Task 1

Prepare a 200- to 300-word history about the National Critical Technology (NCT) technical application your team has selected to solve a local or national problem.

He was able to escape. Though he was eventually captured, this could have turned into a very dangerous situation.     

  Inmate transfer is expensive. To transport one prisoner within three-hundred miles it costs over fifty dollars. If it is farther than three-hundred miles can cost hundreds or even thousands per inmate. With thousands of transport happening every year due to the over populated jails, millions of dollars are spent a year. If it became less expensive, there would be more money for more important things.

 Task 2

Cite three detailed examples of research done in the past 3 to 5 years which focused on the NCT technical application your team selected. Include:  

• the funding agency,
• the principal investigator's name, and
• the institution where the research is or was being conducted.

 Autonomous robotics has changed science for the better over the years. Scientists can use autonomous robotics to go or do something they themselves cannot do.  One of the things autonomous robots have aided in is the exploration of Mars. The mars rovers are semi-autonomous, meaning they are controlled by NASA, but can still do things on their own.

The Mars rovers can travel to a certain location by themselves. They do this by receiving a location to go to, and choosing a path. They will avoid any obstacles they find like rocks, craters, steep hills, and more. This is helpful for the exploration, because they can't have the Mars rovers crashing, falling, or breaking during the mission. Without these bad things happening to the Mars rovers, NASA could explore more of Mars as compared to how they would do without the autonomous software.

  Barnart, Tracy. Understanding the Prison Riot or Disturbance.7 May 2009. 5 November 2009 http://www.corrections.com/tracy_barnhart/?p=201.

  Recon Robotics. Recon Scout.2009. Recon Scout. 5 November 2009 <http://www.reconrobotics.com/index.cfm>.

TASER International, Inc. Scientific Principals.8 5 2007. 5 November 2009 <http://www.taser.com/research/Science/Pages/ScientificPrinciples.aspx>.

Task 3

Based on the research your team has done, explain how the NCT application chosen has advanced scientific knowledge.

Autonomous robotics has changed science for the better over the years. Scientists can use autonomous robotics to go or do something they themselves cannot do.  One of the things autonomous robots have aided in is the exploration of Mars. The mars rovers are semi-autonomous, meaning they are controlled by NASA, but can still do things on their own.

  The Mars rovers can travel to a certain location by themselves. They do this by receiving a location to go to, and choosing a path. They will avoid any obstacles they find like rocks, craters, steep hills, and more. This is helpful for the exploration, because they can't have the Mars rovers crashing, falling, or breaking during the mission. Without these bad things happening to the Mars rovers, NASA could explore more of Mars as compared to how they would do without the autonomous software.