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RTC, an industry group made up of both small and large robotics manufacturers and a smattering of colleges and universities with robotics engineering programs, was created in July of 2008 to coordinate research and development on robotic systems of interest to the U.S. military.
The DoD helped form the group because, officials said, its own planning and procurement staff were too tied up in supplying and supporting the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan to pay proper attention to longer-range R&D projects.
Though the approach may streamline the process of granting robotics research contracts, an analysis in Robotics Business Review suggested that the contracts might be awarded only to members of the RTC. Though companies that work in the appropriate robotics technologies would naturally want to join the RTC, membership comes with a cost in both dues and time, putting an onus on smaller companies, the analysis said.
All five companies in this round of seven contract awards are members of RTC.
Contracts and lead companies on them are:
Winner: Silvus Technologies, Inc.
Contract: MIMO-Enabled Communication Links for NLOS Robotic Tele-operation Missions
Winner: Chatten Associates
Contract: Improved Depth Perception to Aid Tele-Operation
Winner: Sarnoff Corp.
Contract: Modular Software Architecture for Rapid Multi-robot Coordination, Mapping and Structure Characterization
Winner: iRobot Corp.
Contract: Sniper/Hostile Fire Defeat
Winner: iRobot Corp.
Contract: RTK-Remote Touch Kit
Winner: RE2, Inc.
Contract: Force and Tactile Sensing Based Manipulation
Winner: Sarnoff Corp.
Contract: Mapping in Complex Terrains
