Miniature autonomous robotic vehicles were developed in the mid-1990s and led to the creation of superminiature robots in 2001, which were selected by Time magazine as the invention of the year in robotics in 2001. Photo: Randy Montoya |
In a nod to Sandia National Laboratories’ contributions to
the field of robotics, the Smithsonian Institution has obtained nine of
Sandia’s historically significant robots for its permanent collection at the National
Museum of American History.
“For
the Smithsonian to request Sandia technology for their collections is an
external recognition of the significance of Sandia National Laboratories’ contributions
to the nation,” says Philip Heermann, senior manager of Sandia’s Intelligent
Systems, Robotics, and Cybernetics, and participant in the signing ceremony at
the museum. “The Smithsonian selected Sandia robots for inclusion after they
researched the history of robotics and they found worldwide references, all
pointing back to Sandia robotics as early pioneers.”
A
Smithsonian curator contacted Sandian and former robotics engineer Ray Byrne
earlier this year about obtaining some MARV robots, or Miniature Autonomous
Robotic Vehicles, that made headlines in the mid-1990s as one of the first
miniature robots developed in the U.S. Taking up no more than one cubic inch of
space, MARV housed all necessary power, sensors, computers, and controls on
board and held promise for exciting future applications for medicine and the
military.
Retired
Sandia robotic senior scientist Barry Spletzer, who was instrumental in
creating MARV and the leaping Hopper robot, spoke at the transfer ceremony
about the significance of the robots. “Nothing like MARV had ever been built
before,” Spletzer says. “We never expected recognition and certainly never
thought we’d end up in the Smithsonian. This is certainly a career
achievement.”
As
the Smithsonian soon found out, MARV was just the tip of the iceberg of
Sandia’s contributions to the advancement of the robotics field.
Sandia interior robot, or SIR, (left) was developed in 1985 and was one of the first truly autonomous interior robots; Dixie (upper right) was created in 1987 as one of the earliest battlefield scout robots; and Hopping Robots (lower right) are able to navigate autonomously onto or over obstacles. Photo: Randy Montoya |
“The
curator said they were looking for anything of historical significance. We have
a lot that fit that requirement, so I started mentioning all of these older
robots, and she was very interested,” Byrne says. “So far, we’ve donated Dixie, the first battlefield scout robot; SIR, one of the
first truly autonomous interior robots; the hopping robots; the NETBOTS; MARV;
and the descendants of MARV, the super-miniature robots.”
The
Sandia Interior Robot, or SIR, made a lasting impression on the nation when it
was introduced in 1985 as the first truly autonomous interior robot. At the
time, SIR was the only robot able to navigate a building without a
preprogrammed pathway or floor wiring to find its way. It could run in manual
or autonomous modes using navigational software, also developed at Sandia. SIR
could perform such dangerous work as disposing of radioactive waste or
gathering military intelligence in a hostile environment.
In
1987, Sandia unveiled Dixie, the first
battlefield scout robot. The all-terrain vehicle could perform reconnaissance
in a variety of landscapes. Dixie uses
teleoperation with advanced navigation aids to enhance a remote operator’s
understanding of surrounding terrain.
The
Hopper made history when it debuted in 2000
for its unique ability to hop 20 feet in the air over walls and other
obstacles. With applications for planetary exploration, gathering intelligence
in war, and assisting police during standoffs or surveillance operations, the
Hopper was the first robot powered by a combustion cylinder and a piston foot,
and the wheeled Hopper was the first hybrid hopping/wheeled mobility system.
Sandia
continued to wow the robotics field with the introduction of “superminature robots” in 2001. These tiny
robots, descended from MARV, are small enough to scramble through pipes or
buildings to look for human movement or chemical plumes. Less than ¼ cubic inch
in size, these robots could “turn on a dime and park on a nickel,” and could
include such enhancements as miniature cameras, microphones, communication
devices, and chemical microsensors. They could communicate with one another and
work together, much like insects in a swarm. The superminiature robots were
selected by Time magazine as the invention of the year in robotics in 2001.
The
related NETBOTS are roughly the size of a remote-controlled toy car and are
built on the same platform. With more than 20 vehicles in the group, at the
time, they comprised the largest team of cooperating small robots ever
developed. They could communicate with and locate one another. NETBOTS operated
on a network that allowed vehicles to pass messages and camera images to other
vehicles out of the line of sight, for such military applications as explosive
ordinance removal.
“These
are historically significant,” Byrne says. “I am pleased that the Smithsonian
has chosen to recognize Sandia’s contribution to robotics.”
