By MC2 Michael Ehrlich

NPS Warfare Innovation Chair Navy Capt. Jeff Hyink addresses the Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER) Warfare Innovation Workshop (WIW) in Glasgow Hall, Sept. 21. Hyink discussed how past workshops have inspired student research and contributed to the quality of the NPS experience.

"We have many things that come to NPS in the form of questions, challenges, money and expertise," said Hyink. "Innovation workshops bring your focus to bare on a handful of these inputs."

According to CRUSER Director Dr. Ray Beuttner, the WIW intends to create real-world, real-time changes in the Department of Defense.

"Our job is to not do what everyone else does in the Navy," said Buettner. "We are looking for different ideas and we're trying to create environments where new things can happen."

There is precedent for what Buettner wants to accomplish. He points to past government research, in related fields, that has benefited society as a whole.

"Engineers and scientists working for the government created the predecessor to the Internet and then industry took off with it. Robotics and unmanned systems will do the same thing," said Beuttner.

As directed by the Secretary of the Navy, CRUSER supports the Navy's mission through education and research in the fields of unmanned systems and robotics and is funded through the Office of Naval Research.