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PITTSBURGH, Pa., Oct. 6, 2004. The Robotics Foundry, an independent, non-profit economic development organization, today announced that its National Center for Defense Robotics (NCDR) operation has awarded $800,000 to several regional companies and universities to execute six, defense-related, "agile robotics" technology development and transition projects.
These projects, detailed below, were competitively bid and are being funded from an appropriation directed to the NCDR in the FY03 national defense spending bill.
-- Collaborative robotics: Contracted by Wexford, Pa.-based Applied Perception, Inc., this project will investigate state-of-the-art collaborative robotics and analyze how to leverage current and past work in this area.
-- Semi autonomous behaviors: Contracted by Applied Perception, this project will investigate the need for future Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) extensions to support semi-autonomous operations.
-- Safety Architectures: Contracted by Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Consortium, this project will develop performance-based specification guidelines for the safety architecture of "weaponized robots," both lethal and non-lethal.
-- Remote Detection, Challenge and Response Systems (REDCAR): Contracted by Applied Perception, this project will investigate research and develop JAUS compatible hardware and software methods to provide automatic obstacle detection using low cost radar and/or other specified sensors for Unmanned Ground Vehicles, for the purpose of assisting autonomous navigation.
-- Trip Wire Detection: Contracted by Pittsburgh-based Automatika, this project will define concepts for the automatic detection, avoidance, reporting and possible neutralization of trip wires primarily focused on the small Unmanned Ground Vehicle component of Future Combat Systems (FCS).
-- Health Maintenance: Contracted jointly by Penn State University's ARL, John Deere and Applied Perception, Inc., this collaborative project will define concepts for the automatic detection, prediction, diagnosis, and/or recovers of failures on unmanned ground vehicles at a system and/or component level that result in an unacceptable level of task performance.
The NCDR, whose mission is to accelerate the development and transition of agile robotics technologies into various military unmanned systems, vehicles and other applications, partnered with the Penn State University Electro-Optics Center (EOC), based in Kittanning, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint Robotics Program (JRP) organization to help identify, prioritize, and select the funded projects. The NCDR also worked closely with Representative Mike Doyle (PA-18) to gain his support for the initial funding request that made these projects possible.
Bill Thomasmeyer, president of the Robotics Foundry, commented, "The region is fortunate to have in Congressman Doyle a leader with the foresight to fully recognize and understand the economic development opportunity that the region has at hand in the field of robotics and the will to help make it happen. The Robotics Foundry very much appreciates his efforts in helping bring about what we believe will be the beginning of a period of rapid growth and expanded opportunities for western Pennsylvania in agile robotics solutions for the defense and other early stage markets."
Agile robotics is a new and emerging, multi-market sector of the $8 billion robotics industry that integrates electro-optic sensors, robotic vision, artificial perception, electronic controls, autonomous navigation, man-machine interfaces, and similar technologies with electro-mechanical arms, vehicles, and other devices to produce next generation products and solutions that operate more intelligently, more independently, and more autonomously.
Examples include an automated pharmacy prescription fulfillment system, a lane tracking and departure warning system, consumer products such as unattended vacuum cleaners, and unmanned military vehicles, including a highly mobile, 12 pound, reconnaissance vehicle developed for the Marines.
Agile robotics solutions automatically monitor, perceive, and map their surroundings, detect and identify physical objects and characteristics, make decisions based on an understanding of their environment and their objectives, and undertake the appropriate, called-for actions. Agile robotics solutions enhance human performance by performing tedious, mundane, and tortuous tasks in variable, changing, dangerous, and/or inaccessible environments. By reducing the need for human attention, interaction, and intervention, they substantially increase productivity, improve cycle times, decrease costs, and lower the risk of worker injury, property damage, and other losses.
The Robotics Foundry is an independent, non-profit economic development organization formed to accelerate the growth of the emerging, agile robotics industry and to establish a significant industry cluster in the 'RoboCorridor' encompassing western Pennsylvania and beyond. Working side by side with Carnegie Mellon and the region's other universities, the Robotics Foundry devises and implements various programs and initiatives that accelerate the transition, hardening, integration, and commercialization of agile robotic technologies and solutions and facilitate the formation of companies and creation of products and services based on those technologies.
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