The field for this month’s DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials is now set, with four self-funded teams — who built their own hardware and software for the competition — rounding out the line-up. Previously, we learned about the seven teams that survived the Virtual Robotics Challenge and received an ATLAS robot as well as the six
One of the advantages of humanoid robots is that — in theory — they can make use of existing infrastructure and tools that were designed for humans. That premise will be put to the test in a big way at the DARPA Robotics Challenge, where a variety of robots will be asked to perform human-like
Military demand for unmanned ground vehicles will likely decrease in the short term, due to fiscal and military realities, but as UGV capabilities expand during the next decade, so will their use, according to a report released last week by London-based business information provider Visiongain. The report, “Military Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) Market 2013-2023,” predicts
When your car breaks down, you generally don’t chalk it up as a total loss and leave it for dead on the side of the road. However, that’s essentially what happens when a communications satellite fails in orbit 22,000 miles above the Earth, where thousands of such devices now float as space debris. Many of
Prioria Robotics reported today that it has been awarded several contracts totaling $4.5 million by the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force. The company also noted that as part of the multi-system order, its Maveric unmanned aircraft system completed certification by the Army Test and Evaluation Command. “The U.S. Army has shifted its focus to smaller,
CyPhy Works today reported the close of a $7 million financing round, which it will use to expand its surveying- and situational awareness-focused unmanned aerial vehicles into various commercial sectors. The round was led by Lux Capital and featured participation from General Catalyst Partners, Felicis Ventures and several undisclosed angel investors. CyPhy (pronounced “Sci-Fi”) Works is
AeroVironment reported today that it has been awarded a $2.3 million contract to help develop a new type of unmanned aircraft system for DARPA. The company will work as the prime contractor with DARPA on the Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) Program to develop a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAS designed to operate from small ships
Bluefin Robotics and the Naval Research Laboratory recently sent a long-endurance unmanned underwater vehicle from Boston to New York, a trip that took more than 100 hours, the groups said today. The mission was completed by the Naval Research Lab’s Reliant “Heavyweight” UUV, an advanced version of the Bluefin-21 that, when loaded with a low-frequency broadband
The teams competing in the DARPA Robotics Challenge come from some of the most prestigious universities and technologically innovative organizations in the world — places like MIT, Carnegie Mellon and NASA. However, even for them, it represents uncharted territory. “It’s a huge learning experience,” admits Bill Borgia, director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Lockheed
Unmanned aircraft systems leader AeroVironment and helicopter maker Eurocopter said today that they have signed a cooperative agreement to explore potential joint military and commercial business opportunities. The announcement occurred at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting in Washington. The majority of AeroVironment’s UAS are fixed-wing vehicles, though it does produce the Shrike
