On July 1, 1996, the National Robotics Engineer started operating in a newly renovated building that was part of Pittsburgh steel manufacturing history. Twenty years later, the impact on Pittsburgh and Lawrenceville is noticeable. Furthermore, the combination of innovative robotics technology and advanced engineering has produced systems and solutions that are now in operations around the globe. NREC’s impact on industry is clearly positive. Reducing exposure to safety hazards, increasing worker efficiency, improving efficiency, reducing maintenance, enabling new operations, all have been the hallmark of NREC’s robotic systems delivered to industrial partners. 

On September 8, 2016, guests from both industry and academia were invited to our facilities to commemorate 20 years of robotics excellence. The celebration started at noon with a series of talks from invited speakers and demonstrations of several of NREC’s groundbreaking robotic systems and technology. Afternoon speakers included Dr. Raj Reddy, Dr. William (Red) Whittaker, and Dr. Takeo Kanade all from Carnegie Mellon University as well as Dr. Daniel L. Schmoldt, National Program Leader NIFA/USDA. An evening banquet was then held to honor this milestone. The evening festivities started with remarks from Mr. Rich Fitzgerald, Allegheny County Executive, and Pittsburgh’s Mayor, the Honorable William Peduto. 

NREC is proud to have been part of the success of its customers and will continue to innovate and solve challenging problems for years to come. Twenty years is only the beginning.