More Autonomy In The Science Sector

In a continuing thread of discussions on LinkedIn, we've been talking about robotic craft moving from military use into more common civilian use.  Though many have taken the discussion to be focused on flight, I've deliberately taken a much wider view, defining the word "vehicle" to mean "anything that moves".  By that definition, the Roomba Vacuum is an unmanned autonomous vehicle.

Some would say I take liberties with my definition.  I do.  :)  I'm an engineer who's worked with customers who create rather sophisticated robotic systems, so I feel perhaps I've earned a little liberty there.  But for those who prefer the stronger definition, here's a story for them: NASA'S Global Hawk Completes First Science Flight. There we go, an autonomous UAV moving directly from the Military World right into the heart of Scientific Data Collection.

I find this pretty exciting.  There are numerous technologies that can be demonstrated, leveraged, tuned and perfected with this craft.  Aside from it's direct use as an observing platform, because of it's altitude it has huge line-of-sight coverage, and could possibly be used to collect data from remote sporadically-connected sensing stations. Devices like the new self-powered underwater buoys which only call-back when they've surfaced would be a great example. (Google for "Disruption Tolerant Networking" and "InterPlanetary Internet" for more about sporadically connected devices.)

It's also exciting in that it's use of a sword turned plow-share, an example of robots moving from military duty into civilian operation.  We could use more autonomous and semi-autonomous robots for things like long deep-water projects, working in mines, or hazardous environments.  This is an exciting time, as the field of autonomous robotics is still in it's infancy, and there is so much potential in what such robots can do for mankind.