NRL opens robotic lab

WASHINGTON -- The Naval Research Laboratory held a ribbon cutting for its Laboratory for Autonomous Systems Research, which will focus on autonomous systems research for the Navy and Marine Corps. The lab will bring together scientists and engineers from diverse backgrounds. The one-of-a-kind lab has specialized facilities to support research in intelligent autonomy, sensor systems, power and energy systems, human-system interaction, networking and communications and platforms. It has multiple bays providing environments from desert to littoral and more. (Source: Business Wire, 03/16/12) Gulf Coast note: The NRL has a lab at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; unmanned systems are built in Moss Point, Miss.; there are multiple UAV-related activities in the region; a lab in Pensacola, Fla., does research on artificial intelligence and human-machine interaction.