Software helps assemble control systems

If you've ever seen a robot maneuver into position and retrieve a bomb, then you're on track for understanding the importance of Sandia National Lab's modular architecture for robotics and teleoperation (SMART). "Smart is a software tool for assembling control systems in a modular fashion," says Phil Bennett, the project leader at Sandia responsible for SMART.

Bennett is working with a robot from REMOTEC (Oak Ridge, TN) and creating a wheeled police unit that makes how-to decisions on it's own, freeing it's operator to make critical "what to do next" decisions during dangerous bomb disablement operations. The robot makes repetitive decisions, like how to move through doors or down hallways.

SMART's applications include situations where quick control configuration is required for a movement that is performed once or performed differently every time, such as clean-up of hazardous materials or the removal of debris in an emergency situation.

For more information, visit Sandia's Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center at www.sandia.gov/isrc. For licensing inquiries, contact Sandia's Business Manager Ray Shaum at [email protected].