We developed and demonstrated a UAV package that works in conjunction with the PackBot UGV to allow medium
range missions. Both the UAV and UGV are man portable, and the combined system can be used from unimproved
airfields such as soccer pitches. The UAV is capable of up to 75lbs of payload, while weighing less than 30lbs. This
document describes the initial proof of concept prototype, the associated ground and flight tests, and areas for further
development.
The digital, modular architecture of the iRobot PackBot EOD has been exploited to integrate an explosives vapor
detector. This expands the usefulness of the UGV from its core EOD role to checkpoint vehicle inspections and facility
clearing. From initial tests to deployment and training in Iraq and subsequent user feedback, we present the trials and
tribulations of this effort from the perspective of the engineers that traveled to Baghdad.
The pocket-sized ThrowBot is a sub-kilogram-class robot that provides short-range remote eyes and ears for urban combat. This paper provides an overview of lessons learned from experience, testing, and evaluation of the iRobot ThrowBot developed under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Tactical Mobile Robots (TMR) program. Emphasis has been placed on investigating requirements for the next generation of ThrowBots to be developed by iRobot Corporation and SPAWAR Systems Center, San Diego (SSC San Diego) Unmanned Systems Branch. Details on recent evaluation activities performed at the Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) test site at Fort Benning, GA, are included, along with insights obtained throughout the development of the ThrowBot since its inception in 1999 as part of the TMR program.
The PackBot EOD firing system was developed to allow the safe initiation of disruptors used to disable improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Safety is assured despite the use of communication links shared by possibly insecure computers on UGVs and control stations. This specific firing system was developed to enforce a particular EOD operational protocol where a single operator is responsible for the loading and use of the weapon. A unique combination of hardware and software design allows for unprecedented safety.
A method is presented for distributed position control of the tip of a high degree of freedom tentacle. The scheme employs limited communications which occurs only between adjacent degrees of freedom and are distributed as identical processes at joint. An iterative approach to position control allows automatic path planning around obstacles to occur. The resulting system allows complex tasks to be performed with limited computation and sensing resources. The algorithm was used as a basis for locomotion for a mobile robot with four tentacles.
This report covers work under phase one of the Micro Unattended Mobility System project investigating the addition of a mobile sensor components to existing and future ground penetrator delivered unattended sensor systems. A typical unattended sensor strategy consists of air-dropping sensor packages into a target terrain for remote observation and intelligence gathering. Existing and planned unattended systems have no control over their location after the drop is complete. We propose to augment the capability of these sensing packages by giving them a degree of local mobility. From an assumed operational scenario, vehicle design specifications are identified that would be required for mission success. Three basic mobility concepts are presented and evaluated for their strengths and weaknesses in the proposed mission. The mobility concepts are grouped into wheeled, jumping, and crawling systems. Of the three mobility concepts discussed, the system that shows the most promise is presented in a more detailed design. This design consists of two side by side wheels which drag a reaction tail behind them. The control electronics, batteries, and drive motors are housed in a central body connected to the tail and two sensor payloads can be placed in the wheel hubs. This design is proposed for further development and testing in the second phase of this project.
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