PHOTO: A robot developed by UHCL graduate students. This robot was shown off at the event for its ability to transport small objects. Photo by The Signal reporter Jeremy Gingrich — A robot developed by UHCL graduate students. This robot was shown off at the event for its ability to transport small objects. Photo by The Signal reporter Jeremy Gingrich

The Center for Robotic Software brings collaboration opportunities in robotics

By Jeremy Gingrich Last updated Jun 18, 2017 260 1

UPDATE 6/18/17: This article has been updated to read that the degree plan for the Master of Science is in computer engineering with a specialization in robotics.

UHCL officially launched its Center for Robotics Software June 7 with guest presenters from NASA and the College of Science and Engineering. The center will provide teaching, research and service to NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and local industries by collaborating with the Robot Operating System (ROS).

The ROS is a set of software libraries and tools that makes it easier to collaborate and build off of previous robot applications. The collaborations will focus on solving problems and creating solutions using the ROS, which is free of charge and already used by many universities and robot manufacturers.

“There are thousands of people all over the world that contribute to the ROS,” said Thomas L. Harman, professor of computer engineering and director of the Center for Robotics Software. “With ROS, we can control our robots with joysticks, keyboards, voice and many other [tools]. The field is moving very fast and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

The university currently has a plan in place for the center they plan to carry out through the next six months that consists of four key objectives: formalize the graduate-level Robotics specialty in computer engineering at UHCL, create a dedicated website to promote the center, coordinate with NASA JSC Software Robotics for ROS support, and to offer ROS workshops and seminars in the center’s lab on campus.

Photo: University of Houston-Clear Lake is launching the Center for Robotics Software, a collaborative effort between academic and industry partners involved in the advancement of robotics. Pictured above (l-r) is Center Director Thomas L. Harman, professor of Computer Engineering and chair of the Engineering Department, Co-Director and UHCL Visiting Researcher Carol Fairchild and Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering Luong Nguyen, who is faculty adviser to UHCL’s swarm-robotics team in NASA-hosted competitions. Photo courtesy of the Office of University Communications. — University of Houston-Clear Lake is launching the Center for Robotics Software, a collaborative effort between academic and industry partners involved in the advancement of robotics. Pictured above (l-r) is Center Director Thomas L. Harman, professor of Computer Engineering and chair of the Engineering Department, Co-Director and UHCL Visiting Researcher Carol Fairchild and Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering Luong Nguyen, who is faculty adviser to UHCL’s swarm-robotics team in NASA-hosted competitions. Photo courtesy of the Office of University Communications.

After the completion of the six-month plan for the center, the university hopes to host monthly robotics presentations from local professionals to promote the interchange of new technology and encourage more connections within the field of robotics.

NASA Robotics Engineer Kimberley Hambuchen said that she is excited to see how NASA can use the Center for Robotics Software to further advance the autonomy of the robots NASA has been working on.

“The end goal for all of robotics is full autonomy, which is very difficult,” Hambuchen said. “Having a slew of graduate students work on those problems is very useful to us.”

The university hopes to receive external funding for the center’s endeavors by meeting with local industry management to search for investment and grant opportunities.

Through the work done at the center, the university plans on forming and leading proposal teams consisting of faculty, NASA/JSC and local engineering personnel to target research opportunities with government agencies such as the Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

The Center for Robotics Software also plans on, with the help of NASA and local engineering personnel, collaborating with major Houston industries such as Shell, Chevron, Houston Medical Center, Haliburton, Fluor and others.

The university has a robotics team that consists of computer engineering students and professors. It competed against more than 40 institutions in the 2017 NASA Swarmathon April 18-20 and placed fourth in the competition.

UHCL offers a Master of Science in Computer Engineering with a specialization in Robotics and Robotics Software for students interested in working with robotics. More information can be found here.

Also published on Medium.