Elizabeth de la Cruz
Northrop Grumman has sponsored a series of competitions that showcased multiple robotic air, ground, boat and submarine platforms developed by student teams worldwide.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Foundation administered the RoboNation competitions across the U.S. to offer participants an opportunity to demonstrate unmanned and autonomous systems that have been programmed to complete obstacle courses, Northrop said Tuesday.
Participants also had a chance to exchange ideas with fellow robotics enthusiasts as well as meet potential employers during the events.
“These young people are so impressive,” said Doug Shaffer, vice president and program manager for Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton program.
“They’re working with concepts that our professional engineers study in our labs, and they’re doing it on their own time for fun,†Shaffer added.
RoboNation events have included the International RoboSub Competition, the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition, the Student Unmanned Air Systems event, the International RoboBoat Competition and the International Aerial Robotics Competition.
