U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA has challenged several groups worldwide to advance robotic technology to prevent disasters to humans.
The teams taking the challenge will attempt to design and set up a robot which will able to response to disasters in radioactive or bio-contaminated areas where humans can't work. The robots should be capable of driving vehicles and using tools.
The 10-school collaboration is led by Drexel University and aligned by Columbia University, the University of Delaware, Georgia Institute of Technology, Indiana University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Ohio State University, Purdue University, Swarthmore College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
The Pentagon agency will be funding two types of tracks: Track A, which will develop robotics hardware and software. Seven teams from Track A will be provided by funds. Eleven teams in Track B which will develop the software only. Two further tracks will be selected where teams will develop the software and hardware without DARPA funding and teams that will provide software alone.
"The range of designs submitted by the selected Track A performers reflects Darpa's emphasis that, while the robots competing in the [Challenge] must be able to operate in human-engineered environments, they do not have to be humanoid in form," the agency said.
Gill A. Pratt, Defense Sciences Office program manager, said as part of the contest announcement Wednesday, "Just as natural and man-made disasters are common worldwide challenges, what the response to the (robotics challenge) has shown is that the international robotics community shares a common goal of advancing robotic technology to the point where it can have a tangible and positive impact on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief."
A qualifying round will be held in May next year and the first event, Virtual Robotics Challenge, is due to happen in June 2013. Software only team qualifying the first round in May will be provided with Darpa-supplied robots developed by Boston Dynamics.
