Development of the Australian Robotics Education Centre

To raise the profile and public awareness of the benefits of manufacturing, the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Research at the University of South Australia in Adelaide, Australia, established the Australian Robotics Education Centre (AREC). The main aim of this education centre is to highlight to the community how important the manufacturing industry is to both the Australian economy and everyday life. This paper firstly looks at the objectives of the AREC, details how the centre was set up and discusses the support it has from the University of South Australia, the federal and local Governments, as well as local industry and businesses. It then reviews the development of its robotic activities, AREC's current educational programmes and activities and their focus groups and notes the future aims and activities of the Centre.