Robots headed out to sea

Lucas, a dexterous, social robot created by the Naval Research Laboratory, is used to study human–robot interaction and to develop cognitive robotic systems. The NRL opened the Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research (LASR) on its campus in Washington, DC, in March.

Alan Schultz, LASR director, says the 4645-square-meter facility, which cost nearly $18 million to build, offers navy researchers artificial environments in which to develop and test new robotic systems. An onsite rainforest is capable of producing up to six inches of rain per hour, a water tank can generate waves, and a desert produces sandstorms. Among the projects currently under development in LASR is a firefighting robot designed to move autonomously throughout a ship, interact with crew members, and handle dangerous firefighting duties that are otherwise done by humans.

Other features of LASR include a three-dimensional sound system for simulating battle conditions and an onsite machine shop with a 3D printer. But Schultz says that LASR is available only for military work: “We’ve already turned people down who wanted to rent us out.”