60NANB23D121

Purpose/Scope: The purpose of this project is to design, build and operate a new Robotics and Autonomous Systems Laboratory for Coastal Conservation and Restoration (RASCAR) to enhance our technological abilities and approaches to coastal ecosystem monitoring, restoration and conservation.

This project consists of four sub-projects including three existing structures that will be renovated or improved and a new building.

The Coastal Conservation and Research Laboratory is 28,827 total square feet and is comprised of two laboratory buildings (3,872, and 1,366 square feet), an outdoor research tank facility (6,203 square feet) and the newly created motion capture tank facility (1,180 square feet).

The second existing facility is comprised of two former classrooms (1,100 square feet combined) that will be modified to be a computing center as well as an education and outreach facility.

The third planned renovation will occur in the newly constructed Engineering Building located on the Modesto Maidique Campus in Miami, Florida. To include renovating 2,000 square feet to create the Environmental Sensing, Computing and Engineering Innovation Facility.

The new building will consist of a 6,000 square foot multi-use, multi-purpose building that will include offices and laboratories for faculty and students associated with this initiative, manufacturing space to construct large-scale autonomous vehicles and a space for testing capabilities such as a hydrostatic tank to determine pressure tolerances of manufactured submersible autonomous vehicles and robots.

Non-building equipment includes computer stations; 3D printers and cutters; multi-beam sonar systems, acoustic communications, underwater lighting and hydrophones.

Activities to be performed: This will be achieved through four major activities. First, we will construct a new research and development complex. Second, we will modify an existing space to house the computing and data visualization equipment necessary to store, analyze and communicate the data obtained from the newly developed robots and autonomous vehicles. Third, we will enhance our motion capture facility by providing high quality salt water necessary to test the efficacy of the autonomous vehicles. In addition, we will provide wireless internet to this facility to provide the ability to directly communicate to deployed robots and autonomous vehicles. Finally, we will establish an environment sensing, computing and engineering laboratory in the newly constructed Engineering Building.

Expected outcomes: Activities at this facility include the development of new environmental sensors, environmental robots and autonomous vehicles that will enhance our ability to monitor and measure key coastal ecosystem parameters.

Intended beneficiaries: The intended beneficiaries include the scientific management; local; our national, state, regional and local collaborators such as NOAA, NPS, USGS, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Environmental Resources Management; local municipalities and the business sector that depend on our coastal resources and health; K-graduate students, that will be provided with next-generation education and training opportunities.

Subrecipient activities: None

Useful life: 15 years for renovation components / 20 years for new construction components.

Florida International University

11.617 - Congressionally-Identified Projects

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) [DOC]

Miami, Florida 33199-0001 United States

Single Zip Code

None