WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), today held a hearing as part of the ongoing Disrupter Series to examine advanced robotics and explore the way this field is revolutionizing the world, equipping the workforce, and modernizing the economy. Today’s hearing provided the subcommittee with a greater understanding of how advanced robotics can boost economic growth and provide new opportunities for students and commerce.
A common theme throughout the hearing was the potential created by advanced robotics and how Americans, and industry, have begun to embrace this technology. “In our examination of these issues, it will be important to understand how consumers and businesses using these technologies will be protected while preserving the flexibility and ingenuity of innovators that are driving this market forward," said Chairman Burgess.
Dean Kamen and Chairman Upton catching up before the hearing begins. Upton highlighted his friendship with Mr. Kamen during his opening statement.
Mr. Dean Kamen, prominent inventor and founder of Deka Research, discussed STEM opportunities now available to students because of technology like advanced robotics. Innovative programs like FIRST, which stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology," inspire students to participate in science and math through robotics competitions.
Full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) commented, “Michigan is becoming ‘Robot Central’ with, by far, the highest number of FIRST teams per capita in the nation. From the St. Joseph ‘Average Joes’ team to the ‘2767 Stryke Force’ team in Kalamazoo, innovative STEM programs - like FIRST Robotics - allows for kids in our communities to dream big and aspire to become inventors, engineers, small business owners, and community leaders. It is also refreshing to see kids excited by science."
Dr. Sridhar Kota, the Herrick Professor of Engineering at the University of Michigan, spoke about the ways advanced robotics are utilized in the 21st century to complement everyday tasks, improve mission outcomes, and complete complex assignments. “Today, researchers and firms tend to think of robots in a different light: as collaborative tools to enhance the productivity of factory workers, as means to assist soldiers on dangerous missions, as co-drivers to enhance automobile safety and efficiency, and as co-inspectors to enable continuous monitoring and maintenance of high value assets such as bridges and wind turbines… In short, robotics is now about augmenting and improving human work rather than replacing it."
To provide a more in-depth perspective on the ways that robotics can benefit specific industries like agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare, Mr. Jeff Burnstein, President of Robotics Industries Association, testified, “From surgical robots that can mill out precise fittings for a hip replacement to personal assistant robots that help care for patients, medical robots are transforming the face of healthcare." He goes on to explain, “For an industry challenged by out of control costs, explosive amounts of information and technology, labor shortages, and an aging and increasingly sick population, advanced robotics can ease the labor gap and improve efficiency and safety to serve more patients with higher quality."
