SCHEDULED SPEAKERS

Joe Falco is an engineer in the Intelligent Systems Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the United States Department of Commerce. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts and an MS in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. His most recent work has been performed within the NIST Robotics Systems for Smart Manufacturing Program and is focused on robot standards and performance metrics in the areas of robotic grasping and manipulation as well as the safety aspects of human-robot collaboration. He is a member of the IEEE RAS TC on Robotic Hands, Grasping and Manipulation where he leads an effort in the development of performance benchmarks. He was a co-organizer of the IROS 2016 and 2017 Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competitions. He is a member of the RIA R15 Robot Standards Approval Committee and serves as an ANSI Technical Advisor to ISO 299 with a focused effort on industrial robot safety.