TECDRON es una compañía francesa que se dedica entre otras actividades al diseño y fabricación de UGVs para uso industrial y militar.
Debido a las actividades para las que están concebidos, fabrica sus UGVs en aleaciones comunmente utilizadas por la industria aeroespacial, asegurando así la máxima robustez.
Entre sus UGV hay uno que nos ha llamado la atención: El QUATOR. Esencialmente se trata de un UGV anfibio (IP67) para misiones ISR, dotado de un potente motor capaz de propulsarlo a una velocidad máxima de 9 mph (14,48 Km/H). Es muy fácil de conducir, y entre sus cargas de pago opcionales incluye una cámara EO/IR de hasta X36, alojada en una torreta giroestabilizada. David del Fresno Consultores http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno
VOP CZ y su filial CAFR (Center for Advanced Field Robotics) han desarrollado conjuntamente un nuevo UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) multipropósito para uso militar, que formará parte del Ejército de la República Checa, en base al Programa del Soldado del Siglo XXI (21st Century Soldier Programme).
Denominado TAROS 6x6 V2, este UGV es similar en apariencia al Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) de Lockheed Martin. Y decimos "en apariencia", ya que entre otras ventajas el TAROS cuenta con sistemas de propulsión transmisión y suspensión independientes para cada rueda, asociados a un actuador electromecánico para la dirección.
Fire Ox es un UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) de Lockheed Martin, concebido para ayudar en tareas de extinción de incendios forestales.
Está diseñado para apagar fuegos, para llevar a cabo operaciones de búsqueda y rescate de víctimas, y para manejar materiales peligrosos. En definitiva: Un UGV para llegar donde los bomberos no pueden llegar.
El Ejercito Ruso ha mostrado imágenes de su UGCV (Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle) “Platform-M” durante unos ejercicios llevados a cabo en una base naval de Kamchatka.
Este UGCV está concebido para llevar a cabo tanto misiones ISR, como misiones de combate frente a blancos fijos o móviles.
El ejército ruso cuenta ya con un nuevo UGCV (Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle) (Vehículo de Combate Terrestre No Tripulado) que ha sido presentado al presidente Vladimir Putin.
Su desarrollo forma parte del esfuerzo que está desarrollando el ejército para dotarse de sistemas robotizados terrestres, de cara a un eventual conflicto militar. Sobre este nuevo UGCV no se sabe gran cosa: Tan sólo que es un vehículo armado, que está preparado para atravesar todo tipo de terrenos, y que puede ser utilizado tanto de forma autónoma como semiautónoma.
En lo referente a su utilización autónoma, posee la capacidad de ser programado para llevar a cabo de manera automática un plan de ataque prefijado, moviéndose entre dos puntos, pero con la suficiente autonomía como para detectar y evitar obstáculos. No se sabe más, pero se espera que sea mostrado al público el próximo 9 de Mayo de 2015 durante el desfile militar que se celebrará en Moscú.
NERVA LG es un Mini UGV de Nexter Robotics, diseñado para llevar a cabo misiones de reconocimiento.
Puede ser operado a distancia con suma facilidad ya sea desde el interior de un vehículo, o directamente por las tropas desplegadas en el terreno.
El sistema está desarrollado para integrar fácilmente diferentes cargas de pago, haciendo de este UGV un instrumento eficaz para todo tipo de misiones.
Advances in tactical robotics are changing operations on the battlefield and beyond. Both the private sector and the government are driving innovation in the robotics fields, towards four cardinal points:
1) Mobility and dexterity to maneuver in the degraded environments typical of disaster zones
2) Ability to manipulate and use a diverse assortment of tools designed for humans
3) Ability to be operated by humans who have had little to no robotics training
4) Partial autonomy in task-level decision-making based on operator commands and sensor inputs
Main UGVOEMs are doing much to advance in the areas of command-and-control for various purposes, including bomb disposal, unmanned convoys and reconnaissance. Just as an example, iRobotR&D Engineering Team have created a controller called uPoint that functions similar to a universal remote control, but for ground robots instead of entertainment devices. With it, users can operate all iRobot UGVs through a tablet application, switching instantly between one robot and another.
Running on an Android system, the uPoint offers an open-architecture ability to integrate with larger cloud environments and provides enhanced communications capabilities. It features frequency agility within the bands it operates on, automatically seeking out least-congested frequencies. Less experienced users can enjoy those benefits automatically while experts could access deeper into the system to manually tailor communications options.
With uPoint, all the iRobotUGVs have similar, if not identical graphical user interfaces that reduce the time to reach proficiency, said Tim Trainer, vice president of robotic products at the company. They all talk on the same radio networks, playing into the idea of the family of systems. By reaching back into the cloud, uPoint can upload sensor data to command-and-control networks while simultaneously downloading specific mission data, training and maintenance tools. Trainer said iRobot fully expects that as the ecosystem of application-based programs grows, more third parties will release apps that can be leveraged by operators on the company’s system.
NERVA® LG robotic system is the result of an iterative approach which closely combines operational tests and technical adjustments.
This guarantees NERVA® LG perfectly meets operational expectations, while offering the best of mature technology at very low cost. Thus, beyond its extreme robustness (throwable, fully waterproof), NERVA® LG can be easily controlled from any standard PC, Tablet or Smartphone; it proposes semi-autonomous capabilities to reduce operator’s workload, such as way-point navigation or automatic back homing when mission is completed.
The NERVA® LG platform can be equipped with a large set of standard or dedicated payloads: For example, the reconnaissance version is proposed with thermal infra-red camera (8-12µ), panoramic day vision (360°) and general interconnection block (Ethernet, USB, video) to equip the robotic platform with any equipment compliant with these widely available standards.
Wall-Ye, the vineyard robot, created by Christophe Millot, French engineer and inventor, is an unmanned ground vehicle with capabilities to gather and record data, memorize the vineyard, synchronize multiple cameras and use its arms to tackle tasks such as pruning and de-suckering.
Carnegie Robotics experts will design and build several AMDS prototype mine-detection sensor suites and mount them to a government-furnished TALON IV tracked UGV from QinetiQ North America in Reston, Va., which the Army calls the Man-Transportable Robotic System (MTRS).
The AMDS consists of a suite of three payload modules to be deployed on an MTRS unmanned vehicle:
The mine detection and marking payload module
The explosive hazards detection and marking payload module
The neutralization payload module.
The mine detection and marking payload module remotely detects and marks surface-laid and buried metallic and low-metallic antitank and antipersonnel land mines and scatterable munitions.
The explosive hazards detection and marking payload module remotely detects and marks surface laid, partially buried. and camouflaged explosive hazards.
The neutralization payload module, meanwhile, remotely neutralizes surface laid, buried and camouflaged explosive hazards.
At five meters long and 2.5 meters wide, the Black Knight is very similar to a tank.
People in the global defense industry have high hopes for the Black Knight and see it as the future of ground warfare: The vehicle can be operated by a Dismounted Control Device (DCD), which is essentially a large remote control.
Black Knight is operated by a 300 horsepower Caterpillar engine, travelling at the same speed as main battle tanks. Many of the automotive parts in the Black Knight are the same as in the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. It is one of the most sophisticated of the unmanned ground combat vehicles, and its development is at an advanced phase.
Below, the Lockheed Martin Squad Mission Support System Unmanned Ground Vehicle equipped with a Gyrocam 9-inch mid-wave, surveillance sensor was flown by sling load into the “hostile” area using a Lockheed Martin K-MAX® unmanned helicopter, and a tactical resupply and surveillance mission was conducted in autonomous and tele-operated modes demonstrating “extending the reach of the warfighter” – video courtesy of Lockheed Martin:
Both SMSS and K-MAX were equipped with mobile Satellite Communications (SATCOM) systems as well as local line-of-sight communications systems. A remote operations center equipped with SATCOM controlled and monitored the vehicles’ activities throughout the demonstration. During the test, the Gyrocam 9-inch, mid-wave surveillance sensor provided constant video surveillance during each phase of the mission, including while in flight. The elevated system scanned for threats and provided geo-location coordinates of hostile personnel for indirect-fire missions.
“Fully autonomous capabilities as we’ve just demonstrated will allow service members to focus on important missions and remain out of harm’s way,” said Scott Greene, vice president of Ground Vehicles for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This successful demonstration with both unmanned air and ground vehicles shows us that these missions are not only possible, but can be available much sooner than you would expect.”
US defence/aerospace firm Lockheed Martin has demonstrated that unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) can operate in convoys through urban environments. The unmanned ground vehicle convoy trial was carried out at Fort Hood, located between Waco and Austin in Texas. (Read more)
In collaboration with DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation) of India, Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz has designed and manufactured a new mini tracked unmanned ground vehicle with CBRN equipment mounted on the top of the vehicle able to enter into hazardous areas to detect CBRN contamination and collect sample for post processing.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) received a contract from the U.S. Army Robotics Technology Consortium to conduct a fully autonomous reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition experiment using both its Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) unmanned ground vehicle and its K-MAX unmanned air vehicle. Contract terms are not being disclosed.
Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) on the battlefield are an established fact.
If, until a few years ago, anyone doubted the feasibility of this technology, he should look to the Order of Battle of the US Army to understand the global trend – in 2004 the US Army had about 150 UGVs, and today their ORBAT consists of tens of thousands.
Admittedly, this is a problematic technology, to say the least, in terms of ethics and safety, but as far as operational aspects are concerned, a UGV fitted with a Remotely Controlled WeaponStation (RCWS) is the ‘Silver Bullet’ in the eyes of many. “The development of weapon stations for UGVs is one of the objectives of Rafael’s business strategy,” says Yizhar S., in charge of land systems marketing at Rafael. “One should bear in mind that this technology precedes most of the world in this field. We are currently participating in one of the world’s first projects involving the mounting of a weapon station on a UGV used by IDF."
The technological complexity notwithstanding, there is still no structured regulation around the world for the field of shooter UGVs. “This technology will remain the domain of very few countries in the future as well,” says Yizhar S. “The target audience for these vehicles will be relatively limited, owing to safety considerations. At the same time, as long as there is demand in the IDF, we will continue to develop this field. In the world of HLS it is not likely that shooter UGVs will enter service with police forces and we would see them on city streets. In the end, what you have here is an unmanned, armed vehicle that you want to deploy in an urban environment teeming with people. There is still a lot of apprehension around this issue.”
