New Center for Robotics and Biosystems to Celebrate Launch with Panel Discussion, Open House

Building on its leadership in collaborative robotics research and education, Northwestern Engineering has launched the new Center for Robotics and Biosystems.

To commemorate the center’s opening, the McCormick School of Engineering will host “Our Future with Robots: A Panel Discussion and Open House in Celebration of the Launch of the Center for Robotics and Biosystems” on Tuesday, December 3.

A talk and panel discussion featuring Northwestern Engineering faculty and industry experts will take place from 3 – 4:30 p.m. in the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center’s Hive Studio. A reception and open house will follow from 4:30 – 6 p.m. in the second floor AB Wing Atrium in the Technological Institute. The event is open to the public, but registration is required.

Kevin Lynch, chair and professor of mechanical engineering and director of the center, will deliver introductory remarks prior to the panel discussion. Other speakers at the event include:

• Robert Wolcott (moderator), McCormick Faculty Fellow, cofounder and executive director, Kellogg Innovation Network
• Brenna Argall, associate professor of computer science, mechanical engineering, and physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Mitra Hartmann, Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence, professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering
• Daniel Linna Jr., senior lecturer of computer science and law, director of law and technology initiatives
• Mark P. Mills, McCormick Faculty Fellow, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, author of the book Work in the Age of Robots
• Todd Murphey, professor of mechanical engineering

About the Center for Robotics and Biosystems

The Center for Robotics and Biosystems is working toward a future where humans and robots collaborate seamlessly to achieve what is currently impossible; where sensors, actuators, and controllers are inspired by biological principles; and where robotics and computational modeling lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of human and animal neuromechanics. Because our future will benefit from the synergistic co-evolution of humans and robots, the center's research focuses on the science and engineering of embodied intelligence.