Safe and Assured Foundation Robots for Open Environments (SAFRON)
ID: DARPA-EA-24-01-05Type: Presolicitation
Overview

Buyer

DEPT OF DEFENSEDEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA)DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCYARLINGTON, VA, 222032114, USA

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

PSC

NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; BASIC RESEARCH (AC11)

Original Source

https://sam.gov/opp/1f2357e16b9b4d849ab9a0533a012790/view
Timeline
    Description

    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is issuing a presolicitation for the "Safe and Assured Foundation Robots for Open Environments" (SAFRON) initiative, inviting submissions of innovative exploratory research concepts in artificial intelligence. This opportunity focuses on developing strategies to ensure the safe and reliable behavior of foundation model-enabled robots operating in unstructured environments, particularly when responding to natural-language commands, while addressing challenges such as hallucination and erroneous confidence in decision-making. Proposals should detail methodologies and potential applications, with funding ranging from $100,000 to $300,000, and submissions are due by January 13, 2025. Interested researchers can contact the BAA Coordinator at SAFRON@darpa.mil for further information.

    Point(s) of Contact
    BAA Coordinator
    SAFRON@darpa.mil
    Files
    Title
    Posted
    DARPA-EA-24-01-05.pdf
    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is inviting submissions for innovative research concepts under its Advanced Research Concepts (ARC) Opportunity titled "Safe and Assured Foundation Robots for Open Environments" (SAFRON). This initiative emphasizes research into artificial intelligence, particularly focusing on the assurance of behavior for foundation model (FM)-enabled robots operating in unstructured environments with natural-language commands. Researchers can propose ideas that lead to strategies ensuring these robots behave as intended, considering issues like hallucination and erroneous confidence in decision-making. Proposals should encompass detailed methodologies, assumptions, and potential applications, with an emphasis on innovative approaches to robot behavior assurance. Each proposal must adhere to a budget of $100,000 to $300,000 and must be submitted by January 13, 2025. DARPA anticipates a maximum of one full-time equivalent researcher allocating a year to the project. Selected abstracts may advance to oral presentations and subsequently receive awards under Research Other Transactions. This opportunity highlights DARPA's focus on enhancing national security through the advancement of robotics and artificial intelligence technologies, ensuring their safe deployment in unpredictable environments.
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    Safe and Assured Foundation Robots for Open Environments (SAFRON)
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