Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has appointed John Wen as the new director of the Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS). Wen brings extensive experience in robotics to the center, which matches Rensselaer research with targeted industrial applications ranging from manufacturing and microsystems assembly to the automation of medical systems.

“The center has a long history of working with companies in New York state to foster the transition from the lab to the marketplace,” says Omkaram “Om” Nalamasu, vice president for research at Rensselaer. “With Dr. Wen’s leadership, our historical strength in automation technologies and systems will become one of the pillars upon which we will continue to establish Rensselaer as a top-tier research institution.”

CATS is charged with accelerating the commercial application of technology and fostering economic development in New York through partnerships with companies and federal funding agencies. The center was designated a New York State Center for Advanced Technology in 1988 and receives annual funding through the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR). It is also supported by the federal government and industry partners in New York state and elsewhere.

“We see increasing opportunities to apply what we have learned from industrial automation to other areas such as robotics for homeland security, surgery, and environmental monitoring, and even optimization of financial strategies,” says Wen, a professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer, who also holds a joint appointment in mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering.

Along with a new director comes a newly expanded name — the center has thus far been known as the Center for Automation Technologies (CAT). But simply adding an “S” is more than just semantics, according to Wen.

“The new name reflects a return to deep roots here at Rensselaer, an approach that combines practical solutions for real-world industrial problems with the mathematical analysis that enables improvement and optimization of automation processes,” he says. “We find that looking at the whole system, viewing interrelated problems in their broader context, makes for more useful solutions.”

Wen’s own research in robotics and automation has potential applications ranging from manufacturing to space exploration. He has collaborated with physicians to develop robotic devices — called EndoBots — to assist surgeons with endoscopic surgeries, and his research in mobile robots has led to algorithms for the maneuvering and parking of tractor-trailer type of vehicles.

Wen earned a bachelor’s degree from McGill University in 1979, a master’s from the University of Illinois-Champagne in 1981, and a doctorate from Rensselaer in 1985, all in electrical engineering. He joined the Rensselaer faculty in 1988, and was named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2001. Prior to joining Rensselaer, Wen worked at Fisher Controls and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

For more about CATS, visit www.cats.rpi.edu.

Contact: Jason Gorss
Phone: (518) 276-6098
E-mail: gorssj@rpi.edu