Humber College adds robotics partnership with KUKA Canada to CTI offering

October 12, 2018 – A new five-year partnership between Toronto’s Humber College and KUKA Canada will outfit the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation (CTI) with the latest robotic technology.

Humber will be working with KUKA on robotics systems integration applications and will receive two state-of-the-art and Industry 4.0–ready collaborative robots as part of the partnership. This significant investment will bring industry and education together, complementing Humber’s collection of robotic technology for students and industry partners to work with.

Throughout the partnership, KUKA will participate in applied research projects as well as provide awards and scholarships for students, named the KUKA Awards. KUKA will also work with Humber to develop education to employment pathways and recruitment opportunities for students and graduates and become part of the Industry 4.0 consortia that Humber is forming.

“Our students and faculty will benefit from KUKA’s expertise while learning on the latest robotic technologies within the Barrett CTI,” says Chris Whitaker, president and CEO of Humber College. “This collaboration exemplifies how our polytechnic model of education connect faculty and students with industry to solve real-world business challenges through the latest technologies.”

KUKA’s contributions include a virtual reality and simulation technology to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in developing applications requiring vision or conveyor tracking technology.

“KUKA knows that Industry 4.0 and digitization is a rapidly growing area, and we’re working towards a future in which humans and machines work together safely and efficiently,” says Ed Manera, vice-president of sales for KUKA Canada Inc. “Partnering with Humber is an example of our progressive thinking and aggressive approach to innovation.”

This partnership is one of several Humber College has made this year to boost its automation offerings at CTI. The school has also partnered with DMG MORI on CNC technology, SEW-EURODRIVE on autonomous guided vehicles (AGV) and Industry 4.0, Cisco Canada on cyber and networking technology, and Festo Didactic on STEM learning.