Stanford Opens New Hub for Robot Research

Stanford University launched its new Robotics Center in the Packard Electrical Engineering Building's basement, bringing together researchers from different fields to advance robot technology.

The center opened November 1 with demonstrations showing robotic arms doing household tasks and simulated surgery using special cameras.

• "Successful robotics requires integrating various research disciplines," said Oussama Khatib, professor of computer science at Stanford.

The facility fulfills a 15-year vision shared by Khatib and Mark Cutkosky, a mechanical engineering professor at the university.

• "The facility will enable larger interdisciplinary projects that leverage our combined expertise," Cutkosky said.

Stanford's robotics history dates back to the 1960s when it developed early innovations like the Stanford Cart and Shakey, one of the first robots with artificial intelligence.

The center combines experts from mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence, and materials science to work on new robot technologies.

Researchers will focus on developing robots for healthcare and home use.