Robot Reviews

Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) issued a press release announcing that the US Navy granted them a $19M contract for engineering, management, and technical services in relation to the Navy's autonomous undersea vehicles.

These services will be rendered specifically to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC). NUWC is one of the corporate laboratories of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the largest of five systems commands under the US Navy. 

The folks at NUWC are in charge of the research, development, test and evaluation, as well as engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous undersea vehicles, and other weapons systems related to warfare under the surface of the ocean. This project is for the NUWC's Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (AUV) Engineering Facility in Newport, Rhode Island.

The contract covers a one year base period of performance. The NUWC can then opt to proceed with four one-year options, which will then amount to the said $19 M.

Last month, NAVSEA awarded a $13.5 M contract to iRobot for their PackBot MTRS robots. Aside from the robots themselves, that deal included spare parts, accessories, and repair services, among others.

Some highly ranked officials in the military, like Fort Hood commander Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, recognize the urgency of integrating autonomous robots into battlefield operations. They strongly believe that the presence of autonomous robots, although expensive, can trim down the loss of human lives. 

Underwater robots like AUVs and ROVs have proven to be very effective in civilian operations like in the oil and gas industry, marine science, hydro engineering, and many others. From last week alone, we were able to collect five stories related to underwater robots.

SAIC is a Fortune 500 company that specializes in solving mission critical problems through their expertise and innovative application of existing technologies. 

SAIC will provide NUWC with a plethora of services ranging from software programming, design, and development to information systems management and program documentation. They will also provide technical support in areas involving modeling, simulations, analysis, and assessment, to mention some.