We certainly hope the competitors in DARPA’s Robotics Challenge hardwire Isaac Asimov’s First Law of Robotics into their creations—the one that says don’t harm humans.

Because the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s new contest aims to develop technology that advances robotics to the next level. The level at which robots can do what we do, go where we can’t, and change shape as necessary.

We certainly hope the competitors in DARPA’s Robotics Challenge hardwire Isaac Asimov’s First Law of Robotics into their creations—the one that says don’t harm humans.

Because the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s new contest aims to develop technology that advances robotics to the next level. The level at which robots can do what we do, go where we can’t, and change shape as necessary.
Although the emphasis placed on navigation will not be as great as previous DARPA competitions — the Grand Challenges of 2004 and 2005, the Urban Challenge of 2007, and the Network Challenge of 2009 — the robotics competition will challenge system designers to create machines that can master a series of complex task scenarios or "events." The challenge sponsors are looking for machines that can use hand and power tools, drive vehicles, climb ladders, close valves, replace broken parts, clear debris and move freely with dexterity, strength and endurance through a messy and confusing disaster site.

They seek autonomous or tethered robots that can work with everyday humans: non-expert supervisors using wireless communication links that may be less than robust.

DARPA announced the contest on April 10, with a request for hardware, software, modeling and gaming developers to compete for a grand prize of US$2 million out of a prize pool of up to US$34 million.

The idea is to design the software and hardware for human surrogates in disaster zones that are unsafe or inaccessible. DARPA uses the example of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, still lethal after last year’s meltdowns, hydrogen explosions and radioactive materials release.

Proposals are due by May 31 2012. Prospective contestants will hear from DARPA right after their proposals are evaluated, which will take varying amounts of time depending on the type and complexity of the proposal.

The successful teams will be tested in three phases, beginning in October 2012 and ending around December 2014 with the announcement of the grand prize winner.

The robots will be tested in a virtual disaster challenge and two disaster response challenges doing tasks they would be expected to face in a real-world disaster.

Competitors without hardware or the expertise to create it may be given a 300 lb (150 kg) "body" to use that includes arms, hands with two or three fingers, jointed legs, torso and head. In the tradition of cinematic robot names, it will have a cold bureaucratic designation: GFE Platform (for Government Furnished Equipment.)

Depending on the project, contestants may be able to use a virtual test environment, described as "open source, real-time, operator-interactive . . . populated with models of robots, robot components and field environments" and named, predictably, the GFE Simulator. It will be designed by Open Source Robotics Foundation, Inc.

Generous development funding, cloud computing resources and other support is available for successful proposals, but competitors may pay their own way as well.

The contest is aimed at those doing "basic and fundamental" research that can be shared broadly in the scientific and engineering community. Collaboration is encouraged.

The competition solicitation number is DARPA-BAA-12-39. Find out more at the DARPA website or contact Christopher Glista at DA*************@***pa.mil.

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Ten Lego kits transformed into autonomous robotic vehicles will gather, with their high school student masters, on Saturday, May 21 at the Smithsonian for the 2011 national championship of the Institute of Navigation Mini-Urban Challenge.

It all happens from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Spark!Lab and first floor of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation on the National Mall.

Ten Lego kits transformed into autonomous robotic vehicles will gather, with their high school student masters, on Saturday, May 21 at the Smithsonian for the 2011 national championship of the Institute of Navigation Mini-Urban Challenge.

It all happens from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Spark!Lab and first floor of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation on the National Mall.

This year, the challenge attracted 500 students from 50 high schools. Ten teams made it through five regional competitions in California, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio and Washington DC. They will compete for cash awards for first, second and third place in the final round.

The high schools that took the top three prizes in 2010 return to the finals this year. They are Florida’s Pace High School, with the first and third place teams, and second place winner Parkway High School from Bossier City, Louisiana. All of the other eight contenders are competing for the first time.

The teams have designed and operated an autonomous vehicle using using the LEGO Mindstorm NXT kit operating system, software, motors, cables, a battery, lamps and building bricks as well as light and color sensors, touch sensors and an ultrasonic sensor. (And their teachers weren’t allowed to write any code!)

In Washington, the teams will get their first look at a map of the 420 square foot LEGO city 45 minutes before their vehicle enters it.

They’ll have 45 minutes to navigate the course, and it won’t be easy — the robot will face mandatory stops in assigned parking spaces, curved roads, intersections, and a strict speed limit.

After that, the robots get to rest, but the students have to present a cogent 30 minute report that counts for 30 percent of the score.

The ten regional finalists are from:
• Aurora High School, Aurora, Ohio
• Fairfax High School, Fairfax, Virginia
• Hagerty High School, Oviedo, Florida
• Knight High School, Palmdale, California
• Pace High School, Pace, Florida
• Parkway High School, Bossier City, Louisiana
• Walkersville High School, Walkersville, Maryland
• West High School, Torrance, California
• Westerville North High School, Westerville, Ohio
• West Monroe High School, West Monroe, Louisiana

The Lemelson Center is part of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, located on the National Mall at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the competition, each student team will spend time in Spark!Lab working with visitors on simple robotics projects.

This is the third year for Mini-Urban Challenge. It is co-sponsored by the Institute of Navigation and the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate (AFRL) as part of their effort to interest more young people in science, technology and math —especially satellite navigation engineering and technology.

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