History is marked by times of innovation that change the job landscape, which can create challenges for manufacturers and employees caught up in the accelerating pace of automation. We know we are living in the fourth industrial revolution, and robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are at the core of this transformation — and of this challenge.
As one of the 14 Manufacturing USA Institutes funded by the federal government, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) is working with close to 200 organizations who share a single commitment — making robots and AI accessible to large and small manufacturers across the United States, and making sure employees have the proper skills to have meaningful careers.
With 40 projects underway, ARM and its members are focused on innovations that empower American workers, and either re-shore or create new manufacturing opportunities using robotics and AI.
The FISH project
For example, the FISH (Collaborative Robotics to Foster Innovation for Seafood Handling) project, run out of Northeastern University in Boston and funded by ARM, centers on seafood processing.
Currently, because of manpower and experience issues, fish are caught in the United States are to Asia for processing, then returned to the United States for distribution. The FISH project aims to keep the process domestic by developing a robotic system that can grasp, place, flip, and squeeze seafood according to the seafood type, while operating in a collaborative environment alongside humans in careers that require minimal training.
Dr. Byron Clayton, CEO, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing, [email protected]