Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Systems, University of Kentucky
The Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Systems (CRMS) of the University of Kentucky was established in 1986 by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This Center is the foremost source of manufacturing technological assistance for the state’s industries, offering services to more than 350 companies, businessmen, and agencies every year.
The center also performs manufacturing research, transfers manufacturing technologies to businesses, and supports educational endeavors in manufacturing.
Its mission is to provide leading manufacturing research, manufacturing education, engineering services, and skilled graduates that will help businesses not only in the state of Kentucky but in other parts of the country and the world to be more successful and competitive in their national and global markets.
To achieve this goal, the CRMS has formed partnerships with several entities related to what they have been researching. Among them are the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, whose purpose is to give leadership for growth of current manufacturers and at the same time attract new manufacturers. Another is the Automotive Research Alliance, where the CRMS supplies research resources such as technology and manufacturing solutions to automotive manufacturers and suppliers.
They also provide academic and training programs for those who are interested. Then there is DAU, or Defense Acquisition University, which grants compulsory assignments specifically, and continuing education courses for military and civilian acquisition personnel within the Department of Defense. Also included are the Productivity Press, Secat Inc., and the American Industrial Extension Alliance, or AIEA.
Among their many accomplishments was the state’s first surgical procedure using robotic equipment. It was performed on a female patient who underwent a coronary artery bypass. The daVinci was used by surgeons to help detach a mammary artery from under the patient’s sternum. Another is the contribution of one of their alumni to NASA. Also, Robotnaut 2 was a humanoid robot that was used on the International Space Station.
