Page 51 - Modern Robotics Building Versatile Macines

REVOLUTIONIZING INDUSTRY 31

for robots in helping to care for the growing population of elderly
people who need assistance in the tasks of daily life. He points out
that no government or insurance company can afford to hire a full-
time human assistant to enable older people to continue living at
home. A suitable robot could fetch things, remind a person when
it is time to take medication, and even perform medical monitoring
and summon help if necessary.

Elder Statesperson of Robotics

Joseph Engelberger’s achievements in industrial and service robotics
have won him numerous plaudits and awards, including the Leonardo
da Vinci Award of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers,
the Progress Award of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the
Japan Prize, and Columbia University’s Egleston Medal. Engelberger
was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1984. He has
also received honorary doctorates from five institutions, including
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh—one of the great centers
of robotics research in the United States.
In 1992, Engelberger was included in the London Sunday Times
series on “The 1000 Makers of the 20th Century.” In 2000,
Engelberger delivered the keynote address to the World Automation
Congress, which was also dedicated to him. In 2004, he received the
IEEE Robotics and Automation Award.
Since 1977, the Robotics Industries Association has presented
the prestigious annual Joseph F. Engelberger Awards to honor
the most significant innovators in the science and technology of
robotics.

A Wrong Direction?

Engelberger continues to have strong opinions about the future of
the robotics industry and robotics research. At a time when many
researchers are making robots that look increasingly like human
beings, Engelberger focuses on functionality rather than appearance.
As he told Red Herring magazine in 2000,