The mission of the Robotic Systems for Smart Manufacturing (RSSM) program is to
Develop and deploy advances in measurement science that enhance the U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by improving robotic system performance, collaboration, agility, and ease of integration into the enterprise to achieve dynamic production for assembly-centric manufacturing.1
This is achieved through a variety of technical activities, including the following: discussions with stakeholders to assess needs; identifying gaps in standards; researching in relevant hardware to define useful metrics; developing technological best practices; defining test methods and artifacts; disseminating results that contribute to standards development; forming working groups of relevant stakeholders; and leading in standards development. This work is conducted primarily by personnel from the EL Intelligent Systems Division. The scientific staff is organized into five groups: (1) Cognition and Collaboration Systems; (2) Manipulation and Mobility Systems; (3) Networked Control Systems; (4) Production Systems; and (5) Sensing and Perception Systems. The program has a budget of $7 million. There are 16 full-time equivalent (FTE) NIST employees in this area, along with 3 guest researchers and one contractor.
in An Assessment of the Smart Manufacturing Activities at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Engineering Laboratory: Fiscal Year 2017, The National Academies Press, 2018.