Robots are increasingly used for operations conducted in life-threatening and hazardous situations, such as in mining, law enforcement, and explosive disposal environments.
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SPAWAR Pacific) has developed a robotic relay radio system to extend the communications link between the user and the robot, allowing the robot to travel further distances and into previously unreachable areas.
Eight years and $1.5 million in development have been contributed to this technology, and a second-generation system with increased functionality is currently in development.
Additionally, SPAWAR Pacific's Technology Transfer Office announced this technology's availability for licensing in the Federal Register and is accepting and evaluating license applications and commercialization plans from nine companies and one government agency.
"I have never seen this much interest in any other technology that we have marketed. We have had to create new procedures and strategies for tracking and managing the interest in this technology," said Dr. Stephen Lieberman, Head of Technology Transfer at SPAWAR Pacific.
SPAWAR Pacific's Unmanned Systems Branch won the 2008 Office of the Secretary of Defense Office of Technology Transition and DOD TechMatch Hot Technologies Contest for its Robotic Radio Communication System.
The reward was the creation of a marketing video about the technology funded by DOD TechMatch and created by Peter Doyle, an award-winning producer who has produced segments on Nova, 48 Hours, Biography, and the CBS Evening News.
More info: Dr. Stephen Lieberman, T2@spawar.navy.mil
