April 2005

NIST to host public forum on robot standards

Urban search and rescue robots capable of locating victims at disaster sites are entering the marketplace. To hasten development and deployment of this life-saving technology, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will host a public forum on robot standards from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 13, at NIST's Gaithersburg, Md., campus.

The meeting will explore ideas and timelines for standards related to urban rescue robot development, testing and certification. Penrose Albright, DHS Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security for Plans, Programs, and Budgets, will provide the keynote address. Participants will consider urban search and rescue robotic performance standards for sensing, mobility, navigation, planning, integration and operator control. Discussions also will address ways emergency responders, robot vendors and technology developers can collaborate to advance consensus standards for task specific robot capabilities and interoperability of components. DHS expects to use final standards to provide guidance to local, state and federal homeland security entities for the purchase, deployment and use of urban search and rescue robotic systems.

Attendees at the May 13 forum are expected to include robot platform vendors; robot peripherals and software providers; sensor (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive) providers; researchers working on robotic components, platforms and algorithms; government agencies working on applicable robotic technologies and sensors; federal, state and local responders and response agencies; and testing and evaluation sites and laboratories.

For further information, visit the conference Web site at www.isd.mel.nist.gov/US&R_Robot_Standards or contact Elena Messina at (301) 975-3235 or at [email protected].