The ARM Institute Champion program recognizes ARM Institute Members who have gone above and beyond the call of membership to strengthen US manufacturing through robotics, physical AI, and workforce development while advocating for the ARM Institute’s mission! ARM Champions are recognized annually at a celebratory dinner during our Annual Member Meeting, our premier members-only event that convenes representatives from across our member consortium for three days of networking, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration.
This year, we’re starting monthly highlights of our ARM Institute Champions to connect you better to their work, inspire you on how you might be able to take action on further collaboration with us, and help you meet your fellow Members.
This month’s Champion Spotlight features Paul Evans, Executive Director in the Intelligent Systems Division at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)! Paul has been an active ARM Institute Member since our inception in 2017, lending his expertise across our councils and committees, participating in ARM Institute funded projects, collaborating with his fellow ARM Members, and attending our events. Get to know Paul and how you can work with the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in the interview below!
Plus – ARM Champion Award nominations are now open for our 2026 class of Champions! Our 2026 class of Champions will be recognized at our 10th Annual Member Meeting, taking place Nov. 17-19 in Pittsburgh, PA. Learn more and nominate yourself or another ARM Member for recognition here by June 30, 2026.
To start, can you tell us a bit about your background and your role at SwRI?
I am an Executive Director in the Intelligent Systems Division at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), where I lead our Technology, Operations, Programs, and Strategy (TOPS) team. This multidisciplinary cross-cutting team operates across diverse technical domains, including robotics, artificial intelligence, intelligent transportation systems, high-reliability systems, and advanced manufacturing.
In my career, I have focused on solving real-world challenges by leveraging science, technology, and research-driven solutions. However, I recognize that successful outcomes require more than technological breakthroughs or a compelling return on investment (ROI). Progress happens when smart people work together, combining their technical expertise with creative thinking and collaboration to achieve success. I strive to align technical solutions with business realities, while building strong teams and collaborations to drive results.
One particular SwRI initiative I am proud to have supported is ROS-Industrial (ROS-I) open-source program, which was launched by a talented team within my department at SwRI. We collectively recognized the potential for this open-source initiative to transform industrial robotics by enabling advanced applications and fostering global collaboration. I continue to be proud of what it has grown into, a powerful tool for innovation that has empowered teams across industries, including ARM members, to take their robotics efforts to new heights.
How and why did you get involved in the ARM Institute?
Southwest Research Institute has been involved with the ARM Institute since its inception. From the beginning, we saw the value and potential of this initiative to enable advanced robotics capabilities for a range of manufacturers and for the defense industrial base. SwRI, as an organization with a long history of contributing to manufacturing technology development, we knew we wanted to be part of the ARM Institute’s mission.
During the early days of the ARM Institute, SwRI played a helper-role and engaged in foundational concepts within ARM relative to the role software would play to support the larger vision for manufacturing innovation. As an organization, SwRI has consistently supported ARM Members and project teams to bring critical technologies from mid-TRL (Technology Readiness Level) to higher levels of readiness so that they can transition to both government and industry settings where they can make a tangible, day-to-day impact on workflows and processes. This is exactly the kind of collaboration SwRI is passionate about, and the ARM Institute provides an environment to bring together teams and enable technology transitions happen.
You’ve participated in a number of ARM Institute technology projects. Can you tell us about your experience with these and how they’re different from non-ARM Institute-funded projects?
What sets ARM Institute projects apart is their unique ability to bring together stakeholders from across industry, government, academia, and companies and research organizations to tackle manufacturing challenges in a truly collaborative manner. These projects go beyond traditional technical endeavors, incorporating strategies for scaling innovations and addressing workforce needs to create solutions that are both impactful, broadly applicable, and accessible to the ARM membership.
One particularly notable project was the mobile manipulator paint application project I was able to support. This effort combined SwRI’s Scan-N-Plan software framework from the ROS-Industrial repository, a Fanuc paint robot, and SwRI’s mobile base to demonstrate the concept of using mobile robotics to enable a vast, flexible workspace. The platform showcased how programming could be done algorithmically, reducing complexity and creating a more dynamic solution. A collaborative team was a critical part of this project, and it was incredibly rewarding to work alongside technical and programmatic experts who made this vision a reality.
More broadly, ARM Institute projects stand out because they allow organizations to focus on transitioning technologies to higher TRLs, enabling adoption and implementation by government and industry. The goal of practical, scalable results sets the ARM Institute apart and matches well with SwRI’s mission to deliver impactful, research-based solutions.
What are some outputs from your ARM Institute-funded projects that you’re most proud of?
I am incredibly proud of the contributions our SwRI staff have made across numerous ARM Institute-funded projects. Our team has delivered innovative solutions in motion planning, sensing and perception, robotics platforms, artificial intelligence, and more which are all areas that address critical advanced manufacturing challenges. A specific highlight is the projects where SwRI staff have helped integrate robotics systems for dynamic environments, creating new opportunities to scale automation.
Another standout output is the role SwRI plays in connecting ARM Members to ROS-Industrial, the open-source software framework initiated at SwRI. ROS-I has enabled many teams within the ARM community to accelerate their work, achieve their goals, and tackle complex automation challenges. The open-source nature of ROS-I reflects the essence of collaboration and shared innovation that is central to the ARM Institute’s mission. Seeing so many ARM Members and industry leaders leverage this framework and enhance their robotics capabilities makes me incredibly proud of how SwRI’s foundational efforts continue to advance both the ARM community and the manufacturing at large.
What advice do you have for newer ARM Members about how they can engage and get the most out of their membership?
For newer ARM Members, I encourage you to take advantage of your member benefits and the opportunities ARM offers to its community. Attend meetings, join working groups, take part in research projects, and engage with other members. The value of the ARM Institute lies in its collaborative consortium. The more effectively you engage, the more opportunities will emerge.
Newer members should also explore ways to connect their expertise with others within the ARM community. The ARM Institute is a collaborative environment filled with dedicated professionals who want to solve the challenges manufacturers face today from technology readiness to workforce development. Starting with a mindset of shared solutions will help you get the most out of your membership.
2026 will mark the 10th iteration of our Annual Member Meeting, taking place Nov. 17-19 in Pittsburgh as a members-only event. Can you tell us what you look forward to most at this event each year?
The Annual Member Meeting is always a highlight of the year for me because it’s an opportunity to celebrate the progress we’ve made together and to explore new opportunities for collaboration on new projects with members. I particularly look forward to hearing about the innovative technologies our community has developed and how these solutions may be leveraged.
In addition to sharing updates about advancements at SwRI, I enjoy connecting with ARM members who share the same commitment to advancing manufacturing innovation.
What would you like other ARM Members to know about how they can collaborate with SwRI?
Southwest Research Institute has been involved with ARM since its inception, and our collaboration with ARM reflects our commitment to advancing robotics and driving manufacturing technology advancements. As a Core member, SwRI can lead ARM Institute projects or support them by providing specialized expertise in areas such as sensing and perception, artificial intelligence, robotics platforms, and open-source tools like ROS-Industrial.
Our contract research and development culture allows us to work directly with ARM members to address specific challenges, whether through consulting, validation of use cases, or proprietary projects that adapt and extend results to higher technology readiness levels (TRLs). Additionally, ARM members can leverage our facilities, robotic platforms, and technical resources to explore new technologies and applications.
My parting message is that SwRI is here to collaborate with ARM members to move ideas forward and help transition innovations into practice. For those members that I have not met, please introduce yourself at the next ARM Institute event.
Join Paul & Thousands of Other Experts in Strengthening US Manufacturing
ARM Institute Members lead the way to a future where people and robots work together to respond to our nation’s greatest challenges and to develop and produce the world’s most desired products. By becoming a member of our nearly 500 member organization consortium, you’ll join thousands of subject matter experts in building the future of US manufacturing through robotics, AI, and workforce innovations. Your membership to our robotics institute unlocks not only access to member-exclusive events and webinars, including our Annual Member Meeting, but also project funding opportunities, project outputs, networking, a digital platform for collaboration, and more.
2026 ARM Institute Member Meeting
Save the date for our 10th Annual Member Meeting taking place Nov. 17-19 in Pittsburgh, PA. Our Annual Member Meeting convenes experts from across our consortium for three days of networking, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration. This event is open only to ARM Members. Stay tuned for registration information or join our consortium to gain access to this unique event.
Thank you to our Platinum Members: GE Vernova, Northrop Grumman, and Siemens, our 10th Anniversary Presenting Sponsors Corsha and the Italian Trade Agency, as well as our event sponsors AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, fivestar*, GridRaster Inc., ReadyOne Industries, Tronix3D, and Yaskawa Motoman for supporting our event!
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ABOUT THE ARM INSTITUTE
The ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) funded by the Office of the Secretary of War under Agreement Number W911NF-17-3-0004 and is part of the Manufacturing USA® network. The ARM Institute leverages a unique and robust consortium of nearly 500 member organizations and partners across industry, academia, and government to make robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence more accessible to U.S. manufacturers large and small, train and empower the manufacturing workforce, strengthen our economy and global competitiveness, and elevate national security and resilience. Based in Pittsburgh, PA since 2017, the ARM Institute’s mission is to assert the US as the leading nation in manufacturing output through the adoption of robotics and AI. For more information, visit www.arminstitute.org and follow the ARM Institute on LinkedIn and X.