RE2 Robotics prototype splashes into Rosedale Beach Club as part of naval research
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Rosedale Beach Club near the Penn Hills/Verona border has another use besides recreation — naval research.
Teams from Lawrenceville-based RE2 Robotics were at the facility off Third Street for a few weeks in May testing a prototype device for mine countermeasure missions.
They combined VideoRay’s Defender robot with RE2’s dual-arm prototype, Maritime Dexterous Manipulation System, to form a robotics system called RE2 Sapien Sea Class.
Using high-tech software and machine-learning algorithms, they were able to move the bot and its arms underwater to test its autonomous capabilities. It was their second visit this year.
“It went great,” said Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2 Robotics. “We were able to do the testing that we needed to do and put the system through its paces in anticipation of ocean testing later this month.”
Pedersen could not get into the details of the training but commended the Rosedale Beach Club on its facility and support.
“The Rosedale staff were incredibly accommodating and flexible and worked with us to get what we needed,” he said. “It was a pleasure to have that resource located in our backyard while we’re developing this new technology. Everything that we do is to save lives and improve quality of life. That’s our vision, to make a safer world through robotics.”
One of the goals of the exercise was to help reduce the use of Navy divers around mines.
“Any time that we can get a person out of harm’s way, that’s our motivation,” Pedersen said. “What some of these Navy divers do as their normal job is incredibly dangerous, especially divers (who) are swimming in intrepid waters and it’s hard to see. You’re dealing with sensitive objects underwater. It’s just incredibly dangerous, and we want to make sure we get them out of the water. You still need the human intellect to help assess what’s going on, but to get them away from the danger is what drives us.”
Rosedale Beach Club president Nick Theofilis said his club was grateful for the opportunity to play a role in potentially saving soldiers and helping a Pittsburgh business.
“Prior to this year we have never had anything like it,” Theofilis said. “They reached out to us last summer in regards to renting our facilities for two weeks in the fall. Due to the pool being closed for the season, and the mess that covid caused for any chance of a large fundraiser, their usage was the perfect fit for some additional income.
“After they had successfully utilized our pool those two weeks in the fall, they had shown interest in coming back in the spring. Any way Rosedale Beach Club can assist another local business, we will do so.”
A Navy contact working with RE2 was unavailable to comment.
RE2 will celebrate its 20th anniversary in July. Its technology is in use around the world.
The company received $2.5 million in funding from the Office of Naval Research last year to further its prototype development and commercialization of its technology.
RE2 officials said unlike other underwater robotic systems that are hydraulic-driven, MDMS uses an energy-saving, electromechanical system.
This allows the system to perform longer-duration subsea inspection and intervention tasks while reducing system maintenance and downtime.
Pedersen said they will continue to make improvements on the technology and hopefully be able to commercialize it within the next two years. It could also be used for underwater inspections in the oil and gas industry.