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"People today use computer networks to exchange data, but we'll be using this network to control robots at the four universities and the JSC labs from remote facilities,“ said Prof. Rui de Figueiredo, Rice researcher and consortium chairman. “The universities got together and approached NASA with the idea to better coordinate our efforts and areas of specialty. It's a logical arrangement.“ The four universities jointly presented the proposed consortium to NASA, where Charles R. Price, chief of the Robotic Systems Development Branch at JSC, suggested a computer link among the labs to study simultaneous control of multiple robots.
The universities' areas of expertise are complementary, and, in addition to space station maintenance studies, an evaluation of future robotics applications in space will be conducted by the consortium. The connected labs will allow NASA a flexibility to use research conducted by the schools in a way that has not been possible before.
"We can be of great benefit to the Space Station Freedom Program," de Figueiredo said. “And the importance of the work, along with its posture on the cutting edge of robotics, will provide a strong motivation and a sense of real accomplishment for our students."
“we're trying to create one large lab," Adams added. "It's good for the schools, the students get to work on something that has a direct application, and it's good for us -- NASA gets the benefits of their work."
De Figueiredo chairs the consortium and is the project's principal investigator at Rice; Prof. Delbert Tesar is UT's principal investigator; Prof. George Kondraske is UTA’s principal investigator; and Prof. Richard Volz is A&M's principal investigator.
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