they evolved from initial concept to production design (sometimes very different) by emplolying rapid design, iteration, and integration techniques and tools.
Field robots are being pushed into unexplored territories with tough challenges in unstructured surroundings such as open field, mines, construction sites, and underwater. Truly mastering these critical applications requires additional considerations for difficult conditions that robots must survive. This presentation will answer three critical questions to actuate your robots in severe environments.
• What are the special considerations for robots operating in harsh and variable environments?
• How can my robot survive in their harsh and variable conditions?
• How do I design a robust system that can survive extreme environments?
If you are a field robotics design engineer taking on the challenge of unexplored territories, or an operational decision-maker looking to gain a better understanding of critical robotic components, this presentation is for you.