The R4: Rescue Robots for Research and Response project funding has now expired and we are exploring new mechanisms for bringing together robots, researchers, and responders. The R4 project was funded while CRASAR was housed at the University of South Florida through a National Science Foundation CISE Research Resources grant 0224401 in 2004 and ended in 2008. Dr. Rita Rodriguez was the Program Manager. The project permitted the purchase of 3 AirRobot quadrotor UAVs, 5 Inuktun VGTV robots; FLIR, range, laser illumination, and medical triage sensors; and data collection gear, creating a cache for researchers and responders.

Highlights of the project were:

• R4 robots and sensors were actually used in 10 different incidents, including Hurricanes Charley, Katrina, and Wilma and the Crandall Canyon Utah mine disaster, and were requested by responders to be on stand-by for 6 other incidents.

• R4 robots and sensors were used by 17 universities (Denver University, CMU, City University of New York, Cork Institute of Technology, Institute for Human-Machine Cognition, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Ohio State University, Simon Bolivar University, Texas A&M, Tohoku University, Tulane University, University of Central Florida, University of Massachusetts, University of Minnesota, University of New Orleans, University of Pittsburgh, University of South Florida) exposing over 50 graduate students and 100 undergraduates to rescue robotics research.

• CRASAR hosted 3 Summer Institutes and brought researchers to the field for 10 response exercises, exposing faculty and students from 11 universities (Brooklyn Polytechnic, CMU, Dartmouth, George Mason University, MIT, Texas A&M, University of Central Florida, University of Pennsylvania, University of Minnesota, University of South Florida, and University of Southern California) to field work. We especially thank Indiana Task Force 1, LSU Fire Emergency Training Institute, NIST, NASA Ames Research Center DART, Rescue Training Associates, Strong Angel, and Tampa Fire Academy for their help in arranging these exercises.

• CRASAR trained almost 800 responders from 41 states about rescue robotics, swapping training for access to exercises and facilities.