Sounds interesting! It would be great to see a robot that uses fluid power make the cut ...

2006 Engelberger Robotics Awards Mark 30th Year
Nominations Open Through March 17

January 27, 2006
Contact: Jim Adams, 734/994-6088

ANN ARBOR, Michigan— RIA is accepting nominations for the 2006 Engelberger Robotics Awards that will be presented at the 37th International Symposium on Robotics/AUTOMATICA, to be held May 15-19, 2006 in Munich, Germany. The award, being presented for the 30th consecutive year, is named after the “Father of Robotics, Joseph F. Engelberger, the founding force behind industrial robotics.

Mr. Engelberger was founder and president of Unimation, Inc., the world's first industrial robot manufacturer. The Engelberger Robotics Award is the world's highest and most prestigious robotics honor and is presented annually to outstanding individuals with significant achievements in the areas of application, education, leadership, and technology development.

Since its inception in 1977, the awards have been presented to 97 robotics leaders from 15 different countries. Each winner receives a $4,000 honorarium and a commemorative medallion with the inscription, “Contributing to the advancement of the science of robotics in the service of mankind.”

To submit a nomination, contact Saroj Motwani at smotwani@robotics.org
(734/994-6088) or visit www.roboticsonline.com and select “Events” for an online nomination form. A full description of the award criteria for each of the four areas and a fact sheet, complete with frequently asked questions, is also posted on the Web site. The nomination deadline is March 17, 2006.

The Engelberger Robotics Awards are presented by the Robotic Industries Association. Founded in 1974, RIA represents some 250 North American companies actively involved in robotics. RIA President, and Thermo Electron Corporation Director of OEM Business Development, Trevor Jones, will present the awards along with Mr. Engelberger. The award ceremony will be held Tuesday evening, May 16, 2006, in the Auditorium of the Old Town Hall in Munich.

Donald A. Vincent, RIA Executive Vice President, said of the 2006 award’s program, “Companies and countries look at these awards as the ‘Nobel Prize’ for the global robotics industry. The success of using robots in manufacturing, and now service applications, can be attributed directly to creative people demonstrating innovation, engineering expertise, and management. Past winners make for a ‘Who’s Who’ list in the robotics field. RIA will continue to recognize leading-edge contributors who advance the robotics field in this 30th year of the Engelberger Robotics Awards. The Awards Committee looks forward to receiving a record number of new nominations from around the world.”