Georgia Institute of Technology

Healthcare: The growing older adult population has increased the demand for assistive technologies. IRIM investigates ways to improve healthcare by advancing the capabilities of mobile robots that provide physical assistance. Essential components of this research include providing people with independence in their daily lives to promote aging in place and improving their quality of life through use of robot technology. (Credit: Keith R. Bujak)

Dramatic advances in robotics technology have quickly enabled new applications and integration in many research areas from defense to service applications. Using state-of-the-art facilities and working with strategic partners, Georgia Tech improves society by investigating novel robotic technologies that enhance the lives of everyone.

Our researchers define the future role of robots in society. The study of basic engineering problems is central to our work, but equally important is the implementation of innovative technologies,which results in viable solutions for evolving societal needs through integration in both systems and applications. The high quality of our academic and research programs, coupled with outstanding faculty and facilities, positions Georgia Tech as a leader in the National Robotics Initiative, launched in 2012 to ensure unparalleled robotics research and development in the United States.

Manufacturing: Robots play an integral role in keeping the U.S. competitive in the global marketplace and retaining more jobs for U.S. workers. From materials handling to spot welding and assembly tasks, robots increase productivity and efficiency. IRIM focuses on technologies that enable humans and robots to work side by side across all areas of manufacturing and in a wide variety of industries. (Credit: Gary Meek)

Georgia Tech is revolutionizing the way humans collaborate with robots and is charting the course for how autonomous systems can enhance society, the economy and culture. Our projects attract more than $35 million in sponsored research each year in core research areas that include mechanics, control, perception, artificial intelligence and cognition, interaction and systems. Georgia Tech continues to advance personal and everyday robotics through research into the ways robots can learn from and interact with humans, and by exploring issues surrounding their governance and ethical use.

Through interdisciplinary research across technological and sector-specific fields, more than 60 robotics faculty members and research staff drive innovation and new discoveries across the robotics spectrum—from large-scale automation and autonomous vehicles to personalized robotic learning and engagement.

Georgia Tech is a leader in the development of autonomous vehicles and machines for defense, homeland security and first responder security applications. Researchers are developing specialized techniques for testing and evaluating unmanned vehicles, which are playing an increasingly important role in meeting Department of Defense needs. Georgia Tech researchers have also pioneered techniques that allow autonomous robots to work together in defense and rescue missions.

First Responder Security: Robots help preserve human lives in hazardous situations. They navigate through dangerous environments, provide vital communications through sensors and deliver essential supplies. IRIM develops improved mobility and manipulation capabilities of robots used in disasters and emergencies, resulting in improved safety for first responders and greater potential to save lives in both civilian and military operations. (Credit: Ai-Ping Hu)

Our relationships with key government and industry partners create opportunities for Georgia Tech to develop new methods for integrating automated systems into critical workflow processes. Through these efforts, our researchers advance the adoption of robotic technology in the workplace and address issues of critical national and international importance. Major areas of focus include improving care for aging in place, increasing productivity and efficiency in manufacturing, developing onboard sensors and applications for enhancing safety of personal vehicles and creating new methods to improve the social interactive abilities of personal and service robots.

Georgia Tech’s recent award of more than $2 million from the National Science Foundation to fund projects for the National Robotics Initiative program, combined with the Institute’s interdisciplinary approach to research, further strengthens Georgia Tech’s position as a leader in robotics research.