Discussion of project technology and potential future applications carried over into several dinner conversations between fellow engineers. Before departing for the end of the end of the evening, the group was able to watch Armor 1 in action, its giant 2-ton arms picking up concrete mats, aligning, and tying the mat sheets together. The yellow structure in NREC’s parking lot is only one third of the fully deployed system to revolutionize revetment operations along the Mississippi River.

Dimi Apostolopoulos, Senior Systems Scientist, leads the MRSD program with John Dolan, Program Director, on CMU campus.

“Night at NREC is one of my favorite events to coordinate and host, combining my on-campus instruction with the Robotics Institute and my applied robotics research at NREC. There is immense talent throughout this group of MRSD students. They are individually curious and collectively capable of achieving truly spectacular feats, and I am excited to watch their careers take off in various robotics industries,” said Apostolopoulos.

NREC is glad to resume the annual Night at NREC event following two years of pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Robotic Systems Development (MRSD) is an advanced graduate degree with a focus on technical and business skills. The program is designed for recent college graduates or practicing professionals who wish to enter the robotics and automation field as practitioners in the commercial sector. MRSD aims to teach the multidisciplinary skills needed to succeed in industry.