[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 70 (Friday, May 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S5144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             JOSEPH ENGELBERGER AND HELPMATE ROBOTICS, INC.

 Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I would like to take a few 
moments and draw attention to a remarkable example of a Federal 
investment in science and technology that is producing a return to the 
benefit of society. In this case, it was the vision of an individual, 
combined with technical knowledge derived from space research, which 
has created an exciting new industry. Back in 1984, the inventor's idea 
was to design a robot that could be used in hospitals and eventually 
homes. Today, robots manufactured by HelpMate Robotics, Inc., of 
Danbury, CT, roam hospital hallways, delivering medications, meals, x-
rays and patients' records. Handling these errands allows orderlies and 
nurses more time to concentrate on patient care.
  Central to the story of the hospital robots is the 72-year-old 
founder of HelpMate Robotics, Dr. Joseph Engelberger. Dr. Engelberger 
is widely acknowledged as the father of the industrial robot, an idea 
he had much more success selling to Japan's auto industry than in 
America. As a consequence, Japan grew to dominate the world robotic 
market and this was one of the factors that for many years enabled it 
to retain a competitive advantage over American automakers. Not content 
with having helped start one revolution, Engelberger founded HelpMate 
Robotics with the idea to use hospital robots as a step in the process 
toward design of machines that would be useful in personal homes.
  I am especially pleased to report that many of the achievements of 
Dr. Engelberger and HelpMate Robotics were made possible through close 
cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The 
new technologies necessary in the design of a robot that is capable of 
avoiding people in busy hospital hallways, summoning elevators, and 
recognizing familiar territory, were derived from research already 
underway at NASA. HelpMate has won several NASA SBIR [Small Business 
Innovative Research] awards, which were established to stimulate 
conversion of Government-funded R&D into commercial applications. 
Transfer of knowledge and expertise has also flowed from the company 
back to NASA. Late last year, the space agency awarded an SBIR grant to 
HelpMate for development of a prototype robot for terrestrial 
experiments that anticipate space utilization of robotics. The space 
robot will begin to pave the way for the next step in Dr. Engelberger's 
dream--a robot capable of helping the elderly stay at home by 
performing the myriad number of tasks that become difficult later in 
life. Also helpful in the commercialization of NASA technology was a 
unique program developed by the National Technology Transfer Center in 
Wheeling, WV, and Unisphere Institute in Washington, DC.
  The story of Dr. Engelberger and HelpMate Robotics is an example of 
the way that a patient Federal investment in science and technology can 
lead to new products that employ Americans and make for a better 
quality of life. It is also the story of one man's creative genius and 
untiring devotion in making a dream become reality. I salute Dr. 
Engelberger for his accomplishments with HelpMate and upon his receipt 
of the prestigious Japan Prize.

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