Director's foreword(2014)
National Taiwan University - International Center of Excellence in Intelligent Robotics and Automation Research (NTU-iCeiRA) will issue two international news in the intelligent robotic and automation every day in order to provide newest information service platform to public. Since the robotics industry is changing rapidly, we need to immediately response to international trends and examine the environment in Taiwan for finding our own foothold and a way out.
For instance, the most recent sensational news in the robot industries was undoubtedly Google. In the end of last year, Google’s eight robotics acquisition let the industry jaw dropped and began to speculate on this Internet giant's next move. Google had acquired the Schaft, Meka Robotics, Redwood Robotics, Bot & Bolly, Autofuss, Industrial Perception Inc., Holomni, and Boston Dynamics, the most significant. The core values of eight firms have covered the technologies to build a robot.
Another important news is that Apple has spent $350 million to acquire Israel-based PrimeSense Ltd, a developer of chips that enable three-dimensional machine vision. It is perceived that Apple wants to compete with Microsoft in the emerging market of 3D computer vision. More info can be seen in our official website.
The main item on the international robotics development policy can be revealed from the major industrial countries. Such as the Roadmap for US Robotics proposed by United States in 2009, HORIZON 2020: The new 7 years program of the European Commission, 21st Century Robot Challenge in Japan, Put one robot in every home by 2020 in South Korea in 2008. These projects all included healthcare robots, showing the urgent need for global social phenomenon caused by aging.
In addition to industry-university development, the intelligent robot will eventually return to our daily lives and help us to live better. NTU-iCeiRA is devoted to hold intelligent robot creative competitions annually, as well as to sponsor the International Robot Hands-on Competition & Symposium (IRHOCS), in order to promote domestic and international participants to share their experiences. Related news, research and other information have presented in our official website. Those who is interested in robotics and automation industry are welcome to like our articles and share to your Facebook. Please continue to give us advice and support.