The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing, or ARM Institute, today announced that it now has more than 250 member organizations. The public-private consortium for advancing U.S. manufacturing with workforce development and collaborative robotics said that it has added nearly 40 members since February.

The Pittsburgh-based ARM was founded in 2017 by Carnegie Mellon University and is supported by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Manufacturing USA network. The collaborative includes members of industry, government, and academia and is intended to strengthen national industrial competitiveness.

The organization moved into new headquarters last year, and it has issued calls for projects to be funded around U.S. manufacturing and automated military maintenance.

ARM Institute welcomes new members

New member organizations include Johnson & Johnson, VF Corp., Boston Dynamics, Open Robotics, Georgia Tech, Kennon, and H6 Energy.

“In a little over three years since our inception, the ARM Institute has been able to attract an esteemed group of organizations from all areas – large and small manufacturers, robotics suppliers, start-ups, research universities, community colleges, and others – who all share the same mission, which is to advance state-of-the-art applications of robotic technologies and prepare U.S. workers for careers in advanced manufacturing while supporting our defense industry,” stated Ira Moskowitz, the new CEO of ARM. “The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated this need. ARM, along with its members, is committed to helping the U.S. protect its citizens and lay the foundation for economic recovery.”

The Departments of Defense and Commerce have recently provided about $5.6 million to the ARM Institute for projects directly related to COVID-19 mitigation. This will be awarded to ARM members to develop novel robotic solutions that solve challenges in areas such as diagnostics, safety, and supplies.

ARM members meet regularly to share project results, inspire innovative ideas, and build relationships in support of their shared mission. The 2020 annual meeting will be held virtually for members only on Oct. 13 to 15.