Microsoft, UMD Team Up for Diversity in Robotics

The Maryland Robotics Heart and Microsoft Corp. have introduced a brand new strategic partnership targeted on enhancing variety and innovation in robotics and autonomy, serving to to satisfy the rising demand for expertise in engineering at the same time as traits present a downturn in enrollment of scholars from numerous backgrounds within the area.

The Microsoft Robotics and Variety Initiative is a one-year, $100,000 partnership beginning within the Fall 2022 semester; it can assist Ph.D. fellowships, a seminar sequence, an undergraduate course and student-led STEM variety teams.

“It’s thrilling to obtain this degree of assist and generosity from Microsoft to amplify our ongoing variety initiatives,” stated Professor Derek Paley, director of the Maryland Robotics Heart with a joint appointment within the Division of Aerospace Engineering and the Institute for Methods Analysis. “This reward will particularly assist actions in robotics and utilized autonomy, complementing our different ongoing efforts in AI and machine studying.”

The partnership consists of a number of parts, beginning with the Microsoft Variety in Robotics and Autonomy Ph.D. Fellowships. They may assist two Ph.D. college students for one tutorial yr as they conduct analysis in robotics and autonomous programs modeling, simulation and experimentation. The Maryland Robotics Heart will leverage Microsoft’s assist, funding tuition and advantages for these Microsoft Fellows.

The Microsoft Future Leaders in Robotics and Autonomy Seminar Collection will allow Maryland college students to study from rising consultants in robotics and autonomy, in a context celebrating variety and innovation.

A hands-on undergraduate course in robotics programming might be a part of the Robotics and Autonomous Methods minor program. College students use the open-source Robotic Working System and different instruments to design, implement and take a look at a robotic system. Microsoft will contribute to the price of offering college students with extra robotics programming units.

The partnership additionally will present assist for student-led STEM variety teams, supporting their missions and robotics-related actions for the educational yr. They embody the Black Engineers Society, the Society for Skilled Hispanic Engineers, Ladies in Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Society of Ladies Engineers.

“With the thrilling way forward for robotics and autonomy in view, Microsoft enthusiastically helps the Maryland Robotics Heart’s efforts to foster the subsequent era of tech leaders,” stated Timothy Chung, senior director of robotics at Microsoft. “We rejoice and embrace the optimistic advantages of variety and inclusion as a part of the broad robotics neighborhood.”