CMU taps insider to run its robotics consortium. (Carnegie Mellon University)

OAKLAND - Carnegie Mellon University has replaced the first director of its National Robotics Engineering Consortium with a CMU insider.

David Pahnos, director since the consortium's May 1994 inception, resigned Aug. 22, according to Don Hale, CMU vice president of communications.

He will be replaced by John Bares, research scientist at the Robotics Institute, who joined the CMU faculty in 1991 and was project manager of Dante, the robot used by NASA to study Mars.

CMU also named Tony Stentz, a fellow researcher, as associate director.

The change was handled quietly, and Mr. Pahnos' future plans weren't announced. He did not return several phone …