In 2011, President Obama announced the National Robotics Initiative (NRI) as part of the broader effort of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership Initiative in the United States.  NRI is a multi-agency program which focuses on developing robots that work with or beside people to extend or augment human capabilities, taking advantage of the different strengths of humans and robots.

The program is now in its second year, and $38 million of new funding was awarded from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and NASA.  Cora Marrett, Acting Director of NSF, shares her thoughts on the program:

NSF is proud to work with other government agencies to fund research that furthers technological advances in robotics.  Co-robots workalongside humans and make Americans more effective and efficient in many vital areas related to safety, productivity and health. This research continually expands what robots can do to enhance human capabilities.

NIH Director Francis Collins speaks of the importance to robotics in the medical field:

These projects have the potential to transform common medical aids into sophisticated robotic devices that enhance mobility for individuals with visual and physical impairments in ways only dreamed of before.  In addition, as we continue to rely on robots to carry out complex medical procedures, it will become increasingly important for these robots to be able to sense and react to changing and unpredictable environments within the body. By supporting projects that develop these capabilities, we hope to increase the accuracy and safety of current and future medical robots.

You can read about some of the exciting programs funded in the full NSF Press Release here.  The NIH Press Release discusses more of the projects and can be found here.