Today, SRT submitted a proposal to the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) sponsored by Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT). Our proposal, entitled “SRT’s Map-Building Robot for Creating Visual Facility Maps”, requests funding to enhance SRT’s map building robot, which is used to create a map of every facility in which SRT deploys the M1. This base facility map can be used to track the locations of service robots within the facility, static devices, or even tagged assets as they are moved throughout a building.

When working in the facility management market, SRT has learned that there is a specific market not just for using this detailed map within the M1 for device monitoring, but also as a standalone capability. Many facilities do not have accurate floorplans, or change configurations within their buildings at a regular frequency. SRT can build a structural map of a facility in a manner of hours, and display the physical structure of the building that is created. Additionally, SRT’s new mapping robot product will use other onboard sensors, such as Wi-Fi monitors, air quality sensors, and more, to extract additional non-physical information from a facility. This will allow SRT to build interactive heatmaps of signals distributed across a physical facility map. The CRCF funding for this project will develop this novel approach to providing modern data to any facility.

Center for Innovative Technology (CIT): The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) creates technology-based economic development strategies to accelerate innovation, imagination and the next generation of technology and technology companies. Created in 1985, CIT, a non-profit corporation, plugs gaps at the earliest stages of the Innovation Continuum commercialization and seed funding as it helps entrepreneurs launch and grow high-growth technology companies and create high-paying jobs for the future. To facilitate national innovation leadership and accelerate the rate of technology adoption, CIT creates partnerships between innovative technology start-up companies and advanced technology consumers. Lastly, CIT builds the infrastructure for new innovation economies with expert broadband strategies.

Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF): The Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) accelerates innovation and economic growth in Virginia by advancing solutions to important state, national, and international problems through technology research, development, and commercialization. Proposals submitted to CRCF undergo a multi-stage review process. The process includes assessment by subject matter experts (SMEs), followed by evaluation and award recommendations made by the Research and Technology Investment Advisory Committee (RTIAC) to the CIT Board of Directors. The review process culminates with award decisions made by the Board. CRCF awards contribute to the Commonwealth’s overall plan to enhance economic development through technology research and commercialization and, as such, CRCF awards must further the goals set forth in the Commonwealth Research and Technology Strategic Roadmap. In addition to identifying research areas worthy of economic development and institutional focus, the Roadmap provides a framework for aligning key industry sectors within the state. Since its inception in FY2012, CRCF has announced more than 300 awards totaling more than $25 million. View the growing list of recipients, including our FY2018 awardees.