While robots are continuing their upward trajectory on factory floors, many manufacturers are finding they have a limited pool of workers that are trained in robotics.
That doesn’t have to be the case, says READY Academy, an online educational platform where any manufacturing professional can rapidly learn how to design, deploy, manage and scale automation.
The Academy, part of READY Robotics which created Forge/OS, an enterprise-grade operating system that controls robot arms, enables anyone to program and deploy automation.
“The skilled labor shortage limiting manufacturing productivity is expected to grow to 2.4 million unfilled advanced manufacturing jobs by 2028, and the current educational system does not teach the advanced manufacturing skills needed,” Kel Guerin, Co-Founder and CTO of READY said in a statement.
“The future of US manufacturing requires that we democratize automation, not only with easy-to-use technology like Forge/OS, but also by empowering workers to learn the skills needed to design and deploy automation,” Guerin added.
Key to the rapid learning enabled by READY Academy is the use of Forge/OS and Task Canvas for robot programming. In the same time it typically takes to learn how to program simple movements in a robot’s native programming language, READY Academy and Forge/OS enable students to achieve lights-out automation. This is accomplished through Task Canvas’s ultra-intuitive programming interface. By condensing robot programming into a matter of days, more attention can be given to all the other equally critical components of automation.
Building on over four years of READY’s experience enabling manufacturers to deploy automation on their own, READY Academy curriculum covers the full spectrum of automation, including project assessment, end-of-arm tooling, parts presentation, robot safety, no code robot programming, building machine tending tasks, and more. The coursework was recently vetted at a Haas Technical Education Center (eKAMI) where 15 former coal miners were taught to design and deploy lights out robotic automation in just 2.5 weeks.
READY Academy launches with over 40 hours of educational videos with a curriculum developed by robotics PhDs Kel Guerin and Jake Huckaby.
To ensure manufacturers everywhere can take advantage of this content, READY has partnered with MFG Works to make the full suite of READY Academy courses available to the MFG Works community. MFG works is a global online community for manufacturers to connect with each other, learn new skills, and find exciting career opportunities.
Launched in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, MFG.works addresses the lack of open access to the materials necessary to upskill workers in advanced manufacturing skills.READY Robotics and MFG Works will host a live virtual Q&A Thursday, October 29 to answer questions about READY Academy and the future of education in manufacturing.
