In this month’s Five Questions feature, meet Anusha Iyer, CEO & Founder of ARM Member Corsha! ARM Member Corsha joined our member consortium semi-recently but has already made a major impact on the ARM Institute, including getting a project funded through the OSD ManTech Point of Need Manufacturing Challenge.

Meet Anusha, learn more about Corsha, and learn Anusha’s advice for getting involved with the ARM Institute in our five questions below:

1. How did you become interested in the robotics and manufacturing fields? Can you tell us about your background, your role at Corsha, and what sparked your interest in robotics?

Funny story here – my father’s dream was always for me to go into manufacturing. We immigrated to this country so he could do his PhD in Welding Engineering, and he spent all of his career in the automotive industry with General Motors and then Delphi until he jumped out to start his own welding research firm. He would have absolutely loved for us to go into manufacturing, welding, metallurgy, you name it. I remember seeing one of his factories as a little girl and immediately thinking, “ooh messy and oily, not for me.” Needless to say, he’s definitely told me a few times since Corsha started working with the Air Force and the ARM Institute that he knew I’d come back around one day.

Today, I’m so excited to work in the robotics and manufacturing space at large from a cybersecurity point of view. There is such a big opportunity for cybersecurity to unlock connectivity and new capabilities on the shop floor and be the bridge from OT to IT. So much critical infrastructure, innovation, and our nation’s supply chain is made possible through the innovations in robotics and manufacturing. What excites me is the opportunity to make that story stronger and more secure and help folks on the shop floor work more efficiently, leverage real-time insights, and be confident in their systems and the access to their equipment.

2. Corsha joined our member consortium semi-recently but has already made a big impact and taken advantage of several member opportunities! How did you get involved initially with the institute? What advice do you have for other organizations looking to get involved or make an impact through the institute?

We initially got involved with the ARM Institute through a mutual interest in addressing the Cyber Challenges Special Topic Area (STA) on the Point of Need Manufacturing Challenge; connecting on the project call hosted by Chuck Brandt. At the Challenge’s pitch event at Mill 19, we saw how well the ARM Institute coordinated events and collaborated with public and private stakeholders.

For other organizations looking to make an impact, our advice is to actively participate in institute events, leverage the networking opportunities, and contribute to joint projects that align with your expertise and goals. By being proactive and engaging with the community, you can maximize the benefits and drive meaningful innovations. Collaboration is critical – Don’t be shy!

3. A Corsha project was selected through the OSD ManTech Point of Need Manufacturing Challenge. Can you tell us about your experience participating in this project?

At the Point of Need Challenge, Corsha showcased expeditionary capabilities for a scenario where U.S. forces are engaged in an operation at an austere forward operating base (FOB) in a remote location and no access to normal logistics support. Corsha was selected to address the following Cyber Challenges:

Need for securely sharing files with allies or partners operating at or near FOB
Digital backbone for FOB PoN manufacturing

The week-long event brought together government stakeholders, end users, Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII), and private industry to showcase the art of the possible for the manufacturing industry. This allowed Corsha to communicate how cybersecurity can enable workflows with fine-tuned secure data sharing across the digital backbone. Stakeholders were receptive to the capabilities of Corsha and open about the current problems they are facing that Corsha can help solve.

The austere conditions simulated by the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) at the Challenge gave first-hand experience to participants and end users on the unique challenges in a cold weather environment. Corsha not only learned how the warfighter operates in cold resource-limited conditions, but end users got hands-on experience with the art of the possible and ease of use with the Corsha Platform.

4. Corsha was a sponsor for our 2023 Annual Member Meeting and had a table in our Member Showcase Hall. You’ve secured a conference sponsorship and a table in our Member Showcase again this year. Can you tell us about your experience participating in the Annual ARM Member Meeting and how Corsha found value in it?

Participating in the 2023 ARM Annual Member Meeting was a fun experience for Corsha’s team. The event provided an excellent platform for us to connect with other industry leaders, share our insights on cybersecurity solutions, and showcase our latest innovations. The networking opportunities were invaluable, allowing us to form new partnerships and strengthen existing relationships. Overall, the event helped us share and learn important industry insights and demonstrated the collaborative spirit of the ARM community, which we are excited to be a part of again this year.

5. Every time we catch up with the Corsha team, you’re working on something new and impactful! What’s new with Corsha that you’d like our readers to know about?

Corsha continues to move the needle for cybersecurity in the area of machine identity management. We see a significant opportunity for manufacturing organizations to layer cybersecurity into their current operations to create a connected OT-to-IT ecosystem.

Manufacturing systems should have a secure digital footprint on networks and their data should be as easily accessible as standard IT software applications. Corsha is always actively seeking customers and partners that help drive the following use cases forward:

Protect automated pipelines flowing across boundaries in today’s no-perimeter enterprise across OT and IT
Secure data in motion as it traverses multi-cloud and legacy applications
Manage Operational Technology infrastructure such as sensors, robots and other loT devices by provisioning unique, trusted identities even to these types of endpoints
Enable third parties to securely provide data via automated communication to manufacturing and enterprise systems
Advance Zero Trust solutions for manufacturing systems

Ready to join Corsha and 400+ other member organizations in driving the future of U.S. manufacturing?

The ARM Institute leverages a robust member ecosystem of 400+ member organizations that span industry, government, and academia to secure U.S. manufacturing competitiveness through innovations in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and workforce development. The ARM Institute bridges the gaps between these organizations to identify critical areas of need and enable collaboration to address these issues.

Now is a great time to explore membership as the ARM Institute gears up to host our 2024 Annual Member Meeting September 23-25 in Pittsburgh. This event is free to attend, but open only to ARM Members. Email [email protected] to learn more or get started below.

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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 Defense under Agreement Number W911NF-17-3-0004 and is part of the Manufacturing USA® network. The ARM Institute leverages a unique, robust, and diverse ecosystem of over 400 consortium members 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, with a regional office in St. Petersburg, FL, the ARM Institute is leading the way to a future where people and robots work together to respond to our nation’s greatest challenges and to produce the world’s most desired products. For more information, visit www.arminstitute.org and follow the ARM Institute on LinkedIn and X(Twitter).