Henrik I. Christensen is the Qualcomm Chancellor’s Chair of Robot Systems and a Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of California San Diego, where he directs the Contextual Robotics Institute. His research focuses on robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and the deployment of robots in real-world environments. He is a principal author of the U.S. National Robotics Roadmap and has been a prominent contributor to national and international robotics strategy and policy. Christensen has published more than 400 contributions across robotics, AI, and computer vision and is a Fellow of IEEE and AAAS. He received the 2011 Engelberger Robotics Award, one of the highest honors in the robotics industry.
Robotics is a key enabler of reshoring production to the U.S., but there is little consensus on how to best encourage it. Most industrial automation is made by foreign-owned companies, but can recent policies such as tariffs and FCC import restrictions help build back manufacturing? This expert panel, which includes representatives of leading robot manufacturers and industry analysts, will examine the need for a national robotics strategy and debate industrial priorities.
