MAST program to advance military robotics

MERRIMACK, N.H., April 30 (UPI) -- BAE Systems is participating in a U.S. science universities collaboration to advance military robotics.

The Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology Collaborative Technology Alliance plans to make progress in developing fundamental science and technology for future robotic systems in sectors such as small-scale aeromechanics and ambulation; propulsion; sensing, processing and communications; navigation and control; micro-devices and integration; platform packaging; and systems architectures, BAE Systems said in a statement..

"The technologies that will be developed under MAST represent capabilities and techniques that will influence nearly all of the products that BAE Systems will develop and produce in the future," said Steve Scalera, MAST program manager for BAE Systems in Merrimack, N.H. "We and our alliance partners have committed our brightest minds to make the MAST program a success."

The Alliance is being set up with a five years life span and may be renewed for a second five years period, BAE Systems said.

The MAST project will be divided into four main research areas, which will be directed by four principal alliance members, the company said: BAE Systems will direct Microsystems Integration, the University of Michigan will direct Microelectronics, the University of Maryland will direct Microsystem Mechanics, and the University of Pennsylvania will direct Processing for Autonomous Operation.

The alliance will also include five leading centers of U.S. advanced technology which will be involved or one or more of the four MAST research areas: They are the University of California at Berkeley, the California Institute of Technology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of New Mexico, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, BAE Systems said.