A Q&A With the Canadian Robotics Council About its Conference and Canada’s Future

Canada's robotics community has a new voice. The Canadian Robotics Council is a partnership between industry, academia and government that is meant to showcase robotics' overall value in the economy along with high-growth areas like artificial intelligence and machine learning – and yes, space is very much included. Their first symposium will be held Sept. 22 in Ottawa. The council is formed while the Canadian space community continues to call for a more integrated and responsive space strategy, particularly with the formation of a National Space Council that would be similar in style to those recently adopted in the United States and the United Kingdom. Canada has decades of experience in space robotics and continues to push for more in the future, including with the valuable Government of Canada Canadarm3 contracts (led by MDA) that has already generated a sale of commercial interfaces to company Axiom Space. SpaceQ spoke with Hallie Siegel, co-chair of the council along with Ryan Gariepy. Siegel is also managing director of strategy and partnerships at University of Toronto Robotics Institute. She spoke with SpaceQ about the council's mandate, how it relates to the space strategy discussions, and what to expect in the conference next month. SpaceQ: Why do we have a Canadian Robotics Council? Siegel: Robots are already improving safety, productivity and quality of life around the world. The Canadian Robotics Council brings together robotics experts from across research, government and industry to provide a bird's eye view of this globally competitive enabling technology, and help Canadians understand where, how, and when is the right time to adopt robots. SpaceQ: Who is included in the council? Siegel: The council is founded and co-chaired by the University of Toronto Robotics Institute and Clearpath Robotics. Executive committee members include representatives from MDA, Kinova, Cellula Robotics, Aerial Evolution and Iskwew Air, the National Research Council, and McGill and Laval universities. We currently have about 100 member organizations – and growing – from across Canada, including industry, research labs, and government agencies. SpaceQ: What are your goals and mandate? Siegel: We envision a future where Canadians can leverage robotics to enhance their health, global competitiveness, productivity, safety, and quality of work. To achieve this vision, the council's mandate is to collect and facilitate the exchange of ecosystem metrics, case studies and know-how between industry, government and universities. SpaceQ: How does your council and its work relate to ongoing discussions about space strategy in Canada? Siegel: The installation of the Canadarms on the International Space Station captured the imagination of people the world over, demonstrated to everyday Canadians our capacity to innovate on the global stage, and gave rise to Canada's reputation as a global pioneer in the field of space robotics. Astronauts – and the countries that put them into space – literally put lives and millions of dollars into the hands of these incredible robots. This expertise in space robotics not only laid the foundation for Canada's aerospace industry, but enabled companies like MDA to branch out into other safety-critical fields such as surgical robotics. Similarly, these early successes enabled U of T to develop its robotics expertise into the now-thriving University of Toronto Robotics Institute, with capabilities in many exciting new application areas. Canada's new Industrial Technology Benefits policy identifies autonomous and remotely piloted systems as a globally competitive emerging technology. Canada's defence strategy likewise calls out remotely piloted semi-autonomous systems as an essential technology for meeting our country's defense and security needs. These government initiatives were designed to pave the way for increased investment in robotics here. Coupled with strategic programs such as the Pan-Canadian AI strategy and the ISED Superclusters program, Canada is growing into a globally recognized hotbed for robotics and machine learning. SpaceQ: Are you an advisory council external to government? Siegel: We are an external advisory council. However, the National Research Council is a member of the council and is coordinating representatives from other government agencies with an interest in robotics. The goals are to foster inter-agency collaboration and cooperation between provincial governments, federal governments, private sector and academia. SpaceQ: Are you hoping that a Space Council will be created within government that you can work with, and are you lobbying for that to happen? Siegel: We are not a lobby group and are not lobbying for the creation of a Space Council. However, should a Space Council be created we would involve them in the Robotics Council given the obvious application for robotics. SpaceQ: What do you hope to accomplish in the next two to three years? Siegel: In the next two to three years we hope to publish a large database of case studies where robots are already demonstrating their value, with a focus on applications that are most relevant to Canada's economy. We also aim to publish ecosystem metrics so that we can understand and track on an annual basis the growth of the robotics sector here. There is a lot of robotics expertise right here in our own backyard, but it needs to be made visible. SpaceQ: What should folks expect in your new conference, and how does that relate to your overall goals?Siegel: Attendees should expect to broaden their perspective on robots and what they can do for Canada. We will explore the key forces shaping Canadian robotics from multiple perspectives – industry, research, government and policy – to understand our collective strength and identify opportunities for coordinated action.