Open Source Robotics

Tue, Apr 17 2012, 7:00 pm              Open Source Robotics 1


Robotics is a fast growing field. Until recently it has been fractured into many different development centers, some proprietary and some open. In the last five years, the Robot Operating System (ROS) has developed into the most commonly used robot development framework.

This talk will cover the vision of ROS and how it became reality. It will also cover the state of open source robotics, including what the community is doing, what tools and resources are available for developers, and where there are opportunities to get involved.


Open Source Robotics 2About the speaker,  Tully Foote, Willow Garage

As a Systems Engineer at Willow Garage, Tully Foote is a core developer of the Robot Operating System(ROS) ecosystem. He works on core tools and libraries. Recently he has been focusing on extending the support of ROS and the infrastructure to more platforms and architectures.

Previous projects includes working on autonomous cars in all three of the DARPA Grand Challenges, first at Caltech and then at UPenn for the Urban Challenge.

CNSV Pre-meetings: 6-7 pm

Intellectual Property (IP) SIG

Co-Chairs: Peter Salmon and Jonathan Wells

Presentation: Write and Obtain Your Own Patents

Speaker: Don Gibson

This talk will focus on how to write and obtain your own patents. Don will focus on the 8 steps of preparing a utility patent, as well as showing how to deal effectively with the USPTO. Steps for responding to office actions and handling examiner interviews will be covered. From invention conception to Notice of Allowance, being your own patent agent can save significant dollars and can improve the quality of your patent.

Don Gibson is Director of PATENT-TECH and is a Registered Patent Agent with the USPTO. PATENT-TECH has extensive experience in high technology semiconductors, circuits, electronics, systems, networking, wireless, telecommunications, Internet, software, mechanical, and business methods. Don has a BSEE, MS Engr/Physics and MBA degrees, and is also a Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA). He is a Director/Advisor to the Wireless Communication Alliance (WCA), an IEEE member, and a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA).

Medical Device (Med) SIG

Co-Chairs: Shashi Sathyanarayana and Carl Angotti

Presentation: Marketing into the Medical Device Market

Speakers: Carl Angotti and Ron Bader

Medical device product development projects are becoming far more numerous in Silicon Valley. This market has some unique characteristics that make it more difficult to enter than some other markets.

Carl and Ron both have a long history of working on medical device projects. They will discuss how they obtained their contracts, and they will explore some of the unique characteristics of this market that tend to keep it a closed market. In addition, they will provide some useful steps to entering this market, and for getting and keeping projects.


Location: KeyPoint Credit Union

2805 Bowers Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051
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