The Department of Defense, specifically the Army, is inviting proposals for the development of explosion-proof collaborative robots under the SBIR program. The objective is to modify and certify collaborative robots for use in hazardous environments, addressing the needs of the aging industrial base that supports the DoD's armament and ammunition demands. This initiative is crucial for enhancing operational safety and efficiency in various applications, including manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and military operations. Proposals for Phase I are due by September 4, 2024, with a funding amount of up to $250,000 for a six-month performance period. Interested parties can find more information and submit proposals through the official solicitation link.

## Description

This topic accepts Phase I proposals submissions for a cost up to $250,000 for a 6&ndash;month period of performance.The energetic industrial base is antiquated, deteriorating, and struggling to meet the DoD&rsquo;s demand for armaments and ammunition. Collaborative robots are a form of automation equipment built to work safely alongside human workers in a shared, collaborative workspaces but fail to meet the electrical standards to be present in hazardous locations where flammable vapors, liquids, and dusts are present in concentrated quantities. The goal of this topic is to develop a method for modifying and certifying collaborative robots for use in energetic environments according to Article 500 of NFPA 70, the National Electric Code.

## Objective

Develop a domestic pathway to modify and certify collaborative robots as explosion proof.

## Phase I

<ul><li>Evaluate the current cobot market and identify potential systems to modify and certify.Market may include but is not limited to 6-axis arms, End of Arm tooling, and autonomous mobile robots as well as their auxiliary systems (controllers, pendants, charging stations, etc.). However, submissions focused on 6 axis arms and autonomous mobile robots will be given priority.</li><li>A path to certification is to be established. This would include determining a certifying authority and hardware modification plan.</li></ul>

## Phase II

<ul><li>Acquire, modify, and certify the chosen robotic system. Pilot the system at the Pyrotechnics facility at Picatinny Arsenal. The demonstration should reflect an operation manually done by energetics operators such as transferring material from a donor container to a target container, pick and place operations, machine tending, etc. It can be determined with the Technical Point of Contact during Phase I or at the start of Phase II.</li></ul>

## Phase III: Dual Use Applications

<ul><li>&emsp;The Army has several programs focused on developing collaborative robots that enhance capabilities of workers instead of replacing them. The Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance (R-CTA), the Scalable, Adaptive and Resilient Autonomy (SARA) program, and collaborations with the U.S. Military Academy to test multi-robots at the Army&rsquo;s Robotics Research Collaboration Campus (R2Cs).</li><li>&emsp;Dual use applications of Industrial/Collaborative Robotics includes: </li><li>&emsp;Manufacturing and productions lines across various industries like automotive and electronics for tasks like assembly, welding, painting, packaging, etc. </li><li>&emsp;Logistics and warehousing for material handling, packaging, and distribution</li><li>&emsp;Healthcare for surgical robotics rehabilitation and assistive technologies</li><li>&emsp;Agriculture for tasks like harvesting, pruning, seeding, etc. </li><li>&emsp;Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and improvised explosive device (IED) handling using specialized robotic systems.</li><li>&emsp;Reconnaissance and surveillance using unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs)</li><li>&emsp;Search and rescue operations in hazardous environments</li><li>&emsp;Transportation and logistics support for military operations</li><li>&emsp;Robotic platforms for carrying payloads like weapons, sensors, or communications equipment</li></ul>

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