Expo to showcase field's growth
By Erika Stutzman
Camera Business Writer
The field of robotics, still in its infancy, is poised for major growth.
So it's no surprise that the host firm of the upcoming Acroname Robotics Expo has been undergoing a serious growth spurt of its own.
The expo, which will feature a presentation from Scott Askew of NASA's Automation, Simulation and Robotics Division, will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Boulder Elk's Lodge. The event is free to spectators.
This is the second year that Acroname — which sells parts, products and kids for robot-making — has hosted the expo. The company recently gained national attention by licensing a Palm Pilot robot kit, which was developed at Carnegie Mellon University.
Steve Richards, Acroname's chief executive, founded the company in 1994. But its adolescence hit in 2000 — the three-person firm grew to a 10-person firm over the year.
Sales are expected to soar from $380,000 last year to $1.2 million this year.
"We've hit a growth curve," Richards said. "There's a rising awareness of robotics."
Richards credits the burgeoning interest in robots for the company's growth — interest that is sparked, in part, by attention-grabbing technology like the Palm robot, and by the annual expo.
The company, which is seeking funding this year, has 5,000 customers and is "nearly profitable," Richards said.
Like Acroname itself, the expo is maturing. The event will feature competitions for students and robot enthusiasts, and a LEGO workshop.
Robots will go head-to-head in matches designed to measure the skills of the programmers. One competition will pit robots against fire, as the programmed crafts negotiate a tough obstacle course and attempt to extinguish a lit candle.
Not only will there be more attendees this year, Richards said, but the expo also attracted experts in the robotics field.
In addition to NASA's Askew, featured presenter Larry Esposito of the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics will be on hand.
Esposito will be presenting his latest research on a Pluto-bound robot at 10:30 a.m. Askew's presentation on "Humanoid Development in Space and Beyond" will be at 2 p.m.
Robotics have made serious strides in recent years, but the industry is still very young. Pioneering industries include space, underwater exploration and mining — essentially places where mankind wants to be for various reasons that pose inherent risks to humans.
But there will be many more applications for robots in the future, experts say.
John Steele, a professor at the Colorado School of Mines who has taught robotics, recently said he expects robotics to affect the 21st century the way silicon affected the 20th century.
For more information on this weekend's robo-event, go to www.acroname.com and select the expo 2001 page.
Contact Erika Stutzman at stutzmane@thedailycamera.com or (303) 473-1354.
March 1, 2001 |
