SBIR Phase I:The Brainlink System: A Catalyst for Personal Robotics

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project focuses on the invention of standards, wireless electronics and multi-layered programming environments that will enable a range of robotic devices across multiple companies to be programmed by the public for educational and entertainment purposes. Furthermore, this project aims to design and deploy a community cyber-learning space where individuals and groups can publicize, share, and inspire creative robot applications. The plan for this Phase I component of the project is to create a working system - Brainlink, including a wireless tether module, a connector and communication standard that results from discussions with robotics companies, a software environment and an application sharing website. Once completed, this system will be tested with students in a month-long usage study and demonstrated to robotics companies to gauge interest in the resultant work. The Brainlink system, if adopted by the robotics industry, will broadly impact both the personal robotics market and computer science and engineering education. Consider for a moment the implications significant adoption of the Brainlink system would have for computer science education. Past research suggests that many students desire for computer science education to be more application oriented and relevant. If successful, students as young as ten will be able to program their toys for specific applications relevant to their own lives. Furthermore, the system provides a practical venue for sharing applications; students may feel that their created applications are highly relevant if they can share them with millions of others. Economic impacts could be significant as well: Brainlink can act as a catalyst for growth in the consumer robot market. Though most consumers may not directly program their own robots, enabling all robots with Brainlink will allow these consumers to benefit from the applications created by an army of developers and students. These applications could greatly boost the entertainment, educational, and utilitarian value of robots generally and ultimately cause significant growth in this market.