Above, student Brian Milligan with associate professors Richard Vaughan and Greg Mori.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) invested $5 million to establish the NSERC Canadian Field Robotics Network (NCFRN), a project designed to enable robots to work in teams on land, at sea, and in the air, to advance exploration and for other purposes.

SFU will play a key role in the McGill University led project by taking the lead on one of its three main research teams. Richard Vaughan, an associate professor in Computing Science, will oversee the unmanned aerial vehicle team, working closely with other leaders responsible for sea and ground robot technology development, in addition to serving on the scientific committee.

"Outdoor robot technology has advanced a long way in the last 10 years,” said Vaughan. “This project is a national push towards getting robots more self-reliant, robust, affordable and able to do valuable work in tough environments."

Vaughan is working to enable robots to capture images in order to build 3D models of the ground. That will give heavy industry, such as construction and mining, a clear picture of terrain and how water flows over it.

In addition, Vaughan will apply his expertise in networking software to coordinate how robots and vehicles speak to each other and share information.

The NCFRN is a five-year NSERC Strategic Network Grant that involves seven universities across Canada, 11 business and government organizations. It brings together Canada’s leading experts in mobile robot systems.

Read full news release.