LSSU Students
School of Engineering & Technology
The LSSU Engineering students that attended Automate 2019 were selected competitively based on academic success and approval from LSSU engineering professors. These students are listed in Table 1 and are shown representing LSSU at our Automate 2019 conference booth in Fig. 1.
Table 1 – LSSU students selected to attend Automate 2019.
Name |
Class Standing |
Major |
Brandon Niemi |
Senior |
Electrical Engineering |
Alex Alias |
Senior |
Manufacturing Engineering Tech |
Rick Miller |
Senior |
Mechanical Engineering |
Preston Fairchild |
Junior |
Electrical Engineering |
Thomas Muir |
Freshman |
Mechanical Engineering |
Josh Schember |
Freshman |
Computer Engineering |
Trevor Simons |
Senior |
Mechanical Engineering |
Evan Reeves |
Senior |
Mechanical Engineering |
Eden LaTulip |
Junior |
Computer Engineering |
Nathan Pim |
Senior |
Manufacturing Engineering Tech |
Fig. 1 – LSSU Students and professors at Automate 2019 pictured in front of LSSU’s conference booth. From left to right: Thomas Muir, Rick Miller, Preston Fairchild, Evan Reeves, Brandon Niemi, Alex Elias, Trevor Simons, Nathan Pim, Eden LaTulip, Prof. Jim Devaprasad, and Prof. Edoardo Sarda
Fig. 2 – Robotics Professionals Watching Demonstrations at LSSU’s Booth
The Automate 2019 conference was held at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago, IL from Monday, April 8, 2019 to Thursday, April 11, 2019. Our group attended events on all the days of the conference. The event was divided into two parts: the trade show, captured in the panoramic photo shown if Fig. 3 below and the conference sessions, which were hosted on the floor beneath the show.
Fig. 3 – Panoramic view of the Automate trade show floor
Attendance of the trade show exhibition was free, however the conference sessions required passes which were purchased using the money provided by the Fund for LSSU grant. Each student was asked to pick two to three conference sessions that he/she wanted to attend based on interest, and the conference passes were purchased accordingly (see Table 2).
Table 2 – Conference Pass Distribution per Attendee.
Name |
Conference Dates Attended |
Brandon Niemi |
April 8th & 11th |
Preston Fairchild |
April 8th & 11th |
Alex Elias |
April 8th & 9th |
Rick Miller |
April 8th & 9th |
Thomas Muir |
April 8th & 9th |
Josh Schember |
April 8th & 9th |
Trevor Simons |
April 10th & 11th |
Evan Reeves |
April 10th & 11th |
Eden LaTulip |
April 10th & 11th |
Nathan Pim |
April 10th & 11th |
A sample of the sessions that were attended throughout the four days along with a brief description of what each conference session discussed is detailed below:
- Monday
- The Growing Importance of Software in Manufacturing
Maxwell Reynolds, Co-founder, CEO Symbio
While Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and modern networking infrastructure are setting the stage for a revolution in industrial manufacturing, engineers today cannot take full advantage of these technologies because robotics and sensor platforms are dependent on vendor specific proprietary software. Our presentation will provide basic definitions and context to advanced technologies and show how their application on the factory floor will increase robot capabilities and enable flexible workcells.
- Tuesday
- Choosing the Right Vision Solution
Instructor: David Dechow, Principal Vision Systems Architect, Integro Technologies
One of the fundamental challenges in implementing machine vision technologies in automation applications is the selection of the right solution. Whether the task is to identify and apply the machine vision components, or to specify and purchase an entire machine vision-based automation cell, there are some basic steps and processes to follow that can help ensure the success of your project. In this presentation we will discuss machine vision application analysis and system specification related to key machine vision technologies. The presentation will also outline typical machine vision components and software along with the applications they enable and the potential limitations to be aware of. The presentation is valuable for all attendees who use, specify or plan to implement machine vision in their automation environment.
- Automation: Off-the-Shelf vs. Custom?
Presenter: Paul Santi, General Manager – Automation Systems Group, FANUC America
Standard, off-the-shelf automation may work for some applications. However, as Abraham Maslow said, “If you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” We have all witnessed that a hammer does not always work — even for every type of nail. Right Sizing the automation solution and selling the right size is critical to achieving long-term value results. This session will outline methods to Right Size and Value Justify custom automation solutions with and without Collaborative Technologies.
- Wednesday
- Higher & Faster — New Vision Architectures to Solve Complex Challenges
Presenter: Thomas Karow, Product Market Manager, Basler AG
There is an ongoing trend for higher resolution and faster framerates to steadily increase performance in vision systems. Let’s divide the challenges into the parts of the sensor, camera interface and data processing. The timing is good to think about. Now! Technologies have ripened to cover those needs and give answers to these challenges. The presentation covered all these points, make it clear to the audience how the needs lead to challenges. Moreover, how they can be addressed with solutions.
- Intro to Automation & Robotics on the Factory Floor
Presenter: Jason Claggett: Business Solutions, Encompass Solutions
The presentation serves as an introduction to manufacturers who have little-to-intermediate knowledge of how automation and robotics are used in manufacturing settings. This included a brief overview of the history of automation, how we’ve arrived at the current state of manufacturing (industry 4.0) and what types of technology we are seeing emerge.
- Thursday
- Collaborative Robot Safety Overview & Risk Assessment
Panel included:
Carole Franklin: Director of Standards Development, Robotics Association for Advancing Automation
Elena Dominguez: Safety Consultant Pilz Automation Safety
Collaborative robot systems are a new robotics technology that allows for robots and humans to work together in ways that were previously impossible. However, with this new capability comes new hazards and risks that must be evaluated for every application. This session introduced key concepts in collaborative robot system safety, including introduction to relevant safety standards, and how to evaluate and mitigate these new hazards related to collaborative robot applications.
Ms. Franklin opened the session with an introduction to robot safety standards and concepts, and how collaborative robotics has changed the safety paradigm.
Ms. Dominguez discussed the collaborative robot Risk Assessment process in detail and gave a worked example.
The conference sessions provided a refreshing real-world angle on concepts that the students had studied in their coursework at LSSU. In addition to providing an enlightening supplement to coursework, the conference sessions gave the students a chance to meet and interact with industry professionals. It was opportunities like the events at Automate 2019 that made attending the conference sessions worthwhile for more than just professional training.
When not attending conference sessions, members of the group took turns representing LSSU at LSSU’s conference booth and exploring the trade show floor, which was full of engaging demonstrations of the newest technology in the industry.
Even though LSSU’s robotics program is notable, the students and faculty would not have been exposed to this type of emerging technology without attending Automate 2019. Furthermore, LSSU was the only university that had a booth in the conference. This drew special attention from many of the industry professionals that allowed interaction between LSSU students and faculty resulting in great conversations that showed well on behalf of both the students and LSSU altogether.
Overall, Automate 2019 was an unforgettable experience that allowed LSSU students and faculty to explore the latest trends and technology in the industry.
In close, the students and faculty from the School of Engineering and Technology are very appreciative of getting the opportunity to represent LSSU at the Automate 2019 conference and are very thankful to the “Fund for LSSU” for supporting this trip by funding the travel to and from Automate along with the conference registrations.