JUNE 14--The Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA) has announced the formation of the National Center for Defense Robotics (CDR) to accelerate the region's efforts to commercialize mobile robotics technologies for the rapidly developing military and homeland defense markets. The creation of the center is a significant step in the region's efforts to establish itself as the leading "end-to-end" center for the research and development of mobile robotics and related artificial intelligence technologies, as well as the designing, engineering and manufacturing of autonomous unmanned vehicles and devices (UVDs) for defense, homeland security, and other industrial markets.
Collaborating on the CDR are the PRA, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University, and Catalyst Connections. The CDR will work to accelerate the transition of robotics-related technology from the laboratory to the field by enhancing the region's capability to take a variety of advanced products from stages of development to prototype manufacturing, product testing, demonstration and validation. William A. Thomasmeyer, an experienced technology entrepreneur and one of the consultants who helped devise the strategy, was named Executive Director of the CDR. Chuck Thorpe, director of the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, will head the center's technical advisory team.
