Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (CTA)

The U.S. Army is currently involved in preliminary discussions on the possibility of establishing a new Collaborative Technology Alliance (CTA) in the area of Robotics. The Army envisions this alliance will bring together government, industrial, and academic institutions to address some of the fundamental scientific and technological underpinnings to enable the future deployment of highly autonomous unmanned systems, including ground, air, and surface vehicles, on the battlefield. The technical areas of interest include (1) perception, (2) intelligence, (3) human-robot interaction, (4) dexterous manipulation and unique mobility, and (5) integrated performance.

Contingent upon available funding, the Army expects to support the Robotics alliance for five years with an option for an additional five years at approximately eleven million dollars per year. The Army expects to invite interested consortia from industry and academia to submit proposals in connection with the program in the next few months.

UPDATE AS OF 29 JANUARY 2009! Here is the Model Cooperative Agreement for the Robotics CTA.