Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Mini Robots for military

BAE has signed a $38 million agreement with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to lead an alliance of researchers and scientists from the Army, academia and industry. The goal? Mini robots for situational awareness.

"The Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance will research and develop advanced robotic equipment for use in urban environments and complex terrain, such as mountains and caves. The alliance will create an autonomous, multifunctional collection of miniature intelligence-gathering robots that can operate in places too inaccessible or dangerous for humans."


"The alliance has a planned duration of five years with an option to extend for an additional five years. MAST consists of four primary research areas, led by four principal alliance members: BAE Systems will lead Microsystems Integration, the University of Michigan will lead Microelectronics, the University of Maryland will lead Microsystem Mechanics, and the University of Pennsylvania will lead Processing for Autonomous Operation."

"The alliance also has five general members participating in one or more of the research areas: the University of California at Berkeley, the California Institute of Technology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of New Mexico, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University."

Source: BAE

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