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CRASAR is moving to Texas A&M College Station, please be patient while the web site is moved and updated.


CRASAR is part of the Institute for Safety Security Rescue Technology at the University of South Florida and affiliated with the NSF industry/university cooperative research center on Safety Security Rescue at USF and University of Minnesota.

 
CRASAR though an agreement with NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (SSR-RC), the Department of Labor has been working with MSHA since 2005. MSHA Technical Support has been active in developing robots for underground mine rescue since 2002. CRASAR did not supply the robots, but rather CRASAR Director of Operations, Sam Stover, and Prof. Robin Murphy working on identifying and evaluating solutions starting in the early evening of 8/6/07 as advisors to Dr. Jeffery Kravitz, Chief Scientific Development, MSHA Technical Support. The robot was built by Inuktun Services, Canada , and is mated to a controller and fiber optic system provided by Pipe-Eye International.
Yep, that's us on the Sci-Fi Channel's "The Science of Stargate" special! And the film crew lost the good footage of the robots, which was taken at our "Camp Hurricane" July 2005 for our R4 project scientists and for the industry members of the SSR-RC.
Our prayers were with the miners and families of the Sago Mine Disaster. Click here for a quick guide to robots and mine disasters (pdf) . Dr. Robin Murphy was interviewed by Paula Zahn on Monday, 1/3/06, and Fox and MSNBC on 1/4/06.
Through a grant from the National Science Foundation, CRASAR and SSR-RC member iSensys returned to southern Mississippi (Nov. 28 to Dec. 5) to photo document damage to multi-story structures. A segment on CNN American Morning appeared on Dec. 12. Click here for the website with the project description, videos, photos.
SSR-RC members working with CRASAR evaluated the use of a man-portable unmanned surface vehicle (Dr. Eric Steimle, Marine Science) and rotary wing micro aerial vehicle (Chandler Griffin, Like90) at Marco Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Willma. The team evaluated damage to the Marco Island Yacht Club seawall and building, the surrounding docks and the main bridge.
SSR-RC members working with CRASAR contributed equipment and personnel to aid with Katrina. Click here for a press release about the first use of unmanned aerial vehicles for emergency response at Katrina and here for videos and photos. Additional photos and video were taken by John Dugan, Chandler Griffin, Mike Lotre, and Robin Murphy. The team would like to thank the Florida State Emergency Response Team and the National Science Foundation for their help.
CRASAR is now part of the Institute for Safety Security Rescue Technoloyg (iSSRT) at the University of South Florida. iSSRT is a Florida Type II Center which conducts basic and applied research and technology transfer. CRASAR, the NSF Safety Security Rescue Research Center, and the pending national testbed are all arms of iSSRT.