Industry leaders to explore important questions about this new field

(Ann Arbor, Michigan - February 6, 2014) - Collaborative Robots, or robots that work side by side with humans, are the hottest topic in robotics right now. To learn about the technology, applications, safety implications, and human impacts of this major advancement in the field, the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) is organizing a Collaborative Robots Workshop on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

"Collaborative robots are an exciting and innovative addition to the traditional robotics industry," said Jeff Burnstein, President of RIA. "But, because collaborative robots are new, there are lots of important questions that users and integrators have, which is why we've decided to bring together leading experts to address the key topics at this workshop."

Dr. Henrik Christensen of Georgia Tech, one of the world's foremost robotics experts, will give the opening keynote talk. Representatives from leading companies such as Rethink Robotics, Universal Robots, Yaskawa Motoman, KUKA, and iRobot will also give presentations on the current and future status of the field. Top robotics researchers from MIT, NIST and Carnegie Mellon will discuss leading research issues. "We're packing a lot into one day in order to make this a comprehensive overview of collaborative robots," Burnstein noted.

As a bonus, all attendees will receive free admission to The Vision Show, North America's leading vision and imaging event. Vision is a key element of the future of collaborative robots. The Vision Show is being held April 14-16, 2014 also at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

Early bird registration rate is $595. ($645 if registering after April 1, 2014.)

For more information on attending the Collaborative Robots Workshop as a member of the press and to schedule interviews with speakers in advance, please contact Bob Doyle at (734) 994-6088.

About Robotic Industries Association (RIA)
Founded in 1974, RIA now represents 325 robot manufacturers, system integrators, component suppliers, end users, consulting firms, research groups, and educational institutions. RIA is best known for its biennial Automate Show & Conference (next event slated for March 23-26, 2015 in Chicago); the ANSI/RIA National Robot Safety Standard and annual National Robot Safety Conference, and the annual Robotics Industry Forum (January 21-23, 2015, Orlando). The association also provides quarterly robotics statistics and has a content-rich Robotics Online website attracting hundreds of thousands of visits a year from throughout the world. For more details on RIA, visit Robotics Online or call 734/994-6088.

About Association for Advancing Automation (A3)
The Association for Advancing Automation is the global advocate for the benefits of automating. A3 promotes automation technologies and ideas that transform the way business is done. A3 is the umbrella group for Robotic Industries Association (RIA), AIA - Advancing Vision + Imaging, and Motion Control Association (MCA). RIA, AIA, and MCA combined represent 750 automation manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, research groups and consulting firms from throughout the world that drive automation forward.

For more information, please visit our websites: A3; RIA; AIA; MCA.