NSF and Federal Partners Award $37M To Advance Nation's Co-robots (nsf.gov)

aarondubrow writes: Today, the National Science Foundation, in partnership with the DoD, NASA, NIH, and USDA, announced $37 million in new awards to spur the development and use of co-robots — robots that work cooperatively with people. From unmanned vehicles that can inspect and fix ailing infrastructure to co-robots that can collaborate with workers on manufacturing tasks, scientists and engineers are developing the next generation of robots that can handle critical tasks in close proximity to humans, providing for unprecedented safety and resilience. This year, the initiative funded 66 new research proposals to 49 distinct institutions in 27 states.

Comments

Splattered Heads

[JimSadler]

Back in 1985, I dealt with a large number of robotic arms. We had numerous safety features, but the foolish can defeat any safety system. Most of the arms weighed about 300 lbs and could move about the same speed as the tip of a gulf club. These units went to universities to train engineers and scientists. Other firms also supplied robots to the education industry. My understanding is that more than one head exploded upon contact with a fast moving robot arm.