[1] A typical NREC project includes a rapid proof-of-concept demonstration followed by an in-depth development and testing phase that produces a robust prototype with intellectual property for licensing and commercialization.

Sponsors and partners include industrial companies, technology startups, and federal agencies such as DARPA, the Department of Transportation, NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

[1] In 1996, the organization moved to its current facility in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood and was renamed the National Robotics Engineering Center.

Tartan Rescue Team engineers designed CHIMP to work in dangerous, degraded environments that were built for people, not robots.

When it needs to operate power tools, turn valves, or otherwise use its arms, CHIMP can stand and roll on its leg treads.

[9][11] Scoring 18 out of a possible 32 points during the two-day trials, the team demonstrated the system's ability to perform such tasks as removing debris, opening doors, cutting a hole in a wall, and closing a series of valves.

[10] Carnegie Mellon University's Tartan Racing team[6] and General Motors built an autonomous SUV that won first place in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge.

The project uses machine learning techniques to build a robust obstacle detection system that can be easily adapted to different environments and operating conditions.

To achieve the path teach/playback capability, NREC developed a positioning system that uses an extended Kalman filter for fusing the odometry, the GPS information, and the IMU measurements.

[12] Sensabot is a rugged robot designed to safely carry out on-site inspections in hazardous environments, isolated facilities, and other places that are difficult or dangerous for personnel to access.

The robot is remotely controlled by a human operator who utilizes the sensors to conduct inspections on pipes, fittings, and valves.

This includes a complete navigation system for a continuous mining machine, laser rangefinder-based perception for robot localization, planning for cluttered spaces, and integration and simulation tools.

[citation needed] Related research and objectives include automated mine surveying, haulage, and multiple-machine interaction.

ARMOR 1 is an automated robotic system for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform revetment operations along the Mississippi River.