On May 7th and 8th, our Texas A&M University System National Laboratories Office (TAMUS NLO), along with the Texas A&M University (TAMU) College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) hosted it’s second workshop of 2024 bringing key researchers together to inspire collaboration. This invite only Robotics & Automation Workshop was a successor to an Advanced Manufacturing Workshop held earlier in the Spring.
Pictured above: TAMU faculty and staff, LANL staff, and researchers from across the TAMUS at the Bush Combat Development Center on Texas A&M University’s RELLIS Campus in Bryan, TX.
Attendees from five Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) schools, listed below, participated in productive conversations and breakout sessions prompted by strategically selected topical presentations before touring a variety of campus facilities that showcase the dedication of the TAMUS to an educational environment that supports our national laboratories in their national security missions.
Texas A&M University (College Station)
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Event organizers included faculty and staff from the Texas A&M University College of Engineering, including Dr. Pablo Tarazaga, TAMU Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Evelyn Mullen, P.E., Special Advisor to the Texas A&M Vice Chancellor for Research, and Dr. TJ Ulrich, Director of University Research and Relations, and Dr. Beth Boardman, R&D Engineering, Deputy Group Leader Automation, Robotics and Controls Group (E-3) from LANL.
Pictured above: Dr. Cynthia Hipwell, Texas A&M University Professor of Mechanical Engineering, presenting on the topic of Human Augmentation via Dexterity (HAND).
“This Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) workshop collaboration in Robotics highlighted key areas where the TAMUS automation and robotics expertise could contribute to the LANL national security mission. It was especially interesting to meet some great robots who were highlighting the skills of our fantastic Aggies!” Said, Evelyn Mullen.
Pictured above: Dr. Rob Ambrose performs a robotics demonstration for workshop attendees at the Texas Engineering Experiment Station Robotics Laboratory.
At least one more workshop in this series is scheduled for August of this year centered on the topics of Sensing and Evaluation. Its purpose will be to identify means and topics for strategic partnerships, research engagement and workforce development between LANL and TAMUS in the area of sensing and evaluation for advanced manufacturing and other national security applications. This third workshop is scheduled to be held at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico and will also be invite only post application review.