Robotics and manufacturing education and research— the New Mexico initiatives

Abstract

Since the early 1980s, the University of New Mexico (UNM) has been increasingly active in the area of manufacturing engineering and robotics research and education. Six robotics and manufacturing laboratories devoted to research and instruction have been established. Many PhD and master's students use these facilities in their research, and instructional programs have been established at the undergraduate and graduate level in both the Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments. Notably, a master's level program was established in 1987 with participation from two universities, UNM and New Mexico State University. Active collaboration is the mode of operation between the College of Engineering and the Robert O. Anderson Schools of Management at UNM in the manufacturing program, a program in total quality management, and in the establishment of a computer-integrated manufacturing program and laboratory through IBM's CIM in Higher Education Alliance. This paper describes these programs in detail, and discusses some approaches and future plans.