DARPA Requires Robotics Finalists to Use Humanistic Robotics’ Wireless Stop Tool; Josh Koplin Comments

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has required the 25 participants of the agency’s two-day Robotics Challenge Finals to incorporate Humanistic Robotics’ hand-held emergency stop device into their machines in an effort to improve safety at the event.

Humanistic Robotics said Tuesday its Wireless Emergency Stop remote system seeks to prevent accidents by allowing users to quickly stop their machines when they start to malfunction.

Josh Koplin, the company’s co-founder, said, “Requiring our Wireless E-Stop isn’t just meant to increase the safety at the challenge event.”

“We see it as a way to demonstrate to spectators and the general public that robots are going to increasingly impact their lives in a really positive way, and a lot of us are working to ensure that this innovation happens safely and robots can become tools people can trust.”

DARPA will hold the robotics finals Friday.