Sixth Annual RoboBusiness Conference & Exposition Opens

The International Robotics Community Participates in Business Development Event for Mobile Robotics and Intelligent Systems Industry

BOSTON, MA – April 15, 2009 – Robotics Trends and EH Publishing today announced the successful commencement of the 6th Annual RoboBusiness Conference & Exposition (http://www.robobusiness.com). RoboBusiness Conference & Exposition, the international business development event for the personal, service and mobile robotics industry, is taking place today and tomorrow, April 15-16, 2009 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Hundreds of robotics professionals are registered to attend the conference and exposition event over the course of two days. The two-day conference program consists of eight keynote presentations by world-renowned leaders and dozens of informative conference sessions in six dedicated tracks: Business Development and Investment; Technology and Standards; Security, Defense and First Responder Robotics; Consumer Robotics; RoboMedicus - Healthcare Robotics; and Autonomy and Mobility. The conference sessions are presented by an elite group of industry experts and cover the business and technical issues related to the development of the personal, service and mobile robotics industry.

This morning’s program kicked off with a video message from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, followed by opening comments by Greg Bialecki, Secretary of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Bialecki discussed the rapidly emerging robotics industry, with an emphasis on the Bay State’s position as the leading center of robotics innovation in North America. According to an industry report published by the Mass Tech Leadership Council in the fall of 2008, more than 2,500 people, in more than 80 companies, are employed in the Massachusetts robotics sector. In addition, annual robotics sales from Commonwealth robotics companies exceed $942 million.

Immediately following the opening address, Tandy Trower, General Manager of Microsoft, delivered his keynote presentation, “Personal Robotics: Getting Some Perspective.” Trower explored important and compelling opportunities and markets for robots, and what still must be overcome to birth these applications.

Vice Admiral Joseph W. Dyer (U.S. Navy, Ret.), President of Government and Industrial Robots Division at iRobot, delivered the keynote presentation, “How Robots Make War More Survivable.” Dyer addressed how robots are making a difference on the battlefield by increasing situational awareness, speeding missions and protecting those in harm’s way. He offered insight into the types of missions that future robots will perform and the autonomous behaviors being developed that will make warfare more survivable.

Christopher German, Chief Scientist for Deep Submergence, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), delivered the final keynote presentation of the morning. German’s presentation, entitled, “Oases for Life in Distant Oceans - Robotic Exploration on Earth and Beyond,” explained how he has been using the most advanced robotic systems available - both at WHOI and elsewhere - to revolutionize how we explore and investigate systems in Earth’s deep oceans with ever greater efficiency. He also explained how WHOI is working with NASA to capture the lessons learned during deep ocean exploration to help guide future space/astrobiological exploration.

Topics for afternoon general Conference sessions included the building of a new themepark titled "Robotland," surgical robotic technology, and security and defense robotics, the emerging consumer robotics market, and the new classes of robotic gaming devices.

Following the morning keynote presentations, Conference Attendees, Speakers, Event Sponsors, and Exhibiting Companies will network and enjoy refreshments at the celebratory Evening Networking Reception at the Hynes Convention Center.

The RoboBusiness Expo Floor, which opened at 11:00am this morning, is buzzing with excitement as dozens of leading robotics organizations from around the world display their robots and provide hands-on access to the latest design and development solutions for robotic technology. A list of sponsors and exhibiting companies can be found here. The Expo Floor is open until 5:00pm today and from 11:00am-4:00pm on Thursday.

The Expo Floor features emerging technologies including:

• Barrett Technology will be showcasing the WAM™ Arm, a highly dexterous, naturally backdrivable manipulator, and The BarrettHand, a multi-fingered programmable grasper with the dexterity to secure target objects of different sizes, shapes, and orientations
• Security and healthcare robots by CCS Robotics
• DMP Electronic Inc. will be showcasing its RoBoard, which makes robots more active and intelligent
• QNA/Foster-Miller’s TALON® Robots
• Robosoft’s robuLAB10, a compact and fast mobile robot aimed at helping people in need
• Gravity-defying electroadhesive robots, precision telesurgery, and multi-platform mapping and navigation software by SRI International
• Velodyne Lidar will be exhibiting the HDL-64E S2, a 64-element LIDAR sensor that delivers a 360-degree HFOV and a 26.8-degree VFOV. It generates more than 1.3 million distance points per second  

The schedule for Thursday, April 16 includes a Special Breakfast Keynote Presentation by Paolo Pirjanian, President and CEO of Evolution Robotics.Pirjanian will kick off the second day of the Conference with the presentation, “The Next Generation of Smart Robots,” in which he will discuss low-cost component technologies that enable the next generation of robotic products, ranging from autonomous toys that can chase and race like in video games, to smart vacuum cleaners that can clean a home up to 10 times faster than a random cleaner.

That morning Scott Friedman, CEO of Seegrid Corporation, will deliver the keynote, “Industrial Mobile Robotics.” Friedman will describe the nascent landscape of automation and robotics in supply chain management while he focuses on emerging robotic technologies and product innovations, painting a clear picture of how and by “who” the work will be done in the years to come.

Following Friedman's address, Daniela Rus, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and the Associate Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, will present the keynote, “Network Controlled Robots.” Rus will discuss the challenges of building brains for bodies to create mobile autonomous systems that can interact intelligently with the physical world.

Dan Kara, President of Robotics Trends, will present the final keynote, “Key Business Development and Investment Opportunities in the Robotics and Intelligent Systems Industry” following the lunch break. Kara will review and analyze the key ‘high impact’ technological and research advancements, along with international business and governmental initiatives, all with an eye to the opportunities they offer to the robotics, investment and business communities.

Throughout the afternoon on Thursday, attendees can choose from over a dozen thought-provoking conference sessions. The event concludes at 4:45pm.

Onsite registration is available today until 5:00pm and on Thursday from 7:00am to 4:00pm. RoboBusiness is a B2B professional conference and exposition; registration is reserved for professionals involved with the robotics industry. Complete event information and registration are available at http://www.robobusiness.com.

About RoboBusiness Conference & Exposition
RoboBusiness Conference & Exposition features a worldwide array of companies with emerging robotics and intelligent systems technologies within the Expo Floor, 30+ sessions, and exclusive Keynote Presentations. Conference program Tracks include:

• Business Development and Investment
• Technology and Standards
• Security, Defense and First Responder Robotics
• Consumer Robotics
• Healthcare Robotics / RoboMedicus
• Autonomy and Mobility

About Robotics Trends, Inc.
Robotics Trends, a division of EH Publishing, Inc., is the world’s first integrated media firm serving the burgeoning personal, service and mobile robotics marketplace. Robotics Trends services their clientele through two major business divisions:

• Robotics Trends Publishing, which produces http://www.roboticstrends.com, an online news, information and analysis portal focused on business and technology trends for people who build, buy, invest in, and seek to understand the personal, service, mobile and military robotics market; and Robotics Business Review, a subscription media product providing primary research, analysis and market observations for the robotics and intelligent systems industries.
• Robotics Trends Events, which produces the RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition (http://www.robodevelopment.com), RoboBusiness Conference and Exposition (http://www.robobusiness.com) and the RoboNexus Conference and Exposition.

About EH Publishing
EH Publishing, Inc. is the information leader and resource for the home electronic industry. Serving the technology and construction markets, EH Publishing, Inc. reaches more than half a million home electronic professionals, builders and consumers worldwide. Founded in 1994, EH Publishing, Inc. has defined, cultivated and raised awareness of the $15 billion electronic/installed home industry through its products, which include print publications, on-line publications, trade shows and market studies. EH Publishing, Inc. is the industry's source for home technology information and market analysis, with the targeted print and on-line publications: Electronic House, Home Electronic Ideas, CE Pro, CE Pro Retailing, ChannelPro, TecHome Builder, Live Sound, and targeted tradeshows: Electronic House Expo (EHX), Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX), RoboDevelopment Conference and Exposition, and RoboBusiness Conference and Exposition. To find out more, visit http://www.ehpub.com.

Contact:
For further information, contact Dan Kara at 508-663-1500 x329 or email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

For sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities, contact Ellen Cotton at 508-663-1500 x240 or email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

For media inquiries, contact Jessica Camerato at 508-663-1500 x296 or email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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