The skills needed by nearly all manufacturers soon will be shaped to some degree by the rapidly accelerating robotics and machine learning revolution, including automation, robotics, additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence. RAMPS will allow UofL’s Louisville Automation and Robotics Research Institute (LARRI) and other centers to purchase additional advanced equipment, such as a robotic quadruped, and introduce future workers to these devices.

“We want to make this technology accessible for people or students who don’t necessarily have the advanced technical skills, but they are enthusiastic,” said Dan Popa, director of LARRI and lead for the RAMPS project. “They want to learn about robotics, AI and additive manufacturing, how they are used in industry and what kind of skills you need to operate this type of equipment.”

Made possible by funding secured by U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth from the U.S. Department of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą, RAMPS aims to address workforce needs in the advanced manufacturing industry sector and enhance employment opportunities for underrepresented groups. It will allow LARRI, the Additive Manufacturing Institute of Science and Technology (AMIST) and Micro/Nano Technology Center (MNTC), all based in the at UofL, to obtain additional equipment and pilot programs to increase awareness and access to training in robotic and additive manufacturing technology over the next year.

“I’m so proud to have secured $750,000 in federal funding for UofL’s RAMPS program, which will help students excel in the industries of tomorrow,” Yarmuth said. “Manufacturing is a key sector of our local and state economy, and robotics and automation will have a tremendous impact on how businesses and industries operate moving forward. UofL is a national leader in innovative training programs, and through its RAMPS program, students will have access to the state-of-the-art equipment and training that will best position them to succeed in our rapidly changing workforce.”

“The RAMPS program not only will help fulfill today’s workforce needs of our commonwealth, it also will enhance the University of Louisville’s work in advanced research and education in robotics and additive manufacturing,” said UofL Interim President Lori Stewart Gonzalez. “We are extremely grateful to Congressman Yarmuth for his support in helping us obtain this funding.”

Using existing and new equipment and leveraging the knowledge and skills present in the UofL facilities, RAMPS leaders will introduce K-12 students, high school graduates and university students to robotics and additive manufacturing and help train them to use these advanced technologies in the workplace.

“The goal of this program is to help future technicians and engineers prepare for employment in additive manufacturing fields that are both high-paying and growing in need. Whether it is a mid-career person looking to transition professions, a currently enrolled college student or someone with no post-high school education, we will be delivering workforce training tailored to an individual’s starting education and skills level,” said Thomas Berfield, co-director of AMIST.

Berfield anticipates that AMIST will add equipment used in the aerospace, automotive, dental and biomedical industries, among others.

Workers at Kentucky’s multiple manufacturing facilities are expected to be disproportionately affected by the shift toward automation, making programs like RAMPS essential to advance employment opportunities in the commonwealth.

“While it is true that automation is expected to displace workers in manufacturing, the adoption of robot technology actually predicts wage growth as those positions are replaced with higher skilled workers in high-tech positions needed to interface with the robots,” Popa said.

RAMPS leaders expect around 200 students will be exposed to these technologies in the first year as part of pilot projects, followed by more robust and formalized workforce training programs and curricula to be developed in future years.

In addition to training workers, RAMPS will elevate UofL’s programs at LARRI, AMIST and MNTC by further improving the high-quality learning environment within these centers, attracting highly qualified faculty and talented students and increasing opportunities for additional funding.

Since the opening of LARRI’s dedicated robotics lab on the UofL campus in October, it has hosted more than 400 K-12 and college students, industry professionals and researchers to learn about existing and potential uses of robots, drones and other technology.

“The research we do here at UofL has real impact in engineering a future technology-driven economy in Kentucky and beyond,” said Kevin Gardner, UofL’s executive vice president for research and innovation. “We are grateful to Congressman Yarmuth for securing this funding to expand that impact and support our work to build the next generation of robotics technologies and professionals.”

And, if you’re Jason Lopes, you can use them to create a working “Iron Man” suit for actor, Robert Downey Jr., or a life-size replica of soccer superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo.

“It’s called pushing the boundaries,” said Lopes, who worked in film special effects before joining technology company, . “When people tell you no, use that as inspiration to show them how it can be done.”

And to push those boundaries, universities and industry can accomplish more by working together. That was the subject of the 2018 , held Aug. 1-2 at the Speed Art Museum on UofL’s Belknap campus. Lopes was the first keynote speaker.

The inaugural conference, themed “Strengthening Industry Collaborations with Academia,” focused on collaboration in advanced manufacturing fields, including additive manufacturing and micro/nanotechnology.

“Universities play a critical role in the advancement and application of these technologies for industry,” said Dr. Kevin Walsh, associate dean of research at UofL’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering, who led the organizing committee. “Our goal was to bring both sides together, and showcase the innovation generated by that collaboration.”

The event was a partnership between UofL and the University of Kentucky. Together, they offer a collection of advanced manufacturing core facilities open to industry and academia, called the Kentucky Multi-Scale Network. 

Kentucky Multi-Scale is part of the National Science Foundation’s National Nanotechnology Network, which consists of 16 academic sites across the U.S. with similar advanced core facilities.

At UofL, those facilities include the Micro-Nanotechnology Center (MNTC), the Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC), and the Conn Center for Renewable Research. Those facilities work with industry on a variety of projects, from to saving energy when manufacturing cement.

This goes to show that the potential applications for nanotechnology and 3-D printing are broad, and can impact diverse industries — from space travel, to manufacturing, to medicine, to movies.

Lopes, for example, has also used 3-D printing to create a giant sneezing monster for Comic-Con and light-up mohawks for Katy Perry.  Now, he’s working with the dental division at Carbon to make better dentures and embedding tracing technology into .

“This is what excites me,” Lopes said. “Embedding the technology inside all of this.”

And Walsh said combining these technologies, as in Lopes sneakers, could lead to more innovation. For example, he said, future human prosthetics and implants could be both 3-D printed, and contain sensors so they’re smarter, safer and function more effectively.

“But for that to happen, we need the micro/nano community to be fully engaged with the additive manufacturing community,” he said. “This symposium provides that opportunity and we plan to offer it every year.”

The Research  Experience for Undergraduates will “give students research opportunities at UofL they couldn’t find at their own campus”, according to MNTC director Kevin Walsh.

Walsh says students apply for spots in the 10-week summer program, with UofL faculty and staff picking the participants. The students will be developing a research project with a UofL faculty mentor, working in the Clean Room at the Shumaker Research Building, learning technical writing for journal publication and attending seminars on critical thinking. The goal of the national program is to get more students interested in pursuing graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering or math.

UofL is one of more than 600 REU sites.