11/01/06 Quantum Signal wins Dept of Defense SBIR Phase II contract to develop advanced robotics technology

(Ann Arbor, MI) - - Quantum Signal, an advanced engineering firm located in Ann Arbor, has been awarded a Department of Defense SBIR Phase II contract to develop robotic technology to make soldier’s jobs easier. By combining state-of-the-art computer vision algorithms, navigation strategies, and video game-style interfaces, the company is creating next-generation controllers for small robots used by the United States military. These controllers will make robots easier for soldiers to control, allowing them to spend more time concentrating on their mission and less on guiding a robot to its destination.

Currently, many robotic vehicles used by the military require soldiers to guide them to their destination using complex controls that demand a soldier’s full attention. Highly sophisticated robotic vehicles can even require two or more soldiers to pilot them. Ideally, however, robots would be commanded by simple, intuitive interfaces that would let a single soldier command multiple robots. Advances in vision and navigation algorithms and interfaces have the potential to revolutionize the way soldiers control robots.

QS has developed a vision for this technology, supported by the US Army Tank and Automotive Command (TACOM) and National Automotive Center (NAC) . A research program entitled "PointCom,” from Point-and-Go Command, is funded via the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. Phase 1 of the project, now complete, established theoretical underpinnings of state-of-the-art vision and navigation technology. Quantum Signal, working with robotics consultants at MIT, successfully demonstrated a prototype system to TACOM robotics experts in July 2006.

QS is proud to announce that the company has been awarded a SBIR Fast-Track Phase 2 contract for approximately $920,000 to continue development of PointCom and bring it closer to use on the battlefield. In Phase 2 QS will develop a robust, fully-functional implementation of the PointCom system and demonstrate its performance on an Army-relevant mobile robot. The team will continue to research, develop, and test a series of unique, easy-to-use interface designs, and to test and improve their vision-based navigation algorithms.

“We are at the dawn of a new age in unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and their application on and off the battlefield” says Dr. Mitchell Rohde, company co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, “The development of PointCom will serve as a leap forward in robotic control. We believe that a single soldier should be able to control multiple robots, not the other way around!”

Quantum Signal staff are available for comment on the PointCom system and its technology. Please email pointcom@quantumsignal.com or call 734-994-0028 for more information.

About TARDEC and TACOM

Both TARDEC and TACOM are located in Warren, Michigan, in the heart of the world’s automotive capital. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) develop and maintain ground vehicles for all U.S. Armed Forces, numerous federal agencies, and more than 60 foreign countries. TARDEC pushes state-of-the-art technology in the areas of vehicle based Survivability, Mobility, Intelligent Systems, Maneuver Support and Sustainment. They lead several Army Technology Objectives and Future Force science and technology efforts – collaborating with the Army’s combat developers to ensure that they develop robust equipment that meets aggressive cost, schedule, and performance standards. The U.S. Army's TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM) in partnership with the Army's Program Executive Offices is one of the Army's largest weapon systems research, development, and sustainment organizations. They provide and sustain mobility, lethality, and survivability for soldiers, other services, and Allies through ground combat, automotive, marine and armaments technologies. TACOM is the forefront of the Army's transformation to a lighter, more lethal and survivable force.

About Quantum Signal

Founded in 1999, Quantum Signal is an advanced engineering company located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company focuses on signal and image processing development and applications as well as simulation. Markets include homeland security, defense, vehicle engineering, and entertainment (via its subsidiary, Reactor Zero). For additional information on Quantum Signal, please visit our Web site at www.quantumsignal.com or call (734) 994-0028.