Conference Support for Student Participation at the 2012 International Symposium on Flexible Automation; St. Louis, Missouri; June 18-20, 2012

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators

Abstract

This grant provides funding for 50 undergraduate and graduate students studying in the U.S. to attend and/or present their research papers at the 2012 International Symposium on Flexible Automation (ISFA 2012), June 18-20, 2012 in St. Louis, MO. The biennial ISFA symposium, which has been sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Institute of Systems, Control and Information Engineers (ISCIE) in Japan, was initiated in 1986. The title ?Flexible Automation? was selected as a general term referring to automation technologies essential to meet the increasing requirements of modern manufacturing. While many of these requirements, such as flexibility, intelligence, lead-time reduction, and lean manufacturing, have been identified over the years, they continue to pose new challenges. New challenges, coming from networked computer-aided manufacturing, freeform fabrication, enterprise resource planning, cell production, emanufacturing, and green/energy manufacturing, have broadened the research agenda and thus the scope of this symposium. ISFA 2012 will highlight related cutting edge flexible automation research in technical papers and panel sessions. Fifty students will be selected for conference support mainly based upon their research statements. Other criteria, (e.g. underrepresented status and paper authorship) will also be considered. The conference support opportunity will be announced through the email lists of ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division (DSCD) and Manufacturing Engineering Division (MED) and ISFA 2012 session organizers. ISFA 2012 undergraduate and graduate participants will learn the state-of-the-art of automation and manufacturing research through keynote presentations, plenary sessions and regular paper presentation sessions. They will also have opportunities to interact with industrial researchers, professors, and other undergraduate and graduate students both here and abroad. The mixing of newly trained and experienced researchers at ISFA 2012 creates a unique intellectual environment in which student participants will attend high-caliber technical presentations and be exposed to the state-of-the-art flexible automation research, interact with peer students, and meet with senior leading researchers in the field. These experiences are expected to shape their future careers in automation science and engineering. More than 50 undergraduate and graduate students will attend ISFA 2012 to learn about the latest progress and current challenges in flexible automation research. Interactions with other graduate students will also establish future domestic and international collaborations. This conference experience will be invaluable for developing the skills of this highly talented group of students who, as future automation and manufacturing professionals and academics, will drive U.S. efforts to regain a competitive edge in flexible automation technology.