RE2, a developer of Intelligent Modular Manipulation Systems, has declared that the Office of Naval Research has awarded a three year $1.1 million Broad Agency Announcement Contract (BAA) for developing a dual-arm robotic controller for operations involving Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD).
These robotic systems would incorporate two very dexterous arms containing added sensing powers such as force feedback. To utilize the advanced capacities of the robotic manipulators, the operator control station must also be upgraded simultaneously.
According to Dr. Patrick Rowe, who is RE2’s Vice President of R & D, a robotic manipulator could be effective, only if the operator has the capability to control it. This program’s chief goal was to endow the robot operators with the skill and capacity to perform complicated manipulation tasks, much above the current available levels. Jorgen Pedersen, the CEO and President of RE2 stated that the EOD operators have long been asking for dual armed and user friendly robots, and with this contract RE2 would use its expertise in robotic manipulation to find a solution to this challenge. He also revealed that this contract would help the company progress and grow.
Source: http://www.resquared.com