A General Dynamics Robotics Systems-led consortium of eight academic and corporate leaders in robotic technologies has been awarded a $63 million five-year research agreement by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to create the technical foundation supporting development of autonomous unmanned air and ground systems.This agreement also has a second five-year option worth $67 million, and a parallel technology-transition contract valued at up to $90 million to facilitate transition of technology to other government programs. Taken together, the entire effort has a potential value of $220 million.
General Dynamics Robotic Systems is the Integration Lead Organization responsible for integrating the broad palette of technology required to create future highly autonomous unmanned systems and leading the transition of this technology to advanced development and acquisition programs. The robotics consortium members include: Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Central Florida, Florida A&M University, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech University, QinetiQ North America, and Boston Dynamics.
I think it would be more correct to say FAMU has a right to propose research projects which support whatever deliverable is associated with this consortium. The consortium has up to 63 million dollars to do something.
ReplyDeleteThat means that FAMU will probably receive nothing because General Dynamics and Carnegie Mellon will call the shots. Probably Carnegie Mellon won't get much either. The army wants deliverable systems in quantity universities produce students and research. They do not make and sell weapons or anything else except maybe tea-shirts.