UGV & UGCV: The Rise of the Joystick Army

[agentperry]

it is just extension of humans.

when probability of loss of life is greater than 50% with the degree of sensitivity less than .75, bots are thrown in the field

 

[Kunal Biswas]

when probability of loss of life is greater than 50% with the degree of sensitivity less than .75, bots are thrown in the field

nothing can match human capability and flexibility and not to mention on the spot use of BRAIN.

Fire support operations..

 

[agentperry]

Fire support operations..

fire SUPPORT

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Black Knight Unmanned Combat Vehicle

Black Knight Unmanned Combat Vehicle

Black Knight demonstrates how UGCVs can be used in the field and showcases current robotics technologies. NREC applied its expertise in sensor fusion, unmanned systems, obstacle detection, path planning, autonomy and teleoperation to improve Black Knight's mission performance and support Soldier operation.





Black Knight's Robotic Operator Control Station (ROCS)

Black Knight's Robotic Operator Control Station (ROCS) displays images from the vehicle's driving cameras and includes a game controller-style hand controller and a touch screen interface for maps and vehicle systems.

Black Knight can be used day or night for missions that are too risky for a manned ground vehicle (including forward scouting, reconnaissance surveillance and target acquisition, (RSTA), intelligence gathering, and investigating hazardous areas) and can be integrated with existing manned and unmanned systems. It enables operators to acquire situational data from unmanned forward positions and verify mission plans by using map data to confirm terrain assumptions.

Black Knight demonstrates the advanced capabilities that are available to unmanned ground combat vehicles (UGCVs) using current technology. Its 300 hp diesel engine gives it the power to reach speeds of up to 48 mph, with off-road autonomous and teleoperation speeds up to 15 mph. Its band-tracked drive makes it highly mobile in extreme off-road terrain while reducing its acoustic and thermal signatures. The 12-ton Black Knight can be transported within a C-130 cargo plane and makes extensive use of components from the Bradley Combat Systems program to reduce costs and simplify maintenance.

Black Knight can be teleoperated from within another vehicle (for example, from the commander's station of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle) or by dismounted Soldiers. Its Robotic Operator Control Station (ROCS) provides an easy-to-use interface for teleoperating the vehicle. Black Knight's autonomous and semi-autonomous capabilities help its operators to plan efficient paths, avoid obstacles and terrain hazards, and navigate from waypoint to waypoint. Assisted teleoperation combines human driving with autonomous safeguarding.

Black Knight was extensively tested both off-road and on-road in the Air Assault Expeditionary Force (AAEF) Spiral D field exercises in 2007, where it successfully performed forward observation missions and other tasks. Black Knight gave Soldiers a major advantage during both day and night operations. The vehicle did not miss a single day of operation in over 200 hours of constant usage.



Black Knight's sensor systems

NREC developed Black Knight's vehicle controller, tele-operation, perception and safety systems.

Black Knight's perception and control module includes Laser Radar (LADAR), high-sensitivity stereo video cameras, FLIR thermal imaging camera, and GPS. With its wireless data link, the sensor suite supports both fully-autonomous and assisted (or semi-autonomous) driving.

Black Knight's autonomous navigation features include fully-automated route planning and mission planning capabilities. It can plan routes between waypoints – either direct, straight-line paths or paths with the lowest terrain cost (that is, the lowest risk to the vehicle). Black Knight's perception system fuses LADAR range data and camera images to detect both positive and negative obstacles in its surroundings, enabling its autonomous navigation system to avoid them.

These autonomy capabilities can also assist Black Knight's driver during teleoperation. Black Knight can plan paths to be manually driven by its operator. In "guarded teleoperation" mode, objects that are detected by the perception system are overlaid on the driving map, enabling drivers to maneuver around them. The vehicle also stops when it detects lethal obstacles in its path.

Black Knight is driven from the Robotic Operator Control Station (ROCS), located within another vehicle. It can also be driven off-board via its safety controller. The ROCS displays images from the vehicle's color and FLIR driving cameras and includes a hand controller for steering the vehicle and operating its sensors. It also allows the driver to control and view the status of the various vehicle and sensor systems. Map and route displays help the driver to navigate through unfamiliar terrain.

The ROCS also allows operators to control the Commander's Independent View (CIV) sensor suite. The CIV is used for remote surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) and includes color video and FLIR cameras.




Carnegie Mellon University Link

 

[nrj]

DRDO eyes robotic soldier, mule

CHENNAI: India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is in the process of building robotic soldiers and mules as a part of its unmanned fighting systems of the future, said an official Sunday.

"We are working on building soldier robots that can work like a human soldier. Such a robot needs data base, artificial intelligence to carrying out its activities and the DRDO is planning to build such a robot," V.K. Saraswat, scientific advisor to defence minister and director general, DRDO, told reporters here.

After inaugurating new facilities inside the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) campus, he said the DRDO was also planning to design a robotic mule that could replace a real one used by soldiers in mountainous terrain.

The DRDO has already developed Daksh, a remote-controlled robotic vehicle, for detecting and destroying dangerous objects like bombs and has been approved by the Indian Army for induction.

The army will start trials of DRDO's main battle tank Arjun Mark II from next October, said P. Sivakumar, director, CVRDE.

He said the army had ordered 124 units of the upgraded Arjun tanks.

According to him, the CVRDE would be completing the supply of Mark I version of Arjun tanks by March 2012. "We have supplied 110 units out of the total 124 units that were ordered," he said.

The Indian tanks were far cheaper, costing around Rs.21 crore each, as compared to Rs.56 crore each of American battle tanks of a similar nature.

"If there are more orders then the cost would come down further," added Saraswat.

According to Sivakumar, the CVRDE was planning to source the battle tank engines and transmission systems from BEML Ltd. Presently, the engines and transmissions were imported.

Queried about the commercialisation of the technologies developed by the DRDO, Saraswat said the annual revenue was currently around Rs.30 crore and it was growing.

He earlier inaugurated the new technology centre, jointly set up by the CVRDE and BEML, a suspension testing facility for Arjun tank and combat veronics technology centre.

The centre will address the design and development of defence products and aggregates including research and development products.

According V.R.S. Natarajan, chairman and managing director of BEML, the two organisations are now working together with a foreign firm for building and supplying 155 mm, 52 calibre tracked gun.

BEML supported the CVRDE in development of Arjun tank sub-systems, documentation and other activities.

The new centre is being set up for better and faster coordination between BEML and CVRDE. BEML will depute 18 engineers to work at the new centre.


DRDO eyes robotic soldier, mule - The Economic Times

​

 

[nrj]

DRDO developing robots to function as soldiers

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Requesting Mods to Merge this thread here:

http://defenceforumindia.com/defence-industry/27645-lockheed-martin-armed-robotic-vehicle-assault-light.html

Thank you..

 

[nrj]

Merged..........................

 

[Tshering22]

DRDO developing robots to function as soldiers

I just pray that let them get manned tech first in correct time frame before indulging in something this serious and ambitious.

@Kunal,

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't we have a specific division in government agencies that deals with development of unmanned defense platforms?

 

[Kunal Biswas]

@Kunal,

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't we have a specific division in government agencies that deals with development of unmanned defense platforms?

No Idea about it..

Its possible..

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Daksh robot to get more teeth
Developed to handle explosives and IEDs, remotely operated vehicle will soon have weapons, more power, night vision

Terrorists fighting the army in insurgency-hit areas will soon have to face a new combatant that they cannot kill. The Research and Development Establishment (R&DE), Dighi, is developing a weaponised version of the 'bomb hunter' Daksh robot specifically for fighting militants alongside soldiers.

Fighting machine: The Gun Mounted Robot version of the Daksh with
the light machine gun and and the grenade launcher barrels at the
DRDO's robotics testing facility in Dighi. Pic/Krunal Gosavi

The R&DE is one of the several laboratories of the Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO),.country's premier weapons maker. The Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Daksh was originally developed for handling bombs like Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and officially inducted into the army in December last year.

Christened Gun Mounted Robot (GMR), it will have a 7.62 mm light machine gun with 'belt-fed ammunition' and a 30 mm grenade launcher. The GMR will not only pack lethal firepower but will also have night vision and thermal imaging equipment.

Dr. Alok Mukherjee, who heads the Robotics Development Center of R&DE, said that the robot could replace soldiers in sensitive locations in insurgency-hit areas thereby minimising human losses. "The original platform, which carried the Daksh was too slow for a weaponised version. So we designed a much faster and silent electrical engine that is four times powerful than the original. The batteries will also be replaced with newly developed ones which can last longer along with the range which will be increased to 1km from 0.5 km," Mukherjee said.

He, however, refused to divulge technical and performance details of the engine citing security reasons. 2 varieties of tyres GMR will also have two types of tyres, one for urban environment and the other will be pneumatic tyres for crosscountry terrains. However, the notable feature is not the weapons but the Target Tracking System where the guns can move in direction of a moving target after 'locking on' with the camera. "We are trying to enhance the accuracy of the TTS and fine-tuning the integration with the camera so that it cannot miss fast moving targets," he said.

R&DE has already completed the prototype version and it will be another 2 years until the final product is ready after a series of tests and alterations. "We are open to selling the robot to paramilitary and other state police forces," he said.

I don't understand what makes him to select wheeled vehicle, And a Electric engine ?

1. This system used by marines, the reason i preferred track is coz it can endure bursts of bullets at tracks which is common..
2. Electric engines will lose batt, But a small diesel engine or petrol will keep electric flow through the vehicle, Powering it for longer time with batt..



The vehicle needed to be size of a man not Little..

German weasel

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Ripsaw is a developmental unmanned light tank

The Ripsaw is a developmental unmanned light tank designed and built by Howe & Howe Technologies for evaluation by the United States Army.[1] It is able to hit 60 mph in about 4 seconds.The Ripsaw started as a small family project in 2000 by the Howe brothers. It was introduced at a Dallas vehicle show in 2001 and caught the interest of the U.S. Army. Later that year the U.S. Military ordered a prototype MS-1 to be made and shipped to Iraq.

To date, multiple prototype variants of the Ripsaw exist:

Ripsaw UGV (non-militarized) prototype could hit 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, since it was lighter, but it wasn't as strong/rugged.

Ripsaw MS1 tactical UGV utilizes a powerful oversized and customized 650-horsepower Duramax 6.6L V8 diesel engine that delivers 900 ft-lbs (~ 1,220 Nm) of torque.

 

[H.A.]

Cheetah is a new robot being developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA's Maximum Mobility and Manipulation program. Last week Cheetah set a new land speed record for legged robots, galloping 18 mph on the treadmill. This version of the Cheetah is a lab prototype with offboard

 

[H.A.]

This UGV can jump a whooping 30 feet to overcome an obstacle...watch the video:

 

[H.A.]

Amazing wheel articulation...for this unmanned vehicle...

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Marines evaluate multiple Oshkosh TerraMax-equipped MTVRs in convoy operations
OSHKOSH, Wis. (Aug. 6, 2012)


Unmanned tactical wheeled vehicles that have the potential to serve as a force multiplier and reduce Warfighters' exposure to lethal attacks continue to come closer to reality. The U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL) and Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation , recently conducted the Marines' first-ever training of multiple unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) in a single convoy using the Oshkosh TerraMaxâ„¢ UGV technology. The Marines then evaluated the UGVs to determine how they can be utilized to support real-world "dull, dirty and dangerous" missions.

These most recent developments are a continuation of the MCWL's Cargo UGV initiative, which uses Oshkosh Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements (MTVR) equipped with the TerraMax UGV technology, and took place during the MCWL's Enhanced MAGTF Operations (EMO) Limited Objective Experiment (LOE) 2.2, July 24 through Aug. 5 at Fort Pickett, Va. The EMO LOE 2.2 sought to evaluate technologies and capabilities being developed for future missions.

"Seven Marines were trained on our UGVs' operations in only three days at the EMO LOE 2.2," said John Beck, chief unmanned systems engineer for Oshkosh Corporation. "That's a testament to the TerraMax technology's ease of control and user-friendly design. The capabilities of our highly sophisticated UGV systems require minimal user intervention to complete their missions – opening the door for future logistics operations to be conducted with fewer Warfighters, reducing cost and saving lives."

Combat-veteran Marines were trained on the Oshkosh UGV technology for the first time in August 2011 and also assessed it in a series of tests in challenging terrain and environments. Following that successful evaluation, Oshkosh delivered a second TerraMax-equipped MTVR earlier this year, and in June the government evaluated two Oshkosh UGVs operating in concert with a manned command-and-control vehicle.


Several key tasks were accomplished, including:

One operator supervised the operation of two unmanned MTVRs in convoy operations Vehicles operated successfully in complete blackout mode during night operations with no degradation in performance

Vehicles navigated a wide range of terrain, including deep sand trails, clay roads with encroaching vegetation, two-track trails overgrown with grass and narrow creek crossings, and adjusted speeds to maintain proper intra-vehicle spacing

TerraMax UGV Technology

The Oshkosh TerraMax UGV technology is designed as a scalable kit.

It can be integrated on new-production vehicles, including those built by other manufacturers, or retrofitted on existing vehicle fleets.

Vehicles using the TerraMax technology can retain original payload and performance capabilities, and they can run planned missions in full autonomous mode or by "shadowing" a leader vehicle.


The TerraMax technology can function in the same weather conditions and operating environments as manned vehicles, requiring minimal human interaction and operator training. Oshkosh is teamed with the National Robotics Engineering Center of Carnegie Mellon University for perception system and autonomy software development.

The Cargo UGV project is sponsored by MCWL and the Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise Robotics Technology Consortium. Oshkosh received a contract for the Cargo UGV initiative in June 2010.

http://www.oshkoshdefense.com/news/4...uture-missions

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) awarded patent rights to Autonomous Solutions, Inc. (ASI) for the Guidelineâ„¢ Robotic Leader-Follower System (No. 8, 116, 921 B2).

The Guidelineâ„¢ Unmanned Convoy System provides a variety of immediate and significant benefits to military and industrial operators:

Reduce driving personnel by 2X or more
Keep more military personnel out of harm's way in active combat zones
Increase efficiency in non-combat or industrial zones
Adaptable for any size of vehicle from small ATVs to heavy military transport vehicles
Operational in all types of terrain, road conditions, and weather
Failsafe, redundant leader-follower system for GPS/laser guided convoy systems in case of signal loss or interference

The Guidelineâ„¢ system is a robotically controlled guidance system mounted to the front of military or industrial vehicles. Each Guidelineâ„¢ unit contains a Kevlar tether on a mechanical spool.

Sensors in the unit monitor the vector, speed, and length of the tether leaving or returning to the spool and relay the data to the vehicle's automation kit.

The kit's onboard computer determines the position and speed of the lead vehicle and plots a course for the autonomous vehicle that mimics the exact path of the leader.

As the lead vehicle accelerates, Guidelineâ„¢ automatically increases the buffer distance between the two vehicles to allow for a safe stopping distance.

"What seems to excite people the most," said Mel Torrie, CEO of Autonomous Solutions, "is that Guidelineâ„¢ can be fielded now. It is simple, failsafe redundant, and doesn't depend on sensors that can be jammed or obstructed. It is also very affordable in low quantities."

ASI's Guidelineâ„¢ Robotic Convoy System is currently being used in field trials in the United States, Australia, and Singapore for a variety of operation scenarios.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...165433716.html

RELATED LINKS
Autonomous Solutions: http://www.autonomoussolutions.com

PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1kjgI)

 

[H.A.]

The US Army uses a remotely controlled flail robot for route clearance missions in Afghanistan

The US Army has been using the M160 remotely controlled flail robot built by the Croatian company DOK-ING in Afghanistan for route clearance missions. The Croatian built MV4 remotely controlled tracked mine clearance system has already demonstrated its ability to battle improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and Un-Exploded Ordnance (UXO) in Afghanistan and other war zones like Iraq, Nicaragua and Srilanka. By using the new robot, soldiers can clear routes without putting themselves in danger. Fielding of the M160 MV4 has been a priority of C-IED specialized 'Task Force Rampant' for some time now, said Command Sgt. Maj. Leonard Meeks of TF Rampant. The task force is engaged in developing and implementing techniques, tactics and procedures utilizing new technologies and capabilities for route clearing, combating IEDs in Afghanistan.

The M160 MV4 employs a 'flail' system, comprising a rotating shaft with 34 rotating chain hammers attached to disturb the surface of the ground in an attempt to detonate or unearth deadly mines and unexploded ordnance. The flailing action is designed to establish a safe path of travel for dismounted troops in the area. The system is effective in destroying anti-personnel mines on all types of terrain, soil and vegetation. The five-ton MV4 robot is produced by the Dok-Ing Company in Croatia. The company has already deployed more than 100 vehicles in demining operations throughout the world. Apart from the US Army in Afghanistan, MV4 vehicles are also operating in support of demining and route clearing operations with the military forces of Sweden, Iraq, Nicaragua and Sri-Lanka

The vehicle uses robust frame, with the engine and vital components protected by steel plates to be survive all types of anti-tank mine. Due to its small dimensions the MV4 can be employed in confined spaces, such as house yards, orchards, wooded areas, riverbanks and other types of terrain, which are not accessible to larger machines. MV4 can be fitted with a variety of tool attachments including flails, used as the standard counter-mine tool. Other attachments include tiller, roller, dozer blade or gripper. The different tools are used to destroy even the smallest anti-personnel blast pressure mines and the most dangerous types of bouncing fragmentation mines. The remotely controlled vehicle can clear up to 2,200 square meters per hour when used in continuous mode. The company also produces the MV-10, a larger, heavier system designated to clear anti-tank mines.

The M160 MV4 is the first of its kind here and is the latest addition to the Mobilization Training Center, the route clearance training program at Fort Bliss. The first detachment from the First Army Division West's 5th Armored Brigade's "Task Force Rampant," recently trained with the new vehicle at Ft. Bliss, as part of their preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. "Having this equipment available to train our reserve-component forces during their pre-mobilization training will allow these units to arrive in their forward-deployed theaters with a unique and critical skill set," said Lt. Col. Aaron Dorf, Task Force Rampant commander.

The two-day training event included familiarization training, instruction of field maintenance and basic driving and maneuvering control skills. Following the proficiency training phase, operators were taught how to negotiate obstacles and conducted a practice run over 3,100 meter long test lane. Key to effective flailing was the ability to employ the M160 MV4 using a variable tool speed, the correct downward pressure and gear. Prior to entering the unclear area, soldiers must perform a soil test to check the effectiveness of the settings, and then adjust as necessary.

Source – Defense-update.com

 

[sayareakd]

something like this

 

[cobra commando]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sFkj36JJ8mk
Video footage of Marines maneuvering the Ground Unmanned Support Surrogate (GUSS), experimental technology being tested by the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab during Rim of the Pacific 2014 at Kahuku Training Area on Oahu, Hawaii. The GUSS is a multi-purpose support vehicle based on the ITV equipped with sensors to allow operation with or without a driver. GUSS is one of many technologies being experimented in a field environment during the Advanced Warfighting Experiment looking at new technologies and war fighting concepts for the Marine Corps of the future. Video by Kyle Olson | Marine Corps Futures Directorate.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dR8cJu71zaQ

 

[cobra commando]

China developing unmanned fighting vehicles for Army

BEIJING (BNS): China is making efforts to convert its existing armoured fighting vehicles into unmanned ones for future warfare operations, a senior military official has said. "Unmanned ground vehicles will play a very important role in future ground combat. Realising that, we have begun to explore how to refit our armoured vehicles into unmanned ones," Maj. Gen. Xu Hang, president of the PLA Academy of Armoured Forces Engineering in Beijing, told the media. "Though we have yet to develop unmanned tanks, I think it is an irreversible trend that computers will gradually replace humans to control those fighting machines," the official was quoted as saying by the China Daily newspaper. Last month, the China North Industries Group Corp, one of the nation's major defence technology and equipment contractors, founded China's first research centre dedicated to the development of unmanned ground vehicles in Beijing, the report said. Meng Hong, deputy director of the centre, said that the US has invented a series of unmanned ground vehicles and put them to use in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Such vehicles enable military personnel to investigate suspicious objects or perform other tasks in dangerous scenarios from a safe distance. While the Chinese engineers have developed some unmanned military vehicles, they have not been widely used by the PLA so far, the official said. The Chinese PLA uses a large number and wide range of battle tanks and infantry vehicles.
China developing unmanned fighting vehicles for Army | Brahmand News