|
re2, Inc. Signs Subcontract with Carnegie
Mellon to Provide JAUS Software Implementation for U.S. Marine
Corps’ Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle Program
re2, Inc. announced today that it has signed a subcontract
with the university to provide software engineering expertise and
its JAUS (Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems) Developer Library
for the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the U.S.
Marine Corps’ Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle (TUGV)
Program. The Gladiator TUGV will provide the Marine Air-Ground Task
Force (MAGTF) with a tele-operated unmanned ground vehicle for
remote combat, reconnaissance and surveillance tasks, allowing the
operator to remain safely concealed at a distance.
Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) June 28, 2005 -- re2, Inc. (Robotics
Engineering Excellence), a Carnegie Mellon University spin-off
company specializing in mobile defense robotics, announced today
that it has signed a subcontract with the university to provide
software engineering expertise and its JAUS (Joint Architecture for
Unmanned Systems) Developer Library for the System Development and
Demonstration (SDD) phase of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Gladiator
Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle (TUGV) Program. The Gladiator TUGV
will provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a
tele-operated unmanned ground vehicle for remote combat,
reconnaissance and surveillance tasks, allowing the operator to
remain safely concealed at a distance.
re2, Inc.’s JAUS
Developer Library, a software development toolkit that quickly and
easily enables organizations to implement JAUS-compliant systems,
will be integrated into the TUGV software system to ensure that the
vehicle is JAUS compliant. JAUS is a Department of Defense (DoD)
mandated software architecture developed to establish a standard for
unmanned systems. JAUS ensures that all Unmanned Ground Vehicles
(UGV) are interoperable, can insert new capabilities easily, and
remain open and scalable. In addition to UGVs, JAUS can also be
integrated into unmanned air, surface or underwater commercial or
military vehicles.
“We’re extremely pleased that Carnegie
Mellon has selected re2 to provide our software expertise and
commercially off-the-shelf JAUS Developer Library to the SDD phase
of the TUGV program,” said Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of
re2, Inc. “By being a part of this program, re2 further solidifies
its position as a valued robotics engineering subcontractor in the
unmanned systems market.”
“The Gladiator program is important
for the Marines because it provides them with remote stand-off
capability to locate, identify, and engage enemy targets,” said
Colonel Jeff Kotora USMC (ret), Chair of the JAUS Working Group.
“re2’s JAUS work for Gladiator is a key aspect to ensure that
Gladiator robots and subsystems are interoperable and upgradeable
over the long term.”
Carnegie Mellon's National Robotics
Engineering Consortium (NREC), a part of the Robotics Institute in
the School of Computer Science, leads a team that includes United
Defense as principal subcontractor and teammate. Carnegie Mellon
will lead the SDD phase of the program as prime contractor, working
closely with United Defense to draw on its experience in program
management, engineering, integration and integrated logistics
support tasks as Gladiator development moves toward production and
fielding. re2, Inc. will work directly with the NREC, located off
campus in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh, as an integral
part of the software development team.
re2, Inc. initially
joined Carnegie Mellon’s Gladiator TUGV program in February 2003.
During Phase I, re2 provided rapid prototyping services, including
proof-of-concept field tests of diesel engines in ATV-sized robotic
vehicles. In Phase II, re2 designed and implemented the software
system and vehicle electronics for the Phase II prototype. This
effort included the JAUS-based vehicle controller, localization,
waypoint navigation, payload control, and vehicle computing. A key
component of re2’s Phase II effort was safety, specifically as it
applied to the JAUS software architecture. The company will continue
to make safety a priority within the software system in the SDD
phase of the program.
“We at Carnegie Mellon's National
Robotics Engineering Consortium are pleased that the Joint Robotics
Program, along with the U.S. Marine Corps, have selected our team to
develop the SDD phase vehicle of the Marine's TUGV program," stated
Jeff Farbacher, program manager for the Carnegie Mellon Gladiator
team. "re2 has been a member of our Gladiator TUGV team for several
years, providing software and electronics assistance. Now, in the
SDD phase of the program, we are counting on re2 to provide its JAUS
expertise to ensure that the vehicle meets the DoD's architecture
standard for unmanned systems.”
“The awarding of this
subcontract to re2 is further evidence of the growing role that
Southwestern Pennsylvania- based companies will play in agile
robotics, an emerging sector of the overall worldwide robotics
industry comprising a wide range of intelligent, mobile products and
systems that remotely and, to an extent, autonomously perform
complex tasks in various dynamic environments,” commented Bill
Thomasmeyer, Executive Vice-President of The Technology
Collaborative. “In particular, regional companies and organizations,
such as re2, are expected to be primary players in the development,
adaptation, and integration of JAUS and other emerging industry
standards.”
About re2, Inc.
re2, Inc. (Robotics
Engineering Excellence), located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a
Carnegie Mellon spin-off company specializing in mobile defense
robotics with an emphasis on unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and
unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). re2, Inc. has partnered with
universities and industry leaders, such as Carnegie Mellon and
Exponent, Inc., to develop and support robotic technologies. As a
defense subcontractor, re2, Inc. has contributed to the development
of mobile robotic technologies for the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA), the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF), The
Office of2Naval Research (ONR), and The Marine Corps. For more
information, visit www.resquared.com or call (412) 681-6382.
#
# #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb256032.htm | |