Machine Intelligence and Robotics: Report of the NASA Study Group

FINAL REPORT

March 1980

Preface

The NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST) has established the goal of providing a technology base so that NASA can accomplish future missions with a several-orders-of-magnitude increase in mission effectiveness at reduced cost. To realize this goal, a highly focused program must be established advancing technologies that promise substantial increases in capability and/or substantial cost savings. The Study Group on Machine Intelligence and Robotics was established to assist NASA technology program planners to determine the potential in these areas. Thus, the Study Group had the following objectives:

(1) To identify opportunities for the application of machine
intelligence and robotics in NASA missions and systems.

(2) To estimate the benefits of successful adoption of machine
intelligence and robotics techniques and to prepare forecasts
of their growth potential.

(3) To recommend program options for research, advanced devel-
opment, and implementation of machine intelligence and
robot technology for use in program planning.

(4) To broaden communication among NASA centers and uni-
versities and other research organizations currently engaged in
machine intelligence and robotics research.