QinetiQ ships measured response robot

QinetiQ North America’s Technology Solutions Group has shipped the first MAARS ground robot to the US military under a contract from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Low-Intensity Conflict (EOD/LIC) Program within the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO). MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) is the first fully modular ground robot system capable of providing a measured response including non-lethal, less-lethal and even lethal stand-off capabilities.

The MAARS system is an agile, combat-ready robot that is remotely controlled by the operator. The robot contains advanced processing capabilities and features a uni-body chassis with a plug-and-play design, which allows for ready use of new and evolving accessories and attachments. MAARS also comes with an easy-to-learn digital control system that provides comprehensive situational awareness that works up to a range of over one kilometre from the operator, effectively extending the reach of the operator and enhancing his survivability.

One of the most innovative capabilities of MAARS is the ability to apply non-lethal force by projecting the operator’s voice through mounted loudspeakers, or alternatively to pulse a green, eye-safe laser to dazzle people. In addition, MAARS’ two-way communication features allow the operator to interact from a safe distance. MAARS also has the capability to launch 40mm less-lethal ammunition, such as bean bags, smoke, star clusters and pepper spray, and lethal ammunition. If lethal action is required, an operator can launch 40mm high-explosive grenades or engage with the powerful M240B medium machine gun firing 7.62mm ammunition.

MAARS comes with tracks that can traverse all terrains, including stairs, and it is also capable of using wheels to increase speed and further reduce noise. The robot’s turret system is able to support a drop-in manipulator arm, multiple types of weapons and a wide range of sensor packages. Additional features include up to seven cameras with multi-modal capabilities. In the MAARS weapons-configured system, the operator always sees where the weapon is pointed in relation to himself and other friendly forces.

Source: QinetiQ

More QinetiQ stories here.
More robot stories here.

Talon's return

It seems much of the robot talk recently has focused on iRobot. However, the Talon by Foster-Miller (now a subsidiary of QinetiQ North America) is back.

F-M has been awarded a new $400 million IDIQ (indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity) contract for additional robots and replacement parts for service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The contract award was made by the Robotic Systems Joint Program Office (RSJPO) administered by the Naval Air Warfare Training Systems Division (NAVAIR). It is a follow-on to the $150 million IDIQ awarded in the spring of 2007 that has now been fully funded.

Over 2,000 Talon robots are now deployed around the world.

Source: Press Release

Photo: Foster-Miler

iRobot receives orders totaling $22M

iRobot Corp. has announced it received orders under two separate contracts from the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), that manages these contracts on behalf of the Robotic Systems Joint Project Office at Warren, Mich. and Huntsville, Ala.

PEO STRI placed a $16 million order, the third under the xBot contract, to put more than 200 robots and spare parts into the hands of infantry by October 31, 2008. Orders to date now total $27 million under this $286 million Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract.

iRobot also received a delivery order totaling $6.3 million under the PEO STRI contract for a combination of iRobot® PackBot® 510 with EOD kit robots, the iRobot PackBot with ICx Fido Explosives Detection Kits, as well as spare parts and equipment. Total orders under this $64 million IDIQ contract equal $52 million, and iRobot expects to complete delivery by the end of September 30, 2008.

To date iRobot has delivered more than 1,500 PackBot robots.

Source: iRobot

Extra reading ...

Here are some items of general interest that we have found or have had brought to our attention by readers. Thank you!

• Dubya archives White House email by hand - The Register

• FCS Lives to Fight Another Day - Aviation Week

• Mini-helicopters, flying saucers and robot buggies fight it out for war games prize - The Guardian

• Military expertise put to work in Canada's Arctic mapping research - CBC

• Push comes to shove in Afghanistan - Asia Times

• Anti-Radiation Suits for Belarus - Defense Industry Daily

Sources: As cited

Mini Robots for military

BAE has signed a $38 million agreement with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to lead an alliance of researchers and scientists from the Army, academia and industry. The goal? Mini robots for situational awareness.

"The Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance will research and develop advanced robotic equipment for use in urban environments and complex terrain, such as mountains and caves. The alliance will create an autonomous, multifunctional collection of miniature intelligence-gathering robots that can operate in places too inaccessible or dangerous for humans."

"The alliance has a planned duration of five years with an option to extend for an additional five years. MAST consists of four primary research areas, led by four principal alliance members: BAE Systems will lead Microsystems Integration, the University of Michigan will lead Microelectronics, the University of Maryland will lead Microsystem Mechanics, and the University of Pennsylvania will lead Processing for Autonomous Operation."

"The alliance also has five general members participating in one or more of the research areas: the University of California at Berkeley, the California Institute of Technology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of New Mexico, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University."

Source: BAE

Robotic FX and now for the soap opera

Last December we covered newcomer Robotic FX losing a huge Army contract. It seems their robot was actually iRobot's machine.

Noah Shachtman has written a great story about all of this over at Wired. Check it out.

More iRobot stories here.

Source: Wired

New on-board ROV hazard prediction application

Allen-Vanguard has launched ROV-Track CBRNE, a unique software application for its Defender and Vanguard bomb disposal robots which predicts and illustrates CBRNE hazard areas around a suspect device.

The hazard prediction is based on data compiled by meteorological and CBRNE sensors integrated with the ROV and transmitted to the command console. Scene controllers are provided with a clear visual display of potential down-wind exposure enabling the formulation of a safe and effective response. Continual recalculation based on prevailing conditions means that controllers can make decisions based on real-time status.

ROV-Track CBRNE predicts the hazard area based on relevant standards for blast effect, fragmentation and the characteristics of CBRN agents. However, these standards may be manually updated in line with the user’s experience and response protocols. Defender has integral GPS and can be fitted with up to four sensors as well as a set of disruptors. The smaller, more lightweight Vanguard™ can carry two sensors.

Source: Allen-Vanguard

Australian radiation watchdog

Australian scientists have developed a prototype remote-controlled robotic vehicle to detect radiation.

The concept vehicle, known as RASP, for Remote Advanced Sensor Platform, was developed jointly by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).

It’s small and light and can be operated from distances of up to 350 metres with full control of the robot.

“It could be deployed in almost any area or location, from aircraft to cargo containers,” said Mr Warren Snowdon, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel.

“For the first time, we will also be able to provide our national security agencies with the ability to remotely identify the nature of the radioactive sources.

“Emergency officers who detect the presence of radiation with their handheld instruments would be able to send in RASP and quickly discover if it has a half-life of several days or fifty thousand years.”

Mid-year scenario trials will be taken at ANSTO. The scenarios will closely emulate a real event involving radioactive material.

Source: DSTO

New power source gets push

The Defense Department has awarded Adaptive Materials of Ann Arbor MI a $2.35 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Grant.

Adaptive Materials had previously received $1.75 million from the U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Command to develop its propane fuel cell power system for use on iRobot's PackBot. Operational time is reported to have been extended from 2 to 10 hours.

The new grant will move forward Adaptive Material's efforts to develop its' technology for use with UAVs.

Source: Various Photo: Adaptive Materials

Big Dog robot

Thanks to Danger Room for bringing the latest Big Dog robot video to our attention.

We covered Boston Dynamics Big Dog project in our old newsletter. Financed by DARPA, Big Dog is essentially a robotic pack mule. The current model weighs in at 235lbs with a payload of 340lbs. This mechanical beast was already impressive but it has really advanced since the last videos we'd seen.

Graceful, no? Comical, certainly. Yet, when you see it operate on ice and in snow you have to think Boston Dynamics is on to something.

You can see the video here.

Sources: As cited.

LANdroid contract awarded

In June 2007 he Defense Advanced Research Projects (DARPA) issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) with the requirements for the LANdroid program. The BAA focused on two tasks.

A) The Autonomous Intelligent Control Layer

• Self-Configuration
• Self-Optimization
• Self-Healing
• Tethering
• and intelligent power management

B) The Underlying Low-cost, Low-power, Robust Platform

• Mechanical Platform
• Basic Behaviors
• Sensors/Actuators
• CPU
• Power
• Radio and Antennae

iRobot has announced it has received an award to develop the new portable communications relay robot in a multi-year program.

Sources: DARPA BAA and iRobot
Photo: DARPA

US Army gets robotic security

"The Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System (MDARS) is a joint Army-Navy development effort to provide an automated intrusion detection and inventory assessment capability for use in DoD warehouses and storage sites."

"The Exterior Program, initiated in 1993, awarded a BAA contract for the development of the outdoor mobility platforms to Robotic Systems Technology (RST, now GDRS), Westminster, MD.

"The mobility base is a rugged four-wheel hydrostatic-drive diesel-powered vehicle equipped with active-laser, ultrasonic-sonar, millimeter-wave-radar, and stereo-vision sensors for collision avoidance."

The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Robotic Systems a contract with a total potential value of $40 million for production of the robotic Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System (MDARS).

GDRS will produce the semi-autonomous vehicles, provide spare parts, training and technical services for a five years.

Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada will receive the first four robotic security vehicles produced under this program. Since 2005, the MDARS demonstration vehicles have been evaluated at the depot logging more than 8,000 hours and 28,000 miles of service.

Sorces: SPAWAR and GDRS

iRobot invests in tech

iRobot is the manufacturer of the popular PackBot military robots and the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV).

The Burlington MA company has just announced that it has invested $2.5 million in Advanced Scientific Concepts Inc (ASC). iRobot has also licensed ASD's "ladar" technology. Ladar, a mash-up of laser and radar, is used by ASD to produce 3-D images . These images could greatly advance robot mobility under adverse visual conditions such as unknown terrain or in dense fog.

You Tube has a technical presentation on the technology here.

Recent iRobot articles here.

Sources: As cited.

Robot navigation in the absence of GPs

What happens to your autonomous or semi-autonomous robot when GPS data is not available? This has been a glaring difficulty for developers particularly of military robots.

A paper has recently been published that points to a possible way forward. Two researchers at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute are proposing the use of a cost-based algorithm with kalman and particle filters to produce position estimates. The algorithm has been demonstrated using a Crusher robot with some success. The paper is presented here (PDF).

Sources: As cited

Testing of FCS early prototype systems accelerated

Boeing and partner Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the Lead Systems Integrator for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, today announced that the Army has accelerated test schedules for two FCS robotic prototypes based on current readiness levels and positive feedback from soldiers who are using early versions of the systems in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Beginning this month, 25 FCS Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) units developed jointly with iRobot Corporation and 11 Class I (Block 0) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) developed jointly with Honeywell will be delivered in increments to Army Evaluation Task Force soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas. The soldiers will train with the equipment before conducting user testing in the summer. Deliveries will occur between January and June 2008 with testing expected to conclude in September. Based on soldier feedback, a recommendation will be made to senior Army leadership whether to field the platforms or continue with system development under the core FCS program.

Source: Press release
Photo: Boeing

From lethal to less lethal could be good business

Metal Storm hasn't been in the news in a while. It's not that long ago, however, that everyone was watching videos of their rapid fire technology mounted on UGVs. Yesterday Metal Storm had a demo of it's technology but it's obviously looking for new markets. That's business and good for them if the new markets are there.

"The demonstration was designed to display several technical objectives which included the development of a family of Less Lethal munitions with smart round features; development of an electronic fire control system with targeting and ranging; the acquisition of a man-machine interface; and the integration of the entire system with an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV). Metal Storm met these objectives with an integrated weapon system that provides the operator with several options when responding to a domestic or Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) scenario."

"The system was developed by Metal Storm working with several key technology partners including iRobot who supplied their Warrior UGV platform and TeleRobotics who specializes in networked remotely operated weapons systems."

Source: Press Release

"The Robotic FX contract is no longer in existence,"

Those are the words of Joanne Byrd, the US Army administrator overseeing a $280 million contract.

The Readers Digest version goes something like this ... Unknown bidder (Robotic FX) wins big contract over iRobot. It seems the new company is run by a former iRobot employee. It seems the new robot is a lot like the iRobot product. The courts and private eyes get involved. Stuff is shredded. Finally DoD had enough and the contract has been awarded to iRobot.

The unfolding soap opera has been well covered by Hiawatha Bray in the Boston Globe.

Sources: Boston Globe, Engadget, iRobot Press Release.

New iRobot PackBot with Mapping Kit

Today iRobot announced a new release available to R&D labs in government, industry and academic institutions. "PackBot with Mapping Kit is the first field tested and deployed robot to integrate real-time mapping and semi-autonomous remote operational capabilities, delivering soldiers advanced situational awareness while they remain a safe distance from danger."

iRobot has been involved with the Wayfarer Project which looks to develop fully-autonomous urban reconnaissance capabilities for the PackBot. This effort is funded by the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Tank-Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC). It looks like the PackBot with Mapping Kit is the first spin-off of these efforts.

Source: Various including Corporate Press Release

Firefighting robot - the update

My Father-in-Law came back from the war and joined the Fire Department. Mind you, Andy was in the RCN and definitely not a robot. Even he, however, would enjoy this story.

Robot watchers know QinetiQ's Foster-Miller as the makers of the Talon robot deployed with EOD teams in Iraq. Popular Mechanics, The Register and others are covering F-M's firefighting robot capability which has had a demo in London. The capability has three parts.

1. A fireproofed Talon robot with a thermal imaging camera searches the area looking for, in this case, acetylene tanks,
   
2. Debris and general damage can be moved about by the Brokk 90, and
3. The Black Max unit has the "hose" function.

While this may not be a new idea for robot use, The Engineer covered QinetiQ's activities in 2002, it may be one that is practically just around the corner.

Sources: See links

NREC receives $14.4 Million AGV contract

"The US Army Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) awarded a $14.4 million contract to develop an advanced, autonomous, unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC).

The TARDEC contract funds NREC to build an updated version of the center’s successful “Crusher” UGV as part of the Autonomous Platform Demonstrator (APD) program. Additionally, TARDEC plans to add to the contract, on a work directive basis, additional effort for NREC Engineers to develop an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) end-to-end control architecture and demonstrate the viability of autonomous UGV operations in a relevant environment as part of the Robotic Vehicle Control Architecture (RVCA) program."

Source: NREC