Precise Automations, CA
United States
Research Areas
Automation Applications
Interview Synopsis
In this interview, Bruce Shimano discusses his career and work in robotics. Describing his involvement in with the Stanford AI Lab and his move to industry when he joined Unimation and founded Adept Technologies, he outlines the robotics and automation applications he worked on. Additionally he describes the evolution of robotics over the years, his successes and contributions to the field, and the current state of robotics and automation.
Biography
Bruce Shimano was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended Stanford University for his undergraduate and graduate degrees, earning a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. During his time at Stanford, he worked as a research assistant at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL) from 1974 to 1978/79 under Lou Paul. In 1983, Shimano co-founded Adept Technology Inc., and served as its Vice President of Research and Development and Secretary from June 1983 to December 2003. Before that he was Director of Software Development at Unimation, Inc., contributing to several robotic software projects including VAL. In 2004, he co-founded Precise Automation LLC, where he currently serves as its Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of R&D.
