Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contracts Management Office (CMO), 3701 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203-1714

A -- DISTRIBUTED ROBOTICS SOL BAA 97-41 DUE 102497 POC POCs E.C. Urban, DARPA/ETO, Fax (703) 696-2206 and R. Dugan, DARPA/DSO, Fax (703) 696-3999 WEB: http://www.darpa.mil, http://www.darpa.mil. E-MAIL: BAA97-41@darpa.mil, BAA97-41@darpa.mil. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting research proposals in the area of distributed robotics. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in technology and/or systems. Specifically excluded is research and development that is primarily focused upon improvements to the existing state-of-practice or application of existing technology or systems to solve a particular problem. The DARPA Distributed Robotics Program seeks to develop revolutionary approaches to extremely small robots, reconfigurable robots, systems of robots, biologically inspired designs, innovative methods of robot control including innovative interfaces, and methods of implementing pooled capabilities and/or layered intelligence. Part of the challenge is in striking the right balance between individual robot capability and pooled or multiple robot capability, and between individual robot intelligence and layered system intelligence. Another challenge involves the development of architectures, control functions, interface approaches and physical mechanisms that allow unit modules to dynamically and automatically configure themselves into a more complex robot. The configuration or reconfiguration process would be initiated in response to a need to overcome environmental obstacles or in response to varying mission requirements. For the purposes of this solicitation, individual robots are less than 5 centimeters in any dimension; however, novel methods of long-range deployment may involve larger transport vessels. DARPA seeks innovative proposals in the following areas: (1) enabling robot technology; and (2) distributed robot systems. Additional information on these technology areas is provided in the Areas of Interest section of the BAA 97-41 Proposer Information Pamphlet referenced below. PROGRAM SCOPE: Awards totaling approximately $25 million over three years are expected to be made during the first half of the government fiscal year 1998. Multiple awards are anticipated. Collaborative efforts/teaming and cost sharing are encouraged. The technical POCs for this effort are E. C. Urban, fax: (703) 696-2206, electronic mail: eurban@darpa.mil and Regina Dugan, fax: (703) 696-3999, electronic mail: rdugan@darpa.mil. GENERAL INFORMATION: Proposers must obtain a pamphlet entitled BAA 97-41 Distributed Robotics, Proposer Information Pamphlet which provides further information on areas of interest, the submission, evaluation, and funding processes, proposal abstract formats, proposal formats, and other general information. This pamphlet may be obtained by fax, electronic mail, or mail request to the administrative contact address given below. Proposals not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be reviewed. In order to minimize unnecessary effort in proposal preparation and review, proposers are strongly encouraged to submit proposal abstracts in advance of full proposals. An original and six (6) copies of the proposal abstract must be submitted to DARPA/ETO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (ATTN.: BAA 97-41) on or before 4:00 P.M., Friday, September 19, 1997. Proposal abstracts received after this time and date may not be reviewed. Upon review, DARPA will provide written feedback on the likelihood of a full proposal being selected and the time and date for submission of a full proposal. Proposers not submitting proposal abstracts must submit an original and eight (8) copies of the full proposal to DARPA/ETO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (ATTN.: BAA 97-41) on or before 4:00 P.M., Friday, October 24, 1997, in order to be considered. This notice, in conjunction with the BAA 97-41 Proposer Information Pamphlet, constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal which shall be considered by DARPA. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of research in distributed robotics technology. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a proposal abstract or full proposal to this BAA, should be directed to one of the administrative addresses below; e-mail or fax is preferred. DARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for correspondence regarding BAA 97-41. Proposals and proposal abstracts may not be submitted by fax or e-mail; any so sent will be disregarded. DARPA encourages use of the World Wide Web (WWW) for retrieving the Program Information Package and any other related information that may subsequently be provided. EVALUATION CRITERIA: Evaluation of proposal abstracts and full proposals will be accomplished through a technical review of each proposal using the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of relative importance: (l) overall scientific and technical merit, (2) potential contribution and relevance to DARPA mission, (3) plans and capability to accomplish technology transition, (4) offeror's capabilities and related experience, and (5) cost realism. Note: cost realism will only be significant in proposals which have significantly under or over-estimated the cost to complete their effort. The administrative point of contact for this BAA is: Fax: (703) 351-8616 (Addressed to: DARPA/ETO, BAA 97-41), Electronic Mail: BAA97-41@darpa.mil, Mail: DARPA/ETO, ATTN: BAA 97-41, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714. This announcement and the Proposer Information Pamphlet may be retrieved via the WWW at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ in the solicitations area. (0224)

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