Robotic Industry Consortium Forms to Meet DoD Challenge

Aims to Speed Operational Deployment of Ground Robotics Technology

WASHINGTON, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The Robotics Technology Consortium,
Inc. (RTC) today announced its launch with over 70 initial organizations. The
consortium was established to meet a need identified by the Office of the
Secretary of Defense Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise (OSD/JGRE) and held its
first member meeting on Friday, June 20, 2008 in Arlington, VA.
The RTC was created to support top-tier research within the robotic
technology community to speed the deployment of technology from the lab to
operational deployment. To meet this goal the RTC consists of traditional and
non-traditional government contractors, small and large businesses, for-profit
and not-for-profit entities, and academic organizations. Members will perform
R&D and provide input on strategies for government agencies executing ground
robotics programs.
"Ground robots are proven life savers for our Service members and industry
has offered a first class response to our need for advancing robotics with the
establishment of this consortium," said Ellen Purdy, Enterprise Director,
Joint Ground Robotics. "The Department looks forward to partnering with the
RTC as it enables us to work with the best and brightest in industry and
academia."
The RTC has been formed as a non-profit, supporting organization of the
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. NCMS
will also serve as the RTC administrative agent. "The National Center for
Manufacturing Sciences has been successfully commercializing innovative
technology for more than twenty years," said Rick Jarman, President and CEO of
NCMS, and the interim Chairman of the RTC. "We are pleased to have the more
than seventy members of the Robotics Technology Consortium join us as we drive
innovations to improve the safety of our warfighters and the security of our
nation." Membership to the Robotics Technology Consortium is open. The RTC has
entered into an Other Transactions Agreement (OTA) with the Government to
better enable nontraditional defense contractors to undertake technical
projects on behalf of the Government.
About Robotics Technology Consortium
The Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC) is a non-profit, industry
organization created in 2008 to speed the creation and deployment of ground
robotics technology for the Defense Department and other Government
organizations. The RTC was formed by request of the Joint Ground Robotics
Enterprise, an office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and
consists of large and small commercial companies, academic institutions, and
non-profit organizations. The RTC seeks to solicit and engage companies and
organizations that may not have historically performed work for the Defense
Department and other Government organizations in addition to traditional
defense contractors. For more information, visit
http://www.roboticstechc.org/.
About NCMS
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) is the largest
cross-industry collaborative R&D consortium in North America. NCMS has a
22-year track record in the management of complex, collaborative programs
which deliver innovative manufacturing technology to market faster than
traditional methods. For more information, visit http://www.ncms.org .

Contact:
Phil Callihan
Executive Director, NCMS
(734)995-2046
philc@ncms.org

SOURCE Robotics Technology Consortium, Inc.

Phil Callihan, Executive Director, NCMS, +1-734-995-2046, philc@ncms.org, for
Robotics Technology Consortium, Inc.