Defense Technology International - December 2007 - (Page 30)

VEHICLES ROBOTIC FOILING BOMBS AND BAD GUYS A large UGV in development by iRobot is Warrior, a 250-lb., multi-mission, modular vehicle. Warrior carries more than 150 lb. of payload at 12 mph., through rough terrain or up and down stairs. It is expected to be in RAMON LOPEZ•WASHINGTON series production by mid-2008. Warrior is also engineered for a machine gun, 40-mm. Improvised explosive devices (IED) cause more cagrenade launcher or a multi-barrel, 16-rounds-per-sec. sualties among U.S. forces than any other weapons in weapon from Australia’s Metal Storm, a specialist in Iraq. But even though there’s been a six-fold increase in high-ﬁring-intensity guns. Metal Storm developed a IEDs, bomb handlers are clearing half of them, with the 40-mm. electrically triggered gun capable (on paper, casualty rate holding steady over the past two years. at least) of ﬁring a million rounds per minute (DTI SepCountering the concealed, buried and vehicle-borne tember/October 2005, p. 25). bombs is a ﬂeet of small unmanned ground vehicles A modified version of Foster-Miller’s Talon robot (UGVs). During the past two years, the number of packs a punch of its own. Called Swords (Special WeapUGVs in Iraq and Afghanistan has increased to more ons Observation Reconnaissance Direct-action System), than 4,000 from 160. The robots performed nearly three of the remote-controlled models, equipped with 30,000 explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) missions M-249 machine guns, are used by infantry in Iraq to in 2006, neutralizing more than 11,000 IEDs. secure checkpoints and conduct armed reconnaissance. Two important military suppliers are iRobot Corp. in The robot has ﬁve cameras and can be armed with other Burlington, Mass., and Foster-Miller Inc. in Waltham, weapons, including a 50-caliber sniper riﬂe. Mass. The companies provide small (45 lb. or less) Weaponized robots undertake scout missions and bomb-disposal systems under the Man Transportable other dangerous duties, says Army Sgt. First Class JaRobotic Systems program. By son Mero, an EOD specialist 2012, the Pentagon could order who served in Iraq. Terrorists from them as many as 1,200 tacwill likely think twice before tical mobile robots worth $264 engaging machine gun-toting million, including spare parts, robots with night vision and training and repair services. other sensors. “You’re not goThe PackBot family of roing to try to sneak up on it,” bots from iRobot and the Talon Mero says. “And if you shoot models from Foster-Miller can at it, it’s going to know where be equipped with a range of you are.” options like Fido, an explosiveFoster-Miller is introducing detection technology from ICx an upgrade to Swords called Technologies Inc. in Arlington, Maars (Modular Advanced Va., that “sniffs out” car bombs Armed Robotic System). This at checkpoints. UGV totes an M240B medium The PackBot model 510 is demachine gun. It has signiﬁcant signed for an EOD kit. This UGV improvements reportedly in combines an enhanced chassis command and control, situwith an improved manipulaational awareness, maneutor arm and a simpliﬁed hand verability and mobility comcontroller, resulting in a fast, pared to Swords. Designed strong, easy-to-use robot that’s with a larger payload bay, the the same weight (42 lb.) and system weighs about 350 lb. size as the standard PackBot. and comes with a manipulaEarlier this year, iRobot tor arm that lifts 100 lb. teamed with Boeing to de- PackBot EOD robot from iRobot One contentious issue is a velop a next-generation small is a mainstay of bomb-disposal units legal battle between iRobot UGV whose specialty will be in Iraq and Afghanistan. and a former employee who reconnaissance and surveilformed a competitive UGV lance. Called SUGV Early, the robot, a 30-lb. version of manufacturer called Robotic FX Inc. in Place, Ill. A federal PackBot, is for use by infantry squads. SUGV Early—not court in November granted in part iRobot’s request for to be confused with the next-generation SUGV under a preliminary injunction prohibiting design features in development for the U.S. Army’s Future Combat SysRobotic FX’s Negotiator UGV that iRobot dubs a “Packtems—should be ready for delivery in 2008. Bot knock-off.” The case goes to trial in 2008. Small UGVs in Iraq inspect for bombs, watch out for The lawsuit alleges that Robotic FX misappropriated bad guys and shoot. Some models are equipped with iRobot’s trade secrets in developing the 20-lb. NegotiTaser non-lethal weapons, while others pinpoint snipator’s tracked system. Negotiator had beaten PackBot ers with optical and acoustic sensors. for a $280-million xBot contract from the U.S. Army Larger UGVs have a place as well. R-Gator, from iRofor 3,000 robots. The Army set aside the contract in bot and John Deere, is for use in battleﬁeld casualty October, pending a reassessment of Robotic FX’s abilextraction and as a scout, perimeter-guard or supply ity to deliver the UGVs, and iRobot seeks to overturn vehicle. the contract. I IROBOT 30 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL DECEMBER 2007 www.aviationweek.com/dti http://www.aviationweek.com/dti

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Defense Technology International - December 2007 Contents Around the World Science Watch Tech Watch BrahMos: Ramjet Ship Killer r-e-s-p-e-c-t Deja Vu Trump Card Dubai Demos Agile Helos Joint Force Online Charge UGVs Creep, Crawl to Victory Sweet Ride Fast, Lethal Ship Defense Networking Stealth: Why Raptors Can't Talk The Net Cutting Edge First Person In Review Insight

Defense Technology International - December 2007

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