RIA Invites Submissions for New Market Incubator Program

ANN ARBOR, MI, Now tele-robotic applications and mobile robot studies are eligible for funding in a new Robot Market Assessment Program from Robotic Industries Association (RIA), North America's "only" trade association dedicated solely to the robotics industry. Under this program, interested parties may receive RIA funding and support for formalized analysis of potential new markets for industrial robots. This round of funding requests will be accepted through October 20, 2006. Top candidates will be submitted for review to the RIA board of directors at the November Robotics Industry Forum in Orlando.

"Based on a recommendation from the New Markets Committee, RIA's board of directors added mobile robots and tele-robotics to the list of technologies to be studied in our Robot Market Assessment Program," said RIA executive vice president, Donald A. Vincent. "For more than 30 years, the association has worked to promote the adoption and safe use of robots in the manufacturing sector, and today's technology challenges the traditional view of an industrial robot. We aim to foster innovative thinking with this program. "Heading up this initiative are volunteers from 15 companies in the RIA New Markets Committee chaired by Ben Sagan of KUKA Robotics. Members may access RMAP entry forms from the Web site or contact Brian Huse, RIA director, marketing and public relations, for more information at [email protected] or 734-994-6088.

"North American companies have and will continue to need robots to compete with low-cost labor and emerging industrial economies," said Vincent as he elaborated on the Association's incubator program. "This program is aimed at bolstering North American business, and complemented by other activities. For instance, RIA is the exclusive source of statistics on North American robot sales and orders. The incubator program is one of many activities created by our members to help the industry. "Successful entries for a market assessment study will demonstrate an opportunity for robotics to be used in new markets or applications. Criteria to be considered include potential return on investment to robotize, barriers and opportunities for adoption, and broad appeal for supplier competition. Entries must be sponsored by more than one RIA member, and study results are shared with qualified members. The Robot Market Assessment Program continues RIA's tradition of promoting the use and adoption of robotics in North America. It is the sponsor of the industry's biennial International Robots Vision Show, regional workshops, and an annual state of the industry forum. Additionally, the association is secretariat for the RIA/ANSI R15.06 Robot Safety Standard, collects industry statistics, and provides in-house training upon request.

About the Robotic Industries Association
Founded in 1974, Robotic Industries Association is North America's "only" trade association dedicated solely to industrial robotics. Member companies include leading robot manufacturers, users, system integrators, component suppliers, research groups, and consulting firms. Known globally as "North America's representative to the International Federation of Robotics," and known locally as the "only source of North American robot sales statistics," RIA has the industry's "number one" Web site. Contact Brian Huse at 734-994-6088 or [email protected].