January 2020 – ARM recently hosted students from Pine Richland’s GATE Program at Mill 19 for a day of activities showcasing opportunities in robotics and manufacturing. Students saw demonstrations of the equipment in ARM’s high bay, including the Teach-Bot project out of MIT and a system from ARM Member Veo Robotics that shows how a robot senses human interaction and can slow down or stop when a human approaches.
The students also got hands-on with the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy, using the ARM-funded SMART activities to use tools and put together circuits. The SMART activities showed how students how careers in manufacturing have evolved from tedious and dirt activities to highly rewarding and safe opportunities to work with your hands.
Over lunch, students heard from Linda Wood, ARM’s Curriculum Specialist, about the reality of working with robots. We learned that many of the students held beliefs that robots would one day rebel. Actively showing the students how humans control robot actions eased this fear.
We ended the day with a giveaway with robot toys supplied by ARM Member Yaskawa. The toy resembled the robot in the Veo System, providing a physical reminder of the diverse opportunities for a career in robotics.
ABOUT MILL 19
Mill 19, located in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood, is at the forefront of innovation in manufacturing. The space, which was built entirely within the frame of a former steel mill, shows how collaboration will drive the future of manufacturing. ARM is located in Mill 19A, the first building developed on the Hazelwood Green area. ARM occupies the first two floors of the building with Carnegie Mellon University’s Manufacturing Futures Initiative. Catalyst Connection, a PA MEP, is located on the third floor. More about Hazelwood Green here.
ABOUT ARM
Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) is the nation’s leading collaborative in robotics and workforce innovation. Structured as a public-private partnership, we accelerate transformative robotic technologies and education to increase U.S. global manufacturing competitiveness. Founded in January 2017 in Pittsburgh, PA by Carnegie Mellon University through an independent non-profit, and funded by the Department of Defense, ARM is part of the Manufacturing USA® network. Learn more at www.arminstitute.org.