Innovation, BU WISE symposium and tour features latest tech
The Innovation symposium on pharmacy automation solutions earlier this month included a tour of Binghamton University's Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science’s new building. Symposium goers saw the work faculty and student researchers are doing in 3-D printing, computer simulation and modeling, and digital fingerprinting. The 125,000-sq.-ft. facility that opened in December includes state-of-the-art labs and equipment, a wall of solar panels that power the building and an acoustics research room that is said to be “one of the quietest places on earth.”
Also part of the symposium, attendees witnessed the latest technology in pharmacy automation. While the robots traditionally used to automate the prescription-filling process are designed to work autonomously, the devices that will carry the industry forward are expected to work side-by-side with human beings. These collaborative robots — commonly referred to as “cobots” — have a smaller footprint than traditional robots, making them more flexible and able to perform a wider range of tasks.