Extras

Photos

Trent Fisher (left), of SAS Automation LLC, and Steve Barhorst (right), of Motoman Inc, look over one of the robots in the Motoman Robotics Lab. This is in room 232, in the Kennedy Labs building, of the University of Dayton campus. This was during the dedication and ribbon cutting of the lab. The lab will be used to teach UD students in robotics. Staff photo by Ron AlveyClick to enlarge

DAYTON — Neal Gittleman's job at the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra may not be in immediate danger, but a dual-armed robot at the University of Dayton had no trouble conducting a quartet of gyrating colleagues to the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies."

The demonstration Friday, Nov. 21, was part of the grand opening of the new Motoman Robotics Laboratory at UD's School of Engineering, where UD researchers will partner with local businesses to find new applications for robots in manufacturing and other industries.

Advancing the notion that two hands are better than one, the dual-armed DIA10 is one of six state-of-the-art robots donated to the lab by Motoman Inc., a West Carrollton-based supplier of robots for industrial and other uses. Motoman is a subsidiary of Japan-based Yaskawa Electric Co., a leading robot manufacturer.

In addition to Motoman's $370,000 in equipment, SAS Automation of Xenia is donating $225,000 in hand tools for the robots, including kits that can be customized for performing specific tasks.

Steve Barhorst, president of Motoman, said the company's hope is not only to train new engineers in applied robotics but to work with UD in developing robots that can better mimic human hand-eye coordination and precise arm and hand movements.

Most industrial robots still perform repetitive, less precise tasks, such as spot welding in car factories, Barhorst said. But the new generation of robots will be able to perform the precise, delicate tasks of more highly skilled workers.

Tem Messay, the UD engineering graduate student who programmed the robots for their opening performance Friday, will be the first to do his doctoral research in the lab. Messay, whose area of research is visual feedback, said he will begin by programming the robots to play catch and juggle objects.

"We are hoping someday to give them artificial intelligence," he said.

Watch out, Neal.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2437 or jdebrosse@DaytonDailyNews.com.