Arielle Kaye, right, speaks with students during Pittsburgh Robotics Discovery Day. (Photo by Adam Reinherz)
Pittsburghers expanded their minds by making the world a bit smaller. Through presentations and conversations inside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, more than 4,000 people observed advancements in automation, artificial intelligence and other rapidly evolving technologies as part of Pittsburgh Robotics Discovery Day on Nov. 20.
About 130 exhibitors participated in the event, administered by Pittsburgh Robotics Network, touting the region’s contributions and connections to innovation.
Standing beside one of several hundred tables at the convention center, Arielle Kaye told passersby about a lightweight 3-D printed prosthetic arm: “It’s called a PJ Prosthesis because after you get home and get into your comfy clothes or PJs you just throw on your PJ Prosthesis.”
Created by Tikkun Olam Makers, the Israeli-made device allows users to swap out “end units” for specific needs. One piece lets someone easily strum a guitar. Another extension is for playing the violin. Each attachment is a result of “individual needs,” Kaye said. The beauty of TOM is that it fosters a collaborative process between users and innovators to create affordable solutions predicated on “human-centered design.”
Kaye, a graduate student at New York University and TOM’s university program manager, joined Discovery Day in an effort to promote curiosity and simplicity.
“So much of this is so affordable,” she said.
The PJ Prosthesis costs about $60. A fully functioning prosthetic arm sets buyers back about 1,000 times more.
“If you open your mind, there are so many different solutions for the challenges that people are dealing with,” Kaye said. Participating in this event was a chance to encourage people to “use innovation and creative thinking to solve unmet needs in our global communities.”
Andrew Rabin spoke with several Israeli entrepreneurs and local tech professionals near TOM’s table. Rabin is the founder and chair of 412×972, an organization that creates “profitable” ties between companies in Pittsburgh and Israel.
“Rising tide lifts all boats,” Rabin told the Chronicle. “Allowing Israeli companies to come into the Pittsburgh community, and allowing Pittsburgh companies to have a seamless pathway into the Israeli community, builds bridges which are more important than ever right now.”
Generating economic development is 412×972’s goal, but there’s also the need to create goodwill, Rabin said. “It’s business. We’re trying to sort of solve problems and help everyone mutually from an economic benefit, politics and issues aside. Life goes on and if we strengthen those connections it helps us all.”
Rich Fitzgerald, executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and former Allegheny County executive, said he was pleased to see a number of Israeli companies at Discovery Day.
“We in western Pennsylvania, particularly Pittsburgh, have had a longstanding connection with our friends in Israel going back decades,” he said. “Obviously now with some of the situations that are happening, it’s I think in many ways strengthened that bond, so anything we can continue to do to tie together our cultural, our economic, all the various things we do, is important.”
Whether from Israel or elsewhere, companies come to Pittsburgh to access the region’s insights, Jennifer Apicella, Pittsburgh Robotics Network’s executive director, explained.
“Our globally recognized expertise with innovation positions us as a key partner for businesses around the world seeking cutting-edge automation solutions and business expansion opportunities,” she said. “From forging strategic collaborations to exporting transformative technologies, Pittsburgh is driving the global economy forward.”
Chana Rose Hochman attended Discovery Day after hearing about the conference from Gal Inbar, 412×972’s executive director.
Hochman, a former Beersheba resident with expertise in avionics and aerospace engineering, spoke with several company representatives at the event.
“I’m looking for work, so if anyone needs a technical project manager, I’m here,” she told the Chronicle.
Hochman described Discovery Day as a valuable resource for job seekers, employers and potential business partners.
“I’m learning about companies I didn’t even know about,” she said. “There’s just so much. It’s really cool. I feel like I’m in a candy store.”
As drones buzzed overhead and busloads of students passed from table to table, entrepreneurs and innovators mingled. Roboticists showed off their creations. One team asked this reporter to control a spider-looking device with a remote control. Another team touted its creation’s ability to safely lift pallets while detecting nearby people, thus preventing injury. Throughout the day, representatives of local universities and global corporations clamored for attention.
“What there are in this industry are a lot of job opportunities,” Fitzgerald said. “You don’t have to be a software engineering doctorate from CMU to get a job. You could come right out of high school, come out of community college, have skills, maybe a little bit of experience in construction, manufacturing, or hospitality and warehousing, and you’ll find some opportunities here.”
Shai Eisen spent Discovery Day speaking with potential partners about his Israeli-based company, Korra.
“We’re all about unleashing industrial knowledge,” the CEO told the Chronicle.
Among entities that have existed for decades a problem often exists, Eisen explained: Institutional knowledge is likely compiled in paper documents, manuals and procedures.
“It’s all over the place,” he said. “We built an AI engine that is able to read all that content.”
Attending Discovery Day allowed Eisen to hear about other companies’ “pain points and needs,” he continued. “I’ve learned there’s a huge potential in Pittsburgh.”
Inbar of 412×972 said Discovery Day demonstrates the possibility of partnership.
Companies come together for specific projects, but “methodologies and concepts trickle both ways,” he said.
Pittsburghers learn from Israelis, Israelis learn from Pittsburghers, and technology advances.
“Cross-pollination is a magical thing,” he said. “There’s so much value to be created.” PJC