Identifying opportunities, developing solutions, driving business performance, and transforming industries

Identifying Opportunities Track

As research advancements, technological developments, and societal need have combined to remove barriers to innovation and commercialization, the robotics sector has the good fortune of offering many opportunities for those companies that can deliver robotics solutions that are functional and deliver real value. However, the opportunity landscape for robotics is so large, and the rate of technical advancement so rapid, as to make difficult the choice of which opportunities to pursue.

Choice is good, but an overabundance of options can be overwhelming, stifling the decision-making processes, and more regretfully, resulting in less informed, incorrect decisions. Equally important, once opportunities have been identified, the correct strategy to maximize the opportunity (and minimize risk) must be determined, and the according technical and business process must be executed in response. Topics covered in the Identifying Opportunities Track include:

Exploiting Technologies Track

The design and development of robotics systems is a cross discipline undertaking requiring the synergistic combination of a number of mechanical, material, electrical and computer technologies, and the integration of the same using smart software. Often these robots must be further integrated with other systems in their environment and be able to communicate with other devices, as well as directly with humans. If this were not difficult enough, some classes of robotics systems must be able to operate autonomously, often in unstructured environments, with little outside control to guide them.

Thankfully, a wide range of powerful enabling technologies are available to the developer of commercial robotics systems, ranging from microprocessors / SoCs and sensors, to networking solutions, and design and development toolsets, as well as ready-made robotic ‘platforms’, that dramatically simplify the job of designing and developing robotics solutions. Sessions in the Exploiting Technologies Track will cover the latest advances in these ‘core’ enabling technologies, which special emphasis placed on how they can best be exploited to deliver robust robotics, commercial class systems:

Driving Business Track

Business development is crucial for any robotics company, from new start-ups to the largest Global 2000 multinationals. Without it, companies will struggle to survive, let alone thrive.

Business development initiatives themselves can take many forms, including the basic “blocking and tackling” requirements common to all companies such as attracting, hiring and retaining employees, meeting legal requirements and protecting intellectual property. Other forms of business development are unique to the size, class and age of the companies. For example, attracting funding is a central concern for many start-ups, while for publicly traded companies, investment trends and global trade are vital issues.

Sessions in the Driving Business Track will provide management level attendees with critical information regarding business development, investment and partnership opportunities specific to producers of commercial class robotics solutions, as well as best practices for running robotics companies more efficiently. Representative topics in Driving Business Track include:

Transforming Industries Track

In very broad terms, providers of robotics products and services can succeed in a market in basically three ways:

• First to Market – Enter ‘greenfield’ markets where products, technologies or solutions do not yet exist.
• A Better or ‘Fast Follower’ Solution – Offer products, technologies or solutions that are better than what currently exists in the market (more robust, more effective, less expensive etc.).
• Addressing Technological and Business Challenges – Provide business and technology solutions that that overcome commercialization challenges and other ‘gating factors.’

Yet it is equally true that different vertical markets exhibit distinctive characteristics, and market success is dependent on the delivery of solutions that that are optimized for, and uniquely serve, their unique market. Sessions in the Transforming Industries Track are expressly designed to highlight the key challenges, and hence the foremost opportunities, specific to a variety of vertical market segments including: