A Subject Resource Guide on Robotics

INFO 674

Mary Gardner

August 23, 2009

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................4

CLASSIFICATION.........................................................................................................4

REFERENCE RESOURCES..............................................................................................5

BIBLIOGRAPHIES........................................................................................................5

DICTIONARIES.............................................................................................................5

ENCYCLOPEDIAS........................................................................................................5

HANDBOOKS................................................................................................................6

PATENTS – UNITED STATES.....................................................................................6

PATENTS – FOREIGN..................................................................................................7

RESEARCH RESOURCES................................................................................................7

ABSTRACTING & INDEXING TOOLS.......................................................................7

BOOKS/MONOGRAPHS...............................................................................................8

JOURNALS.....................................................................................................................9

NEWSLETTERS...........................................................................................................14

TECHNICAL REPORTS..............................................................................................14

CONFERENCES & MEETINGS.................................................................................15

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS................................................................................16

ASSOCIATIONS & SOCIETIES.................................................................................17

GOVERNMENT RESEARCH CENTERS...................................................................18

UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CENTERS.......................................................................20

ONLINE AND MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES................................................................21

INFORMATIONAL WEBSITES.................................................................................21

INTERNET DISCUSSION SITES / BLOGS...............................................................22

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MULTIMEDIA.............................................................................................................22

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INTRODUCTION

Robotics is a field that has moved quite literally from science fiction to reality. The term “robot” was coined by Czech playwright Karel Capek in his 1921 play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots). Over the next century, popular works such as Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot trilogy, the Star Trek television show, and the Star Wars movies further lodged the of notion of anthropomorphic machines into our collective imagination. During this same time period, advances such as the modern electronic computer and sensor technology were paving the way for the development of real industrial robots. By the 1960’s, the first robots that could be programmed to respond to external sensory information were being developed at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory. In the 40 years since, robots have been developed to perform an astonishing number of tasks that humans either cannot, or would rather not, perform. Exploring volcanoes, identifying and disposing of hazardous materials, clearing land mines, entering collapsed buildings to look for survivors are just a few of these “dirty, dangerous, and dull” tasks that robots now undertake for our benefit.

This research guide is intended for use by students at the undergraduate level or above with a limited knowledge of robotics. It is intended to provide the novice researcher with a starting point for further exploration of the field. Robotics is a multidisciplinary research area encompassing aspects of mechanical, electrical, and electronic engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, and mathematics. The breadth of the field makes the compilation of a comprehensive research guide for robotics difficult, if not impossible. To limit the scope of this guide, only resources with robotics as the main topic were included, except where only interdisciplinary resources are available (e.g. abstracting and indexing resources).

CLASSIFICATION

Main Library of Congress Subject Headings and Classification Numbers:

Robots; Robotics TJ210.2 – TJ211.495Robotics—Bibliography Z5853.R58Robotics—Military applications UG450Robotics in medicine    R857.R63Robot industry HD9696.R62-.R624Robots, Industrial TS191.8

Dewey Decimal System:Robots; Robotics 629.892Robots, Industrial 670.4272Robot industry 338.47629892

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REFERENCE RESOURCES

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Benne, P.J. (2002). Robotics: A bibliography with indexes. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science.

Focuses on the book literature, with access through author, subject, and title indexes.

Garoogian, A. (1984). Robotics, 1960-1983: An annotated bibliography. Brooklyn, N.Y.: CompuBibs.

DICTIONARIES

Paley, S.M. (1993). Illustrated dictionary of robotics: English, German, French, Russian. Paris. La Maison du dictionnaire.

Rosenberg, J.M. (1986). Dictionary of artificial intelligence and robotics. New York: Wiley.

Tver, D.F. & Bolz, R.W. (1983). Robotics sourcebook and dictionary. New York: Industrial Press.

Waldman, H. (1985). Dictionary of robotics. New York: Macmillan, London: Collier Macmillan.

ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Dorf, R.C. & Nof, S.Y. (1988). International encyclopedia of robotics: applications and automation. New York: Wiley.

Gibilisco, S. (2002). Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics. New York: McGraw Hill.

Useful reference for beginning students and hobbyists. Over 400 brief articles explaining basic concepts and terminology. Recommended by Choice.

Gibilisco, S. (1994). The McGraw-Hill illustrated encyclopedia of artificial intelligence and robotics. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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HANDBOOKS

Kurfess, T.R. (2005). Robotics and automation handbook. Boca Raton.: CRC Press.

Nof, S. Y. (Ed.) (1999). Handbook of industrial robotics (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley.

Somewhat dated but still useful. Covers topics in the theory, design, control, and applications of robotics, with a large glossary.

Siciliano, B. & Khatib, O. (Eds.). (2008). Springer Handbook of Robotics. New York: Springer.

“[A] very large and truly encyclopedic work, covering all aspects of robotics from fundamental principles to applications. It should be an immensely valuable reference for students and practitioners of robotics for many years to come." (George A. Bekey, IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, September, 2008). Winner of the 2008 American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) Award for Excellence in Physical Sciences & Mathematics.

PATENTS – UNITED STATESThe main U.S. patent classification for robots is Class 901 – Robotshttp://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/uspc901/defs901.htm#C901S001000 See Section III – References to Other Classes - to determine which other patent classes should be searched for additional information.

United States Patent and Trademark Officehttp://patft.uspto.gov/

Can be searched by patent number, or by key word using the Quick or Advanced Search options, with certain limitations for patents issued from 1790 through 1975. Full text is available from 1976 and full page images from 1790.

Other sources to search for U.S. patents:

Google Patent Search (Beta)http://www.google.com/patents

Basic search by key word or patent number, or Advanced Patent Search function which includes limiters such as Document Status, Patent Type, Issue Date, or Filing Date.

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www.pat2pdf.org

Enter a U.S. patent number to obtain the patent in PDF format.

PATENTS – FOREIGN

Canadian Intellectual Property Officehttp://brevets-patents.ic.gc.ca/opic-cipo/cpd/eng/introduction.html

European Patent Officehttp://www.espacenet.com/

Japan Patent Officehttp://www.jpo.go.jp/

RESEARCH RESOURCES

ABSTRACTING & INDEXING TOOLS

ABI/INFORM GlobalSubscription service from ProQuest. Provides citations with abstracts, and full-text where available for articles in over 1000 business and science periodicals including trade journals, newsletters, and specialized newspapers. Coverage begins in 1971.

CompendexComprehensive subscription bibliographic database of scientific and technical engineering research, covering all engineering disciplines.

IEEE ExploreContains full text documents from IEEE books, journals, transactions, magazines, letters, conference proceedings, standards, and IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) publications. Most content available from 1988, with select content dating as far back as 1948. Browsable and searchable, with advanced search capabilities including field or full text key word and phrase searching, and Boolean operators.

INSPECSubscription database providing citations and abstracts, plus full text where available, for journal articles and conference proceedings in subject areas of electrical, electronic, and control engineering, physics,

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information technology, communications, computers, computing, and manufacturing and production engineering. Coverage begins in 1896.

ISI Web of ScienceSubscription service providing citations and abstracts, plus full text where available, for journal articles and conference proceedings for all areas of science. Coverage begins in 1980.

Wilson Applied Science & Technology Abstracts (Dialog File 99)“Provides comprehensive abstracting and indexing of more than 400 core English-language scientific and technical publications . . . includ[ing] trade and industrial publications, journals issued by professional and technical societies, and specialized subject periodicals, as well as special issues such as buyers' guides, directories, and conference proceedings. . . .Types of materials indexed include feature articles, interviews, obituaries, biographies, speeches, and product evaluations.” Indexing coverage begins in 1983; abstracts are available from March 1993. Updated monthly.

BOOKS/MONOGRAPHSThis list is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to highlight a few recent, well-reviewed books that provide broad coverage of an important topic in robotics, or robotics in general.

Bekey, G.A. (2005). Autonomous robots: From biological inspiration to implemen-tation and control. Cambridge,MA: MIT Press.

Suitable for academic use and as a reference book. Surveys applications and implementations of autonomous robots and examines the underlying technology, including control, architectures, learning, manipulation, grasping, navigation, and mapping.

Choset, H. M., Lynch, K.M., Hutchison, S., Kantor, G., Burgard, W., Kavraki, L.E., et al. (2005). Principles of robot motion: Theory, algorithms, and implementation. Intelligent robotics and autonomous agents. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Intended for advanced undergraduates or new graduate students with an interest in robotics motion. The text “makes the mathematical underpinnings of robot motion accessible to students of computer science and engineering, relating low-level implementation details to high-level algorithmic concepts.” (from the book abstract)

Mataric, M.J. (2007). The robotics primer (Intelligent robotics and autonomous agents). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

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Intended for a broad audience, in both academic and non-academic settings. Covers topics such as the definition of robots, the history of robotics, components, locomotion, controls, learning, and the future of the filed, including ethical considerations. A Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2008.

Nocks, L. (2007). The robot: The life story of a technology. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.

Recommended for upper-level undergraduates through faculty, as well as general readers. A “biography” of the robot, covering the entire history of the technology from its roots in mythology through the present, along with its effects on our society and culture. A Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2007.

Siegwart, R. & Nourbakhsh, I.R. (2004). Introduction to autonomous mobile ro-bots. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Intended as a textbook or a working tool for newcomers to robotics. “An overview of the technology of mobility--the mechanisms that allow a mobile robot to move through a real world environment to perform its tasks--including locomotion, sensing, localization, and motion planning.” (from the book abstract)

Thrun, S, Burgard, W, & Fox, D. (2005). Probabilistic robotics. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Probabilistic robotics is concerned with perception and control in uncertain situations. Each chapter includes example implementations in pseudo code, detailed mathematical derivations, discussions from a practitioner’s perspective, and exercises and projects. Supplementary materials are available at the book’s web site: http://www.probabilistic-robotics.org.

JOURNALS

Advanced RoboticsPublisher: Published jointly by Brill and the Robotics Society of JapanFrequency: 15 issues/yearEstablished: 1986Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://www.rsj.or.jp/AR/index_e.html

Electronic Issues Available At:

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http://brill.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/vsp/arb

Official journal of the Robotics Society of Japan. An international, interdisciplinary journal publishing original research papers and review papers on analysis, theory, design, development, implementation and use of robots and robot technology, along with aspects of social and managerial analysis and policy regarding robots.

Autonomous RobotsPublisher: Springer NetherlandsFrequency: Irregular, 6-8 issues/yearEstablished: 1994Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://www.springer.com/computer/artificial/journal/10514

Electronic Issues Available At:http://www.springerlink.com/content/0929-5593

Focuses on papers on theory and applications of robotic systems capable of movement and some degree of self-sufficiency. Coverage includes topics such as real-time vision, terrain mapping and recognition, self-calibration and repair, self-reproducing intelligent structures, and much more.

IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine (IEEE RAM)Publisher: IEEE Robotics and Automation SocietyFrequency: QuarterlyEstablished: 1994Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://www.ieee-ras.org/ram

Electronic Issues Available At:http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=100

Focuses on robotics and automation technology as applied to real-world systems. As noted on the magazine’s web page, IEEE RAM was established “to provide a forum for publications which lay between the academic and theoretical orientation of scholarly journals . . . and the vendor sponsored trade publications.” Ranked by Thompson Journal of Citation Reports as one of the top four Robotics publications world-wide.

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IEEE Transactions on Robotics (formerly IEEE Journal of Robotics and Automation (1985-1988) and IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation (1989-2004)

Publisher: IEEE Robotics and Automation SocietyFrequency: Bi-monthlyEstablished: 1985Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://www.ieee-ras.org/tro

Electronic Issues Available At:http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=8860

“Covers both theory and applications on topics including: kinematics, dynamics, control, and simulation of robots and intelligent machines and systems; design of robotic mechanisms; man-machine interface and integration; motion and manipulation; robotics-related computer hardware, software, and architectures; linkage to computer-aided engineering; robotics in manufacturing and flexible automation; robotics and automation in less structured environments; vision and other non-contact sensory systems; and tactile and other contact sensory technology.” (see web page). Most-cited journal in robotics according to the Institute for Scientific Information’s Journal Citation Report.

Industrial RobotPublisher: Emerald Group PublishingFrequency: Bi-monthlyEstablished: 1973Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://info.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=ir

Electronic Issues Available At:http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewContainer.do?containerType=Journal&containerId=10674

Peer-reviewed articles about robots in industrial settings including the automotive and plastic industries, military applications, farming, and health care/medical robots.

International Journal of Humanoid RoboticsPublisher: World Scientific PublishingFrequency: QuarterlyEstablished: 2004

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Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://www.worldscinet.com/ijhr/ijhr.shtml

Electronic Issues Available At:http://www.worldscinet.com/ijhr/ijhr.shtml

Relatively new journal “dedicated to advancing new theories, new techniques, and new implementations contributing to the successful achievement of future robots which not only imitate human beings, but also serve human beings.”

International Journal of Robotics ResearchPublisher: Sage PublicationsFrequency: MonthlyEstablished: 1982Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://www.sagepub.com/journalsProdDesc.nav?prodId=Journal201324

Electronic Issues Available At:http://ijr.sagepub.com/

Supplementary Material (video clips, charts, graphs, models, programs, etc.) Available At:http://www.ijrr.org/

Peer-reviewed, scholarly articles on current research in robotics, including applied mathematics, artificial intelligence, computer science, and electrical and mechanical engineering.

Journal of Field Robotics (formerly Journal of Robotics Systems)Publisher: Wiley PeriodicalsFrequency: 12 issues/yearEstablished: 1984Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117946193/grouphome/home.html

Electronic Issues Available At:http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117946193/grouphome/

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home.html

Focuses on experimental robotics. Publishes scholarly articles of both theoretical and practical significance, dealing with the fundamentals of robotics in dynamic and unstructured environments such as mining, subsea, construction, forestry, military and space.

Journal of Intelligent and Robotic SystemsPublisher: Springer NetherlandsFrequency: 15 issues/yearEstablished: 1988Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://www.springer.com/engineering/robotics/journal/10846

Electronic Issues Available At:http://www.springerlink.com/content/0921-0296

Publishes original, peer-reviewed papers on theoretical and practical aspects of intelligent systems and robotics, including topics such as multi-robot systems, underwater robots, aerial vehicles, sensor-based controls, and industrial robotic systems.

RoboticaPublisher: Cambridge University PressFrequency: Bi-monthlyEstablished: 1983Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=ROB

Electronic Issues Available At:http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=ROB

Official journal of the International Federation of Robotics. “Coverage includes activities in hostile environments, applications in the service and manufacturing industries, biological robotics, dynamics and kinematics involved in robot design and uses, on-line robots, robot task planning, rehabilitation robotics, sensory perception, software in the widest sense, particularly in respect of programming languages and links with CAD/CAM systems, telerobotics and various other areas.”

Robotics and Autonomous SystemsPublisher: ElsevierFrequency: Monthly

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Established: 1984Format(s): Print and electronic

Web Page:http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505622/description#description

Electronic Issues Available At:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09218890

Affiliated with the Intelligent Autonomous Systems Society. Carries articles describing fundamental developments in the field of robotics with special emphasis on autonomous systems.

NEWSLETTERS

RRSD Newshttp://rrsd.ans.org/pages/newsletters.html

Newsletter for the American Nuclear Society Robotics and Remote Systems Division.

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) Onlinehttp://www.dtic.mil/dtic/index.html

Provides citations and full-text (when available) access to unclassified research reports generated for and by the United States Department of Defense from early 1900’s to the present. Choose “Technical Reports” option in drop-down box on the DTIC home page, or click “Technical Reports” box on the “More Search Options” page, to search by key word or phrase in Title, Author, or Full Record. Several sort options are available, along with other display options.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp

Citations, full-text online documents, images, and videos dating from 1915 to the present, including patents, conference papers, journal articles, meeting papers, research papers, and technical videos. Browsable in reverse chronological order, and searchable by keyword and phrase in several fields.

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National Technical Information Service (NTIS)http://www.ntis.gov/search/index.aspx

Citations, full-text online documents, images, and videos dating from 1915 to the present, including patents, conference papers, journal articles, meeting papers, research papers, and technical videos. Browsable in reverse chronological order, and searchable by keyword and phrase in several fields.

Robotics Institute Technical Reportshttp://www.ri.cmu.edu/publication_techreports.html?menu_id=381

Citations and abstracts of technical reports published by the Robotics Institute since 1980. Most reports are also available in full text in PDF format. Searchable by year, date range, and keyword (in Subject, Author, Title, and Abstract fields).

CONFERENCES & MEETINGSOnce again, this is not intended to be a comprehensive list. Included are a few of the more important or well-known robotics conferences that are held each year.

International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR)http://www.icar2009.org/index/

Sponsored by the German Robotics Society and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. The 2009 conference was built on the theme of “able robots,” and solicited papers addressing the ideas of capable, affordable, measurable, and dependable robots.

International Conference on Field and Service Robotics (FSR)http://www.ifrr.org/fsr.php

Series of bi-annual conferences established in 1997 and held in Asian, American, and European locations successively. Sponsored by the International Foundation of Robotics Research to report and encourage the development of field and service robotics.

International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)http://www.iros.org/

Series of annual conferences established in 1988 and sponsored by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, the Robotics Society of Japan, the Society of Instruments and Control Engineers, and New Technology Foundation.

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International Symposium of Experimental Robotshttp://www.ifrr.org/iser.php

Series of bi-annual conferences established in 1989 and sponsored by the International Foundation of Robotics Research to provide a forum for experimental robotics research. The meeting is single-track and the number of papers presented is small to allow maximum interaction between participants.

International Symposium of Robotics Research (IFRR)http://www.ifrr.org/isrr.php

Series of bi-annual symposia established in 1986 and sponsored by the International Foundation of Robotics Research. Open to all areas of robotics research.

International Symposium on Robotics (ISR)http://www.ifr.org/events/isr/

Series of annual symposia established in 1970 and sponsored by the International Federation of Robotics “to provide opportunities for researchers and engineers worldwide to present their pioneering works and to share ideas in the fields of Robotics.”

Robotics: Science and Systems Conference (RSS)http://www.ifrr.org/rss.php

Series of annual single-track conferences established in 2005 and sponsored by the International Foundation of Robotics Research. RSS “brings together researchers working on algorithmic or mathematical foundations of robotics, robotics applications, and analysis of robotic systems.”

Workshop on the Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics (WAFR)http://www.wafr.org/

Series of bi-annual single-track workshops established in 1994 and sponsored by the International Foundation of Robotics Research. WAFR focuses on algorithm development and analysis rather than on specific problems or applications.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGSProceedings for many of the conferences listed above are available at the conference website listed below the conference name. Here are some additional

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sources for conference proceedings:

IEEE Xplorehttp://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conferences.jsp

IEEE and IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) conference proceedings from 1988 with select IEEE content dating from the 1950’s. Content is updated weekly, with email alerts and RSS feed available. Full text PDF documents can be browsed and searched with sophisticated Advanced Search and pilot CrossRef search options available.

ISI Web of ScienceSubscription service. Conference Proceedings Citations Index – Science database covers conference literature in all scientific and technical fields. Provided by Thompson Reuters.

Proceedings First Subscription service. Worldwide, multidisciplinary index to published conferences, workshops, symposia, and other meetings held by the British Library Document Supply Centre. Coverage from 1993. Provided by FirstSearch/OCLC. Also available through Dialog file 65 "Inside Conferences".

ASSOCIATIONS & SOCIETIES

IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS)http://www.ieee-ras.org/

Established in 1987 as the successor to the IEEE Robotics and Automation Council. Interests encompass both applied and theoretical issues in robotics. RAS “strives for the advancement of the theory and practice of robotics and automation engineering and science and of the allied arts and sciences, and for the maintenance of high professional standards among its members”

International Federation of Robotics (IFR)http://www.ifr.org/

Established in 1987 “to promote and strengthen the robotics industry worldwide, to protect its business interests, [and] to cause public awareness about robotics technologies”

International Foundation of Robotics Research (IFRR)http://www.ifrr.org/

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Established in 1986 “to promote the development of robotics as a scientific field establishing the theoretical foundations and technology basis for its ever expanding applications, with emphasis on its potential role to benefit humans.” IFRR’s main activity is to provide the robotics research community with a forum devoted to all aspects of robotic research by sponsoring several series of symposia.

Laboratory Robotics Interest Group (LRIG)http://lab-robotics.org/

Special interest group focusing on laboratory automation, with a majority of members from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Robotics and Remote Systems Division (RRSD) of the American Nuclear Societyhttp://rrsd.ans.org/

Founded in 1960 as the Hot Laboratories Division, the current name was adopted in 1992. Areas of technical interest include mobile robots, industrial robots, manipulators, inspection and maintenance, reprocessing and fuel fabrication, computer vision, and artificial intelligence.

Robotics Industry Association (RIA)http://www.robotics.org/index.cfm

Trade group organized in 1974 to serve the robotics industry. Members include robot manufacturers, researchers, users, component suppliers, systems integrators, and consulting firms.

The Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ)http://www.rsj.or.jp/index_e.html

Founded in 1983 to “promot[e] progress in academic fields and provid[e] specialists with a venue for announcing their research and exchanging technical information.” RSJ publishes two journals, presents robotics seminars and holds and sponsors several conferences and symposia.

GOVERNMENT RESEARCH CENTERS

For a more complete list of government and university research centers, see The Robot Report Directory of Educational and Research Facilities:

http://www.therobotreport.com/index.php/educational_research_facility

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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)http://www.darpa.mil/index.html

DARPA is home to many robotics research and development projects, including the Urban Ops Hopper, a hopping robot, and the Multi-Dimensional Mobility Robot, using serpentine mobility. DARPA also provides a great deal of funding to other entities for robotics research.

The Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center (ISRC, Sandia National Laboratorieshttp://www.sandia.gov/isrc/home.html

Robotics research and development for DARPA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. industry partners, focusing on economic competitiveness, engineered collectives, high consequence system integration, intelligent systems modeling and simulation, and robotic vehicles.

Mobility and Robotics Systems Section 347 of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at California Institute of Technologyhttp://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

JPL’s 100+ robotics engineers work on all aspects of robotics for space exploration and related terrestrial applications. The web site includes information on JPL robotics projects, publications, patents, awards, personnel, facilities, and video and image galleries.

NASA Ames Autonomous Systems and Roboticshttp://ti.arc.nasa.gov/tech/asr/

Research groups include Adaptive Control and Evolvable Systems, Control Agent Architectures, Deployable Autonomy Technologies, Intelligent Robotics, and Planning and Scheduling Systems.

Robotics at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacifichttp://www.nosc.mil/robots/

Robotics research and development dating back the 1960’s, currently organized into two groups: the Unmanned Systems Branch developing land, air, and sea surface robots; and the Ocean Systems Division, developing underwater robots.

Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robots at the University of Wisconsin, Madisonhttp://wcsar.engr.wisc.edu/

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Founded by NASA in 1986 “to develop state-of-the-art robotics and automation technologies that will benefit NASA’s Space Exploration Vision, national defense needs, and commercial applications, thereby contributing to an improved quality of life on Earth.”

UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CENTERS

The Center for Biologically Inspired Robotics Research at Case Western Universityhttp://biorobots.cwru.edu/

Research focuses on advancing the field of robotics using insights gained from the study of biological mechanisms.

The Center for Robotics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)http://robotics.csail.mit.edu/

Much of the Center for Robotics’ research is based on an approach to robotics as a partner to biology and neuroscience in testing biological theories and answering fundamental questions such as why humans and animals walk efficiently, or how insect swarms construct objects. Research groups include the Robot Locomotion Group, the Living Breathing Robots group, and the Robotics, Vision, and Sensor Networks group.

The Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems (CRES) at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineeringhttp://cres.usc.edu/Home/

“CRES projects span the areas of service, humanoid, distributed, reconfigurable, space, and nano robotics and impact a broad spectrum of applications, including assistance, training and rehabilitation, education, environmental monitoring and cleanup, emergency response, homeland security, and entertainment.” CRES was established in 2002.

The Center for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at Georgia Tech University (RIM@Georgia Tech)http://www.rim.gatech.edu/

RIM@Georgia Tech emphasizes education, and basic and applied research in robotics, with a focus on personal and everyday robotics, and the future of automation. Multidisciplinary research is carried out in over a dozen different laboratories, including the Intelligent Machines Dynamics Laboratory, the Human Automation Systems Laboratory, the Mobile Robot

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Lab, and the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Research Facility. RIM@Georgia was established in 2006.

The Robotics Institute (RI) at Carnegie Mellon Universityhttp://www.ri.cmu.edu/index.html

RI was established in 1979 “to conduct basic and applied research in robotics technologies relevant to industrial and societal tasks.” Today, “over 50 full-time faculty are continually advancing the state-of-the-art in a diversity of robotics-related fields, including space-robotics, computer graphics, medical robotics, computer vision, artificial intelligence, and many others.” RI currently has 8 research centers: The Center for Integrated Manufacturing Decision Systems (CIMDS); the Center for the Foundations of Robotics (CFR); the Field Robotics Center (FRC); the Magnetic Levitation Haptic Consortium (MLHC); the Medical Robotics Technology Center (MRTC); the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC); and the Quality of Life Technology Center (QoLT).

Robotics Research Group (RRG) at The University of Texas, Austinhttp://www.robotics.utexas.edu/rrg/

Established in 1985, the RRG conducts basic and applied research in open architecture intelligent machine technology, primarily focused on robotics. RRG’s three main research threads are: development of high-performance modular actuators; development of high-dexterity and precision robotic manipulators, along with associated software; and development of integrated workcells and software for workcell integration and operation.

The Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab (SAIL)http://ai.stanford.edu/

Areas of robotics research at SAIL include robotics and bio-informatics, machine learning and robotics, and haptics.

ONLINE AND MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES

INFORMATIONAL WEBSITES

Robotics Onlinehttp://www.robotics.org/index.cfm

Industrial robotics web site maintained by the Robotics Industry Association. Includes technical papers case studies, news, blogs, videos,

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articles, industry statistics, a who’s who directory, and much more.

The Robot Reporthttp://www.therobotreport.com/

News, and useful directories of various aspects of the business of robotics.

Robotics Trendshttp://www.roboticstrends.com/

“An online news, information and analysis portal focused on business and technology trends for people who build, buy, invest in, and seek to understand the personal, service, mobile and military robotics market.” A division of EH Publishing, Inc. established in 2003.

Robots Among Ushttp://www.scientificamerican.com/report.cfm?id=Robots%20IDR

2009 ScientificAmerican.com in-depth report.

INTERNET DISCUSSION SITES / BLOGS

Robot Caféhttp://www.robotcafe.com/

Well-regarded web site including robotics news, discussion forums, directories of products, companies, competitions, organizations, resources, and more.

Robots.nethttp://www.robots.net/

A multiple-award-winning robotics news and discussion web site maintained by current and past members of the Dallas Personal Robotics Group. Includes blogs, list of member projects with links, and a current and extensive list of robot competitions.

MULTIMEDIA

Robotics Institute Videoshttp://www.ri.cmu.edu/news_video.html?menu_id=387

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Videos of Robotics Institute (RI) and Vision and Autonomous Systems Center (VASC) seminars, along with videos of current projects.

Robotics Research Group Learn More Multimedia Listinghttp://www.robotics.utexas.edu/rrg/learn_more/multi_listing/

Videos on various aspects of robotics, including hand grasping, obstacle avoidance, path planning, and coffee making.