Last week, Dr. Chuck Thorpe, the Assistant Director of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, spoke to the Minnesota High Tech Association about the National Robotics Initiative and the Advance Manufacturing Partnership. Thorpe visited Minnesota at the invitation of MHTA and Robotics Alley. The event was held at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs courtesy of the Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy.
The Star Tribune featured an interview with Thorpe and Andrew Borene, the Executive Director of Robotics Alley, in its Sunday, April 15 edition. Here is an excerpt of the article:
Robotics and more U.S. jobs
Chuck Thorpe, White House assstant director for advanced manufacturing and robotics and Andrew Borene, executive director of Robotics Alley both attended a conference on robotics at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Chuck Thorpe is the point man for the White House on advanced manufacturing and robotics. A computer scientist on loan from Carnegie Mellon University, a hotbed for robotics, Thorpe spoke last week to members of the Minnesota High Tech Association and its affiliate, Robotics Alley. Andrew Borene, general counsel of Edina-based ReconRobotics, is executive director of Robotics Alley.
Q Chuck, what’s your mission?
A My mission at the White House is to encourage robotics and advance manufacturing and to make connections. The best way is to move around the country and see cool things. I have visited ReconRobotics and Par Systems (which makes robotic arms for handling nuclear and other material). Both Par and Recon are building valuable technology for the nation. I can see what they have on the market and I can go back to Washington and make connections between them and other people and potential partners.
Finance and Commerce also profiled the event in its April 11, 2012 issue. Here is an excerpt of the article:
White House adviser: ‘Robotics revolution is here’
Charles Thorpe, science and technology policy adviser to the White House, spoke at a forum sponsored by the Minnesota High Tech Association at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz)
How many people does it take to run an unmanned factory?The question may sound ironic but the answer, it turns out, is quite a few, said robotics expert Charles Thorpe, science and technology policy adviser to the Obama White House.
Thorpe, who was in town on Wednesday to promote the National Robotics Initiative, said the traditional “dull, dirty, dangerous, backbreaking work” in manufacturing is in the past.
“(Manufacturing) jobs of the present and future are clean, high-tech, creative, much more interesting jobs, much better paying jobs,” Thorpe said at a forum sponsored by the Minnesota High Tech Association at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
MHTA
The Minnesota High Tech Association, MHTA, is an innovation and technology association united in fueling Minnesota’s prosperity. MHTA helps bring together the people of Minnesota’s technology ecosystem and lead the charge in directing technology issues to Minnesota’s state capitol and the local affiliate for its global partners, TechAmerica and TECNA.
Robotics Alley
Robotics Alley™ is an initiative founded by ReconRobotics and the Minnesota High Tech Association designed to raise the profile of the central United States in the global robotics industry. The leading companies, organizations, universities, and individuals working together through Robotics Alley are involved in some of the worlds most innovative and promising robotics projects. Together, we are transforming industries from medicine and agriculture, to security and industrial manufacturing.
Robotics Innovation is an active member of MHTA and Robotics Alley.
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