Technology Advisory Panels Help ASME Gain Market Insight

Feb. 9, 2018

The second meeting of the Robotics Technology Advisory Panel (TAP) took place on Dec. 13 at ASME Headquarters in New York City.

In December and January, thought leaders from the fields of robotics and bioengineering convened at ASME Headquarters in New York for two Technology Advisory Panel (TAP) meetings. The panels, which were comprised of representatives of such organizations as Boeing, Procter & Gamble, ANSYS and Sandia National Laboratory, are among six panels that were established last year to help guide ASME as it embarks on its strategic objective of becoming the “go-to” technical organization for addressing key technology-related challenges.

The purpose of the panels, which are comprised of subject matter experts from industry, academia, R&D and government agencies, is to gain market intelligence from these thought leaders and gain insight for opportunities where ASME can contribute with journals, courses, codes or other products and services. The TAPs support ASME’s market research activities in providing information to ASME’s business units, which include Training & Development, Publications, Events, and Standards & Certification.

Robert Cohen (left), vice president and general manager at Stryker Orthopaedics, and Jonathan Schwartz, co-founder and chief product officer of Voodoo Manufacturing, were among the members of the Robotics TAP who met in December to share their expertise and insight with ASME.

In addition to the robotics and bioengineering TAPs, ASME has also instituted advisory panels related to the three other strategic technologies approved by the Board of Governors in 2016: pressure technologies, clean energy and manufacturing. A sixth TAP addresses the enabling technologies that support the five strategic technologies — namely, the Internet of Things, big data analytics, sustainability, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, materials, nanotechnology and design engineering.

The six panels are intended to provide ASME with market trends and insight in order to assist the Society in developing its future product portfolio — as well as help ASME identify constituent needs and make recommendations to help the Society better engage with its constituents.

At the recent Robotics TAP meeting, for instance, the panel members suggested that one way ASME could help turn itself into a go-to organization in the area of robotics would be for the Society to help standardize the terminology used in the robotics field. Robert Cohen, vice president and general manager at Stryker Orthopaedics, suggested that there is a strong need in this area and that ASME could be an independent facilitator to standardize the top 10 terms from each of the manufacturers and gain rapid acceptance.

Members of the Bioengineering Technology Advisory Panel, one of six TAPs that were established last year, met at ASME Headquarters on Jan. 30.

Developing a course addressing robotics safety using case studies would be another way ASME could lend its expertise to the robotics field, according to one of the Robotics TAP members, Melonee Wise, CEO of Fetch Robotics. Wise shared that a case study approach, where people can actually see both the pitfalls and practicalities, may be effective in teaching safety awareness and meet the needs of manufacturers, customers and integrators.

John Koehr, managing director for ASME Technology Advancement and Business Development and manager of the Technology Advisory Panel program, is encouraged with the input the panels have provided so far. “The TAP program is off to a very promising start,” Koehr said. “The panel members are providing us with valuable insight that will help us generate new ideas for market-facing solutions beyond ASME’s traditional solutions portfolio and meet our strategic objectives.”

For more information on the Technology Advisory Panels, contact John Koehr by e-mail at koehrj@asme.org.