Project Grant 0712523

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $275,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project grant to Crabline Robotics LLC, a woman-owned small business, to develop a dexterous, crab-like aquatic robot platform for underwater construction and decommissioning of structures. The project seeks to create a new class of aquatic robotics capable of stabilizing around a target and precisely delivering tools, such as exothermic cutting rods, to underwater structures. This...

This SBIR Phase I Project Grant, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) program, aims to develop a novel robotic arm architecture with enhanced reach, payload capacity, and affordability. The $304,952 award to Sol Robotics, Inc. will fund the creation of a robotic arm system that uses proprietary linear actuation technology in a parallel truss configuration to overcome limitations of traditional robot arms. The project...

This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award under the NSF Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $421,935 to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to develop an insect-scale quadrupedal robot with advanced climbing and grasping capabilities. The key objectives of this 3-year project, starting January 1, 2025, are to: (1) develop analytical models of adhesion and lubrication principles to enable inverted and vertical climbing with feedback control; and (2) demonstrate...

Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary Pike Robotics Inc. received a $1.22 million Cooperative Agreement from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) program (CFDA 47.084), awarded August 15, 2025, with a completion date of July 31, 2027. The company is developing an autonomous wall-climbing robotic platform designed to conduct in-service inspections of petrochemical storage tanks and other infrastructure within hazardous, explosive...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) program (CFDA 47.084) provides $275,000 in funding to Sufficiently Advanced, Inc. for the development of an AI-powered robotic control system. The objective is to enhance automation capabilities and create a more adaptive future labor force by automating repetitive, dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks across various industries. The Phase I project will focus on advancing...

This $275,000 SBIR Phase I project grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) aims to develop software capabilities to improve automated harvesting of strawberries. The project will implement two key components: A trajectory optimization module for a robot manipulator's camera to maximize information gain and reduce localization uncertainty for strawberries while respecting kinematic and collision...

This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) is funding research to enable a new type of highly configurable, multi-segment robot snake. The goal is to create robots with up to 100 joints and segments, which would more than double the current state-of-the-art. This robot design could enable new capabilities for manufacturing tasks like inspecting confined spaces, as well as surgical applications that require accessing locations in the body...

This National Science Foundation Division of Industrial Innovation Project Grant awarded $256,000 to Grain Weevil Corporation of Aurora, Nebraska to develop a remote-controlled grain management and extraction robot. The 11-month project, which runs from March 2022 through December 2022, seeks to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a mobile robot for improving farmer safety and grain storage efficiencies. Key deliverables include classifying grain surface variables that impact robotic...

The National Science Foundation Division of Industrial Innovation awarded Orobotix Inc., doing business as Seadrone, a $225,000 Project Grant under the Engineering (47.041) federal grant program. The grant funded the development of an Autonomous and Permanently Deployed Ship Hull Inspection and Cleaning Vehicle from Feb 1, 2021 to Jul 31, 2021. The Engineering program seeks to improve quality of life and economic strength by fostering innovation and excellence in engineering research. This award...

Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary Tangible Robotics Inc. received a $1.55M Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Fast-Track award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) program (CFDA 47.084) effective September 15, 2025, with a completion date of October 31, 2027. The awardee will develop a dexterous robotic manipulation system featuring multi-fingered robotic hands capable of performing complex, contact-rich tasks including grasping,...