Hill Institute at Furman to host next-gen tech forum about cobots

Furman University will host a breakfast and panel discussion about next-generation, collaborative robot (cobot) technology Thursday, May 8, 7:30-10 a.m. at Greenville ONE Center downtown. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is requested.

“Cobots – A New Era of Automation,” is the next installment of the Advantage Greenville series, a biannual thought leadership forum hosted by The Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Furman in partnership with the Furman Alumni Office.

Whether performing precision surgeries or handling heavy manufacturing tasks, cobots are designed to work seamlessly and safely with humans, and they are poised to play an ever-increasing role in the workplace.

The forum features keynote presentations from three leading global robotics and manufacturing corporations followed by a panel discussion with these global leaders, a South Carolina-based cobot startup, and a moderator from South Carolina Research Authority. They will address how robots are augmenting human capabilities, including:

• Current Applications: How cobots are solving real-world problems and driving innovation across multiple industries
• Human-Cobot Collaboration: The benefits and concerns of integrating cobots into the workforce and empowering human workers
• Ethical Considerations: The implications of automation and the importance of developing technology responsibly
• Future Perspectives: What’s next for robotics and how cobots are shaping the future of work.

Agenda

7:30-8:15 a.m., Pre-event networking and breakfast

8:15-9:30 a.m., Main event in auditorium

• Michael McDonald, reliability engineer, Michelin North America
• Iman Evazzade, IT innovation and research engineer, BMW Manufacturing
• Travis Langford, channel and business development manager, Universal Robots

Fireside Chat “Human-Cobot Collaboration” with Catherine Hayes, moderator, director of industry solutions at SCRA, and Stijn Van de Velde, co-founder and CEO, Drobot

9:30-10 a.m., Post-event networking

Register at no charge at https://www.furman.edu/innovation-entrepreneurship/innovation-entrepreneurship/advantage-greenville-event/.

For more information, please contact the Alumni Office at [email protected], and 1-800-PURPLE3. Or contact Bryan Davis at The Hill Institute at [email protected] and 864-294-2352.