The future of robotics research in Northwest Florida just got brighter. The Office of Naval Research’s Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) has awarded the University of West Florida (UWF) and the Institute for Human Machine & Cognition (IHMC) research team a $478,000 grant.
- This competitive grant—one of only 64 awarded nationwide—will fund advanced robotic platforms and equipment, significantly enhancing the team’s capabilities in developing, testing, and deploying mobile robotic systems in real-world environments.
- The collaborative team behind this achievement includes Dr. Robert Griffin and Dr. Matt Johnson, who hold dual appointments with IHMC and UWF through the Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISR) program, and Dr. Hakki Erhan Sevil, UWF ISR faculty member.
“The Office of Naval Research has been an enormous supporter of both IHMC and the UWF ISR program,” noted Dr. Griffin. “This third DURIP grant will allow us to take our state-of-the-art robotic systems out of the lab and into the real world.”
Why this matters: A centerpiece of this funding will be the acquisition of a Boston Dynamics Spot robot, which will serve as a platform for research on autonomy and human-machine teaming. This new addition will advance the development of the Nadia Humanoid Robot and enable research on dexterous manipulation tasks.
- Dr. Sevil emphasized that these advanced robotic platforms will provide unique research opportunities for Ph.D. students in the ISR program and “strengthen the position of the region in cutting-edge robotics education.” The program aims to foster the growth of the robotics industry in Northwest Florida by equipping students with hands-on experience in autonomous systems.
A Pattern of Excellence
This marks the third DURIP grant received by UWF-IHMC from the Office of Naval Research, highlighting the team’s consistent excellence in advancing robotic systems. The funding aligns with the Department of Defense’s goal to equip universities to perform state-of-the-art research that enhances national technological advantages while developing the future STEM workforce.
Dr. Brent Venable, Director of the ISR program, called the award “a significant milestone” that reflects the outstanding collaborative work between UWF and IHMC, adding that it provides “our students and faculty with the tools they need to lead in the field of robotics.”
For more information about the doctoral program in Intelligent Systems and Robotics at UWF, visit uwf.edu/isr.