The University has inked a deal with the Philippine Army for the prototype development of the “SAFEGUARD Robot,” an unmanned ground-based system intended for surveillance, field evaluation, and operational safety in military missions.
The partnership was sealed through a memorandum of agreement signed on Nov. 28 at the Rector’s Hall.
The Safeguard Robot, which stands for “Surveillance and Field Evaluator for Ground-based Unmanned Autonomous Robot,” is part of a project funded by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), to utilize science and technology to enhance national security.
According to UST, the collaboration highlights the partners’ “innovation, technical expertise, and shared commitment to national development and defense modernization.”
“The project aims to produce a prototype capable of enhancing field operations, reducing risks to personnel, and supporting data-driven decision-making in mission-critical environments,” the University said on its official website.
“With CHEd’s support and the strong partnership between UST and the Philippine Army, the SAFEGUARD Robot project is poised to contribute significantly to the modernization of autonomous systems in the Philippines,” it added.
Under the agreement, UST’s Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences (RCNAS) will oversee the prototype’s full development cycle.
Meanwhile, the Research and Development Center and Support Command of the Philippine Army will serve as co-implementor during the design, development, and testing process.
It will also provide technical expertise, assist in protocol review, and grant UST access to its fabrication and testing facilities for the project.
The project will be led by Prof. Anthony Bautista of RCNAS.
Prof. Eugenia Zhuo of the College of Information and Computing Sciences serves as co-project investigator while Asst. Prof. Antonio Etrata of the College of Commerce and Business Administration is the marketing team adviser.
Vice Rector for Research and Innovation Fr. Jannel Abogado, O.P. represented the University during the signing, while the Philippine Army was represented by Col. Nida Cuaresma.
Mary Sylvette Gunigundo, director of CHEd’s Office of Planning, Research and Knowledge Management, was also present in the ceremony.
