Event to be Held in Silicon Valley on September 30, 2014

(Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA) On September 30th, industry experts will gather at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, CA to help robotics users understand the benefits of integrating collaborative robots within their workforce. The International Collaborative Robots Workshop, hosted by the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), will examine the best use cases for implementing this emerging category of automation and identify the challenges most often associated with deploying collaborative robots on manufacturing lines and in the services industry.

The agenda includes Dr. Henrik Christensen of Georgia Tech, who will chair a panel discussion focused on leading collaborative robot use cases. Among the participants sharing their experiences will be Stefan Bartscher of BMW, Marty Linn of General Motors, John Dulchinos of Jabil, and Dan Sipes of Novartis Foundation.

One of the most anticipated talks at the workshop will be from Steve Cousins, CEO, Savioike. The company recently introduced SaviOne, a revolutionary delivery robot for the services industry. Cousins believes the personal robotics industry has the potential to change the world the way the PC industry did 30 years ago.

Other confirmed speakers at this one-day event are:
• Rodney Brooks, Rethink Robotics
• Ebsen Østergaard, Universal Robots
• Erik Nieves, Yaskawa Motoman
• Michael Beaupre, KUKA Robotics
• Deron Jackson, Adept
• Björn Matthias, ABB
• Pat Davison, RIA
• Sam Bouchard, Robotiq
• Rich Mahoney, SRI International

"Were bringing together international robotics industry leaders, researchers, suppliers and users to help us understand where the industry is today and where its headed in the future with collaborative robots," said Jeff Burnstein, President of RIA. "We strategically chose Silicon Valley to host the event because its one of the worlds hotbeds for robotics research and start-up companies."

Tabletop exhibits of collaborative robots and related technologies will be included, allowing attendees a hands-on experience with leading robotic products. The exhibition space will be open during breakfast, lunch and an evening networking reception.

The Silicon Valley Robotics group is an association sponsor of this event. Registration for RIA and Silicon Valley Robotics members is $595 ($645 for non-members) before August 31st. For complete details and registration information, visit www.robotics.org/events or call RIA Headquarters at 734/994-6088.

For more information on attending the International Collaborative Robots Workshop as a member of the press, please contact Bob Doyle at (734) 994-6088 or bdoyle@a3automate.org.

About Robotic Industries Association (RIA)
Founded in 1974, RIA is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to improving the regional, national and global competitiveness of the North American manufacturing and service sectors through promotion and enhancement of robotics and related automation. RIA represents 340 robot manufacturers, system integrators, component suppliers, end users, consulting firms, research groups, and educational institutions. The association hosts a number of events including the International Collaborative Robots Workshop (September 30, 2014 in San Jose, California), the National Robot Safety Conference (October 14-16, 2014 in Ann Arbor, Michigan), the Robotics Industry Forum (January 21-23, 2015 in Orlando, FL) and the biennial Automate Show & Conference (March 23-26, 2015 in Chicago). RIA also provides quarterly robotics statistics and has a content-rich website, Robotics Online. For more details on RIA, visit www.robotics.org 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 780 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 - www.A3automate.org. RIA - www.robotics.org. AIA - www.visiononline.org. MCA - www.motioncontrolonline.org.