Carnegie Mellon University today announced plans to turn its research prototypes into marketplace products with the creation of Carnegie Robotics LLC, a spinoff of the university's National Robotics Engineering Center in Lawrenceville.

Carnegie Robotics will develop and bring to market robotic components and systems created through independent contracts and research originated in the NREC lab. John Bares, who oversaw NREC growth from 20 to 120 employees in the past 13 years, will head the new startup. Anthony Stentz, who was NREC associate director since 1997, will take over as director.

In fiscal 2010, the NREC saw $24.8 million in sponsored research and industry-sponsored research worth $8.7 million.

Carnegie Robotics is the latest example of a nationwide push toward the commercialization of university research.

Dr. Bares said the new venture is a departure from the isolation of the research lab -- this effort requires a crash course in entrepreneurial skills like marketing and customer care.

"The company is a brand-new legal entity," he said. "It attracts a different brand of person."

Carnegie Robotics currently has four employees and plans to expand and move out of the NREC facility in about two years, he said.

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