Our Mission
Building software-first machine vision defect detection.
At Rose City Robotics, we help manufacturers deploy CAD-driven defect detection through hands-on machine vision, robotics, and systems engineering. Our work is designed for quality and automation teams who want more than theory—or another round of rule tweaking—they want inspection that holds up in production.
We go beyond thresholds and templates. We build from CAD, validate on real part variation, and deploy software-first quality control that adapts quickly when designs change—led by Joseph Cole, PhD, with 20 years in industrial vision and robotics.
Our Team
We’re a mission-driven team of machine vision and software and automation engineers united by a focus on real factory outcomes—stable inspection, less scrap, and faster changeovers. From CAD-driven modeling to on-line validation and edge deployment, we work side-by-side with quality and automation teams to ship systems that keep working after the install. Led by Joseph Cole, PhD, we bring 20 years of industrial vision and automation experience to software-first quality control.
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Joseph Cole, Ph.D.
Co-founder, CEO / Technology and Vision
Joseph earned his PhD in applied physics from Rice University and a graduate certificate in applied statistics from Portland State University (PSU). He is a retired Major with the US Army Reserves and has over 20 years of experience developing computer vision and machine learning algorithms across a variety of industries.
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Duncan Miller, MBA
Co-founder, Operations / Business Development
Duncan is a software engineer with over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur. He is a FIRST Robotics coach and has a passion for technology and entrepreneurship. Duncan earned an MBA from Babson College and is a mentor and innovation competition judge at the PSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Accelerator.
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Aaryn Curl
Senior Program Manager Robotics & AI Education
Aaryn is a lifelong engineer and educator with 19 years at Intel, where she led cross-functional software programs from concept to launch. At RCR, she combines her technical experience and passion for mentorship to create hands-on AI robotics learning experiences that help students grow their confidence as problem solvers.
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Samantha Town
Marketing and Communications
Sam helps shape our communication and operational strategies with a conscientious emphasis on human relationships and impact. Sam graduated from the University of Oregon and grew up working in a family business in Oregon wine country.
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James Clarke
Video, Media, and Production
James is developing course content and marketing materials using footage he has captured at various Rose City Robotics in-person training events and talks. James is completing his undergraduate degree at Swarthmore College.
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Manisha Yadav
STEM Programs and Engagement
Manisha is a passionate hands-on robotics educator and mentor. She is a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Robotics Coach, advancing twice to the Oregon State FLL Tournament. Manisha is a Machine Learning engineer and has a Master's in Computer Science from PSU.
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Thomas R.
Robotics Intern
Thomas is a high school senior working on a project to port IKFast to ROS2. Thomas also helps setup and run our ALOHA robot from Stanford University, collecting datasets and working robotics software development.
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Kenny M.
Robotics Intern
Kenny's high school senior project is figuring out how to code a TurtleBot project and then creating a tutorial and learning materials for our students. Kenny built a physical TurtleBot kit and is currently performing experiments with the robot.
Our Advisory Board
Our distinguished advisors bring deep technical expertise and real-world experience. They provide strategic counsel on technical direction, partner ecosystems, and deployment realities so we can scale CAD-driven inspection in high-mix environments without sacrificing reliability. Their guidance helps us deliver practical, software-first quality control that teams can trust from day one.
Our Values
We believe robotics and AI should be used to educate, empower, and build a more sustainable and equitable future.
- Integrity
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We operate with transparency, not just talk. As an open-startup we publish our financials in the open and are bootstrapped. No investors, no VC, no PE, no BS. Just purpose, code, and community.
- Innovation
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We fuse cutting-edge research with real-world problem solving. Whether it's building autonomous systems or educational tools, we iterate quickly and share knowledge openly to help others do the same.
- Impact
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We measure success by the people we empower. From workforce-ready technicians to AI robotics innovators, we build tools and training that leave a mark on careers, on communities, and on the future.
Machine Vision Lab
Our team of PhDs and engineers help medical device and automation teams turn vision and imaging ideas into production-trustworthy algorithms. We don’t build cells or sell cameras — we plug in as the algorithm team alongside your existing engineering and integration partners.
Recent work includes image registration from in-procedure video in surgery, and creating high-fidelity virtual worlds for training physical AI systems (synthetic environments and simulation pipelines that let teams validate perception + inspection logic before full-scale deployment).
- Vision & Imaging Algorithm Development
- Design and implement robust vision/imaging algorithms (classical + ML) for inspection, defect detection, measurement, tracking, and image registration — built to survive real-world variability.
- Feasibility & Risk Evaluation
- Quickly assess whether a vision/imaging use case is viable with your real samples and constraints. Clear answers on expected performance, key risks, and what it would take to get to production reliability.
- Reliability & Performance Improvement
- When a system “works in the demo” but not in production: diagnose failure modes, reduce false rejects/misses, and tighten evaluation so improvements are measurable and repeatable.
- Edge / On-Device Optimization
- Optimize algorithms for real-time, embedded, or edge constraints (latency, throughput, memory). Make models and pipelines run where they need to run — reliably (Jetson-class or x86).
- Synthetic Environments & Simulation
- Build high-fidelity virtual worlds and simulation pipelines to validate perception + inspection logic before full-scale deployment. Useful for autonomy, robotics, and complex environments where data collection is slow or expensive.
- Industrial Inspection Systems (On-Prem)
- Defect detection and measurement workflows for manufacturing — designed to hold up under production variance. We can work within strict data/security constraints and integrate outputs into your PLC/robot/HMI stack.
Our Company
Open-startup and impact-driven
Rose City Robotics is an open-startup and impact-driven company. We are committed to using education to empower, inspire, and build a more sustainable and equitable future.
As an open-startup, we publish our revenue, expenses and contributions on our website for all to see. We are not funded by venture capital or private equity. We are funded by our founders, our customers and our community. Therefore, we are able to be driven by metrics related to our impact on our students, our employees and the planet over profit.
Our Story
Made in Portland, Oregon
We began in Portland affectionately known as the "Rose City", with a goal to make robotics and clean-tech education accessible, practical, and empowering as well as to advance the state of the art.
Today our industry-recognized certifications and project-based learning experiences equip students with the tools needed to thrive in a rapidly changing workforce. Additionally, we contribute to innovation through our open-source software and grant-funded research.
Company founded
Joseph Cole creates the company as an Oregon corporation.
Grant funding
First grant secured through the State of Oregon SBIR support.
Waivolt merger
Joining forces to create a new AI enabled ed-tech training platform.
Open startup
Conversion to an open startup with transparent financials.