RIA announces winners of 1999 Engelberger Awards

Citation

(2000), "RIA announces winners of 1999 Engelberger Awards", Industrial Robot, Vol. 27 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2000.04927bab.001

RIA announces winners of 1999 Engelberger Awards

RIA announces winners of 1999 Engelberger Awards

Keywords: Awards, Robotics

The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) presented the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards, the industry's most prestigious honor, to four industry leaders at the 30th International Symposium on Robotics in Tokyo, Japan, October 25-29.

The Engelberger Awards recognize outstanding individuals from all over the world for achievements in the following areas: technology development, application, education and leadership. The 1999 recipients are:

Technology development

Dr Hirochika Inoue, Professor of Engineering, University of Tokyo. Dr Inoue has been engaged in robotics research since 1965, having explored several important fields of robotics such as bilateral control of robot arms, visual guidance of robot motion, development of high speed robot vision, view and visibility of environment. He has received numerous research paper awards from a variety of academic societies. Dr Inoue is currently the President of the Board of the International Federation of Robotics Research and Secretary of the International Society of Intelligent Autonomous Systems.

Application

Thomas Helzerman, Manager, Machining, Forming, Heat Treating, AMTI Center, Ford Motor Company. Helzerman has championed various internal Ford Standards, served on the Technical Subcommittee for Machine Vision Standards and worked to establish standards for both AGVs and internal off-line programmmg standards. In addition, he was part of the original management team which launched the Ford Motor Company's Robotics and Automation Consulting Center during the early 1980s. Under Helzerman's direction, Ford will install the world's first multi-axis production level articulated arm Intelligent Assist Device (IAD) into a manufacturing facility.

Education

Dr Tzyh-Jong Tam, Professor and Director, Washington University in St Louis. Among Dr Tam's accomplishments are his pioneering of the new advanced approach of event-based planning and control, which he demonstrated by controlling a robot's movement through the Internet from more than 1,000 miles away at his plenary address at the IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation. He also pioneered the analytical integration of simple system sensing and control with sophisticated decision making leading to a novel design algorithm, which significantly increases the robustness and reconfigurability of manufacturing systems. Dr Tam established a Center for Robotics and Automation and a Minor in Robotics Program at Washington University.

Leadership

Philip Monnin, President, Visionary Partners. At GMF, Adept and Motoman, Monnin created the teams, direction and strategic vision that formed three of the top four robot companies in the Western Hemisphere. Monnin was instrumental in the development of the Automation Technologies Council, the umbrella organization for RIA and the Automated Imaging Association (AIA). He also served as President of RIA for two years, during which time he oversaw the development of RIA's committee structure, which has led to numerous achievements including the dramatic growth of RIA's membership from 90 companies to nearly 220. Monnin holds numerous patents in the areas of suspension components and fluidic control for machine tools.

Each winner receives a $2,000 honorarium and commemorative medallion. Since its inception in 1977, awards have been presented to 72 international robotics leaders from 13 countries. RIA is now accepting nomination for the 2000 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards. For details and a nominations form, visit www.robotics.org or call 734/994-6088. The deadline to submit a nomination is February 15, 2000.

Founded in 1974, the Robotic Industries Association is the only trade group in North America organized exclusively to promote the robotics industry. Its nearly 220 member companies include leading robot manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, research groups and consulting firms.