International Federation of Robotics Roundtable at Automate to Focus on Robots Transforming the Economy

DETROIT -- At Automate 2022 here today, industry leaders will discuss how robotics and automation are transforming the North American economy in an executive roundtable co-sponsored by the International Federation of Robotics and the Association for Advancing Automation.

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has sponsored executive at Automate since 2011. The organization said it expects an invested audience as Automate returns to an in-person show for the first time since 2019.

“Manufacturers and business leaders alike consistently flock to Automate to learn about the latest innovations to help them improve their businesses,” stated Milton Guerry, president of the IFR. “With the list of industry leaders we’ve compiled for this roundtable, we expect those attending will not only learn a great deal about how robotics and automation is transforming the North American economy, but [also] how they can transform their individual business as well.”

Robert Huschka, vice president of education strategies at the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), will moderate the roundtable.

“Companies across North America are deploying robotics and automation at record rates as they continue to face labor shortages, increasing demands, and a disrupted supply chain,” he said. “The industry leaders we’ve assembled for this panel have had a front-row seat -- during turbulent times -- to the advantages that automation has brought to an expanding range of industries. Their insights and experiences will be extremely valuable for all in attendance.”

Expert panelists to discuss automation and industry

The roundtable is scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to noon EDT on June 7. Its speakers, who have decades of experience, will include:

Mike Cicco, FANUC America

Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America. He is responsible for all of the company’s operations in North and South America. Cicco joined FANUC in 1999 and has held a variety of management positions over the years, including software/controls manager and district sales manager at the company’s Southern California facility. Before joining FANUC, Cicco served as lead automation engineer in Northrop Grumman's Automation and Information Systems group.

Greg Smith, Teradyne

Greg Smith, president of the Industrial Automation Group at Teradyne. Smith oversees Universal Robots, Mobile Industrial Robots, and AutoGuide. He was previously the president of the semiconductor test business, Teradyne’s largest operating segment. Smith began his career as a test engineer at Raytheon and held numerous engineering and management roles in the semiconductor test industry before joining Teradyne in 2006.

Greg Brown, UPS

Greg Brown, vice president of Global Advanced Technology Group at UPS. He has more than 23 years of experience in multiple areas of package sortation and logistics. At UPS, Brown helps develop new material handling systems. He is on a team selected by the CIO to develop the future state for UPS.

Melonee Wise, Zebra Technologies

Melonee Wise, vice president for robotics automation at Zebra Technologies. Wise joined Zebra in 2021 through the acquisition of Fetch Robotics, where she was the CEO. Wise was the second employee at Willow Garage, where she led a team of engineers developing next-generation robot hardware and software, including ROS, the PR2, and TurtleBot. Wise serves as the chair of the IFR Service Robot Group, as a robotics board member for A3, and on the Materials Handling Institute Roundtable Advisory Committee. She is also an honoree in this year's Engelberger Awards.

Deepu Talla, NVIDIA

Deepu Talla, vice president and general manager for embedded and edge computing at NVIDIA. He is responsible for deploying artificial intelligence in devices such as factory robots, commercial drones, and video analytics. Previously, Talla was responsible for NVIDIA’s mobile business unit. Prior to joining NVIDIA in 2013, he worked at Texas Instruments for more than 10 years in various executive management and technical leadership roles.

About Automate and A3

Produced by A3, Automate returns to Detroit after two decades in Chicago. The event will bring more than 500 companies showcasing the latest in robotics, machine vision, AI, motion control, and smart automation—as well as an expected 20,000 attendees—to the city’s Huntington Place center.

Registration for Automate 2022 and Automate LIVE is open.

The Association for Advancing Automation describes itself as "the leading global advocate for the benefits of automating." The association's members include nearly 1,100 automation manufacturers, component suppliers, systems integrators, end users, academic institutions, research groups, and consulting firms from around the world.

A3 hosts a number of industry events, including the Automate Preview Series (ongoing), Automate, the Autonomous Mobile Robot & Logistics Week (Oct. 10 to 13, 2022, in Boston) and The Vision Show (Oct. 11 to 13 in Boston).