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  • An AI Robotic Dog With Human-Like Precision in Search-and-Rescue Missions

    An AI Robotic Dog With Human-Like Precision in Search-and-Rescue Missions

    Meet the robotic dog that remembers like an elephant and reacts with the instincts of a seasoned first responder.
    Like humans, the robot uses reactive and deliberative behaviors and thoughtful decision-making. It quickly responds to avoid a collision and handles high-level planning by using the custom MLLM to analyze its current view and plan how best to proceed. Image Credits: Logan Jinks/Texas A&M Engineering

    Meet the robotic dog that remembers like an elephant and reacts with the instincts of a seasoned first responder.

    Developed by Texas A&M engineering students, this AI robotic dog can see, remember, and reason. Designed for chaotic environments, the robot could revolutionize search-and-rescue and disaster response.

    The project was led by Sandun Vitharana, a master’s student in engineering technology, and Sanjaya Mallikarachchi, a doctoral student in interdisciplinary engineering. Together, they developed a robotic dog that retains memory of where it has been and what it has observed, responds to voice commands, and uses AI and camera data to plan paths and recognize objects.

    How The Robot’s Memory System Functions

    A roboticist might characterize it as a ground-based robot equipped with a memory-centered navigation system driven by a multimodal large language model (MLLM). The system uses visual data to guide navigation, combining imaging, reasoning, and path optimization for both strategic planning and real-time response.

    Credit: Logan Jinks/Texas A&M Engineering

    Robot navigation has progressed from basic landmark-based approaches to advanced computational systems that fuse data from multiple sensors. Still, operating autonomously in unpredictable, unstructured settings—such as disaster zones or remote locations—remains a major challenge, where adaptability and efficiency are essential.

    Although robot dogs and navigation systems powered by large language models exist separately, combining a custom multimodal large language model with a visual, memory-based navigation system in a general-purpose, modular framework is a novel approach.

    “Some academic and commercial platforms have incorporated language or vision models into robotics,” Vitharana said. “But no approach has used MLLM-driven memory navigation in the structured way we propose with custom pseudocode guiding decisions.”

    Creation and Possible Uses

    Mallikarachchi and Vitharana began by exploring how an MLLM could interpret a robot camera’s visual data. Supported by the National Science Foundation, they combined this with voice commands to create an intuitive system blending vision, memory, and language.

    This AI-powered robotic dog doesn’t just follow commands — it sees, remembers and thinks. Designed to navigate chaos with precision, the robot could revolutionize search-and-rescue missions, disaster response and many other emergency operations. Image Credits: Logan Jinks/Texas A&M Engineering

    Similar to humans, the robot combines reactive and deliberative behaviors with careful decision-making. It can swiftly react to avoid obstacles while also performing high-level planning, using the custom MLLM to assess its surroundings and determine the optimal path forward.

    “Looking ahead, this type of control architecture is likely to become a standard for human-like robots,” Mallikarachchi noted.

    Its memory-driven system enables the robot to remember and reuse previously traveled routes, improving navigation efficiency by minimizing redundant exploration. This capability is especially valuable in search-and-rescue operations, particularly in unmapped regions or areas where GPS is unavailable.

    Expanding Applications Beyond Emergency Response

    The potential uses of the robot extend far beyond emergency response. Hospitals, warehouses, and other large facilities could employ it to enhance operational efficiency. Its sophisticated navigation system could also aid people with visual impairments, explore minefields, or conduct reconnaissance in dangerous environments.

    Dr. Isuru Godage, assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution, provided guidance for the project.

    “The heart of our vision is deploying MLLM at the edge, giving our robotic dog immediate, high-level situational awareness and a form of emotional intelligence that was previously unattainable,” Godage said. “This enables the system to bridge the gap between humans and machines seamlessly. Our aim is to make this technology not just a tool, but a truly empathetic partner, creating the most advanced, first-responder-ready system for any unmapped environment.”

    Nuralem Abizov, Amanzhol Bektemessov, and Aidos Ibrayev from Kazakhstan’s International Engineering and Technological University contributed to developing the ROS2 infrastructure for the project. HG Chamika Wijayagrahi from Coventry University in the UK assisted with map design and the analysis of experimental results.

    Vitharana and Mallikarachchi showcased the robot and its capabilities at the recent 22nd International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots. Their research was published in the conference proceedings for the 2025 22nd International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots (UR).

    Read the original article on: Tech Xplore

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  • NASA Budget Cuts Scrap Missions, SLS, And A Space Station

    NASA Budget Cuts Scrap Missions, SLS, And A Space Station

    Credit: Pixabay

    NASA’s newly released budget reveals a significant reduction in funding for the Orion spacecraft and the Lunar Gateway space station. The agency’s total budget has dropped to $18.8 billion, marking a 24% cut of $6 billion. NASA’s budget shift reflects a realignment of resources, prioritizing crewed missions to the Moon and Mars over the Orion spacecraft and the Lunar Gateway space station.

    The new budget proposal not only reflects the Trump administration’s goal to reduce federal spending, but it also signals a shift in NASA’s priorities that goes beyond just financial management. For many years, NASA has been at the heart of a complex debate, not just over funding, but also regarding the direction of the American space program in the 21st century.

    If the budget is approved, NASA plans to terminate both the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System (SLS) following the Artemis III mission, which is set to launch around 2027. With both projects already facing major delays and cost overruns, there have been calls to cancel them in favor of more advanced and cost-efficient commercial alternatives.

    Credit: Orion is one of the projects marked for cancellation ESA

    Escalating Costs and Delays: The Struggles of Orion and SLS Programs

    Orion is already $20 billion over budget and has faced continuous setbacks, including issues with its life support system and heat shield. Meanwhile, the SLS is decades behind schedule and has consumed $24 billion. Even more troubling, the expendable SLS will cost $4 billion per launch and will occur only once every two years. It has also faced criticism as a simplified version of the Apollo program, relying on 1970s-era Space Shuttle technology. Some view it more as a job creation scheme for congressional districts and aerospace contractors than a progressive space initiative.

    In addition to these changes, NASA is also canceling the Gateway project. Originally envisioned as an outpost in cislunar orbit to serve as a staging point for lunar and Mars missions, critics now argue that it is unnecessary. Due to ongoing delays, it now won’t be operational until the mid-2030s at the earliest. The new budget will terminate the Gateway project and reassign its completed components to other missions.

    Artemis Program Boosted: Increased Funding for Lunar and Mars Missions Amid Global Competition

    Despite these cuts, they do not signal a general reduction of the Artemis program. On the contrary, the budget includes a $7 billion increase for crewed lunar exploration, along with an extra billion dollars for a planned crewed mission to Mars. This funding boost aims to counter China’s growing ambitions to send astronauts to the Moon and Mars.

    Another component of the budget involves cutting missions deemed not cost-effective in terms of scientific returns relative to the investment. The leading candidate for cancellation is the Mars Sample Return mission, which is budgeted at up to $11 billion and wouldn't launch until the middle of the next decade. Other potential cuts include the aging Chandra X-ray Observatory, with an annual operating cost of $70 million, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which costs $3 billion and has been criticized as redundant compared to other missions, and $1.161 billion allocated for Earth science missions.
    Credit: The Space Launch System rocket NASA

    Another component of the budget involves cutting missions deemed not cost-effective in terms of scientific returns relative to the investment. The leading candidate for cancellation is the Mars Sample Return mission, which is budgeted at up to $11 billion and wouldn’t launch until the middle of the next decade. Other potential cuts include the aging Chandra X-ray Observatory, with an annual operating cost of $70 million, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which costs $3 billion and has been criticized as redundant compared to other missions, and $1.161 billion allocated for Earth science missions.

    The last point is notable because it highlights the rise of advocates who have long argued for NASA to shift its focus away from space launch vehicles, low Earth orbit stations, and Earth monitoring missions. Instead, they have pushed for a greater emphasis on deep space exploration, human spaceflight, and advanced technology, while leaving many traditional space functions to commercial companies.

    In addition, the budget abandons green aviation projects and places greater emphasis on supporting the FAA in carrying out the administration’s mandate to modernize America’s outdated air traffic control system.

    Credit: A Mars Sample Return mission spacecraft NASA

    Shifting Focus: Reducing U.S. Role in the ISS and Accelerating Private Sector Involvement

    One less obvious aspect of the budget is the shift towards reducing U.S. involvement in the International Space Station (ISS) before its planned decommissioning and deorbiting in 2030. While budget concerns may play a role,  recent reports suggest that the ISS may be in worse condition than initially thought, with cracks and air leaks potentially forcing an earlier evacuation and disposal of the orbital lab. As a result, NASA appears to be pushing more strongly for private companies to develop their own space stations and to expedite the development of the propulsion system needed to safely deorbit the ISS for a controlled burn-up in Earth’s atmosphere.

    “This proposal allocates resources to simultaneously explore the Moon and Mars while continuing to prioritize essential science and technology research,” said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro. “I am grateful for the President’s ongoing support of NASA’s mission and look forward to collaborating with the administration and Congress to ensure we keep advancing toward achieving the impossible.”

    Read the original article on: New Atlas

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