Research | News

U North Carolina Researchers Team with Industry Partner on Robotics

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 01/28/13

A North Carolina institution will be working with a robotics firm to advance the field of applied robotics for public security, healthcare, and search and rescue. The National Science Foundation Safety, Security, and Rescue Research Center (SSR-RC), based at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has signed a membership agreement with CoroWare Technologies, a technology company that produces custom robotics systems using open and commodity components.

The research center is one of several around the country that are part of a consortium of universities and companies that work together on areas of national interest. The other research centers are based at the University of Minnesota, U Pennsylvania, and U Denver. The specific focus for the Charlotte center will be to conduct multi-disciplinary research on the integration of robotic and sensor systems with data analysis to improve human safety, capability, and well-being.

"Working together, the UNC Charlotte SSR-RC and CoroWare can bring new and advanced technologies to market through cooperative product development," said Jing Xiao, professor of computer science and site director of the Charlotte center.

The company has also opened a robotics design and production facility in Charlotte to refine its robotics applicaton and development and manufacturing capabilities. According to Joe Daziel, CoroWare's business unit manager, Charlotte is an "ideal location" to open a robotics development center because the area has a "high concentration of science, technology, engineering, and medical researchers and industry partners." That facility is located in a non-profit development center run by the university as part of a commercial research park.