Collaborative Research: I/UCRC for Safety, Security, and Rescue Research

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0934327 University of Minnesota (UMN); Nikolas Papanikolopoulos 0934413 University of Denver (UD); Richard Voyles The purpose of this proposal is to renew and expand the Center for Center for Safety, Security and Rescue Research (SSR-RC) as an NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. This proposal is based upon UMN's successful completion of five years of operation of the SSR-RC; and the commitment by companies to join a research site at the University of Denver. UMN will be the lead research site for SSR-RC with the University of Pennsylvania (joined the Center a few years ago) and the University of Denver as research partners. This proposal covers the renewal for the second-five years of UMN and the expansion to include UD. The proposed Center will provide integrative robotics, sensing, and artificial intelligence solutions in robotics for activities conducted by the police, FBI, FEMA, transportation safety, and emergency response to mass casualty-related events. The Center is built upon the knowledge and expertise of multi-disciplinary researchers in computer science, engineering, human factors, and psychology at the three institutions. The renewed and expanded Center will be successful because it builds on existing strengths developed during the first five years of operation. The Center will also educate and train researchers for industry and government. The broader impact of the proposed center is to radically improve homeland defense in all dimensions. The proposed Center will encourage collaboration, and will nurture an emerging field of research and the associated industries, thus helping to establish the challenges of the field and acceptable research and evaluation methodologies. SSR-RC will expose students and faculty to state-of-the-art research projects of value to the industry, and plans to attract large companies to the SSR domains and energize innovative start-up companies. Students will have opportunities for industrial internships with members. Faculty in the SSR-RC will continue to aggressively recruit women and minority graduate students through the various I/UCRC supplemental programs, and to host annual summer camps for middle-schoolers from under-represented groups.