Dr. Robin Murphy, Raytheon professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, was named an Agent of Change by TIME.
TIME honors those who are the inventors, builders, experimenters and imaginers of future technology as Agents of Change. Researchers who use their skills and talents to help others are given this distinction.
Murphy’s efforts in disaster robotics for the past 20 years have solidified her place as an Agent of Change. As the pioneer in disaster robotics, she saw the need for her research in the mid-1990s after the Oklahoma City bombing. At the time, most roboticists were focused on space exploration.
“I realized that the world did not need another person trying to send robots into space,” Murphy said. “What the world could use was someone deploying that technology to help people.”
Murphy’s first disaster response was at the World Trade Center after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Her robots were used to collect information and search in places that were too small or too hot for rescuers to enter. They provided vital information for the responders.
“It was a life changing experience,” Murphy said. “More than ever, I realized how important it was to spend my time as an advocate for the use of disaster robots.”
Murphy was contacted by TIME shortly after her TED talk on disaster robotics went public on the 10-year anniversary of Hurrican Katrina. Hurricane Katrina was the first use of small unmanned aerial vehicles for a disaster.
“Being in TIME has brought more attention to Texas A&M and our department as a whole,” Murphy said. “I have already seen an increase in industry contacts and interest from potential students. I couldn’t do this work anywhere but here at Texas A&M.”
At Texas A&M, Murphy serves as the director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station’s Center for Emergency Informatics. Her research focuses on providing disaster responders with the information they need to make the best decisions.
Murphy is the founder of the Roboticists Without Borders program which provides worldwide disaster response and assistance at no cost to responders and agencies. The program’s mission is to help those in need while educating responders about the value and usefulness of robots in disaster situations. The end goal is for responders world-wide to own and be able to deploy disaster robots by 2021.