Military Robotics
Talk about twisted minds, Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — or "EATR" will be able to fuel itself by digesting any type of organic material it can find, including dead human bodies. Maybe we should call it robo-zombie.
A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by eating up whatever organic material it can find — grass, wood and even dead bodies; whether human or otherwise.
Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — that's right, "EATR" — "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable."
That "biomass" and "other organically-based energy sources" wouldn't necessarily be limited to plant material — animal and human corpses contain plenty of energy, and they'd be plentiful in a war zone.
EATR will be powered by the Waste Heat Engine developed by Cyclone Power Technology of Pompano Beach, Fla., which uses an "external combustion chamber" burning up fuel to heat up water in a closed loop, generating electricity.
The advantages to the military are that the robot would be extremely flexible in fuel sources and could roam on its own for months, even years, without having to be refueled or serviced.
Upon the EATR platform, the Pentagon could build all sorts of things — a transport, an ambulance, a communications center, even a mobile gunship.
In other words, EATR is a foundation that just about any type of robot could be built, and for any purpose. A little creepy that a robotic entity would be allowed to roam for years while refueling itself on whatever it can find.
I wonder how they make the decision on whether humans or animals are alive?
Robotic Trends
Showing posts with label Army Robots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Army Robots. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Military Recon Robot Protects Troops, Police
Military Recon Robot
When you first look at the Recon Scout IR it looks like a small dumbbell. But even at a tiny 1.2 pounds, this robot does some major lifting.
Built by a company in Edina, Minnesota, ReconRobotics, the robot transmits video images of dangerous environments before police and troops have to go in.
It is used by police SWAT teams to defuse violent situations and the military to assess hostile environments from a safe distance.
Recently, police officers used a Scout to find a person who was armed, suicidal, threatening officers and barricaded in a condominium complex. Standing outside, they could maneuver the robot through multiple rooms and get clear video images - even in the dark - of the home's layout. They found the exact location of the armed person's position so police could safely control the situation when officers entered the home.
Success stories like that have propelled ReconRobotics to millions in sales in less than three years. Recently, traveling cases of miniature reconnaissance robots were ready for pickup for the U.S. Army, which is buying 150 Scouts under a $1.35 million contract.
"What wakes us up in the morning is saving lives," said Alan Bignall, ReconRobotics, chief executive officer. He has led the company since it was spun out of the University of Minnesota in early 2007.
Planning to build the company in phases, he initially focused on getting one or two Scouts into the hands of law enforcement agencies across the United States. This year, Bignall and his staff are expanding ReconRobotics by marketing to branches of the military.
The robots range in price from $7,500 for the Recon Scout to $9,000 for its infrared-capable sibling, and they can pack lifesaving punches into the small, portable 7.5-inch-long frame. In 2007, its first year in business, Recon-Robotics generated $480,000 in revenue. Last year, the company entered the international market and sales rose to $1.65 million.
This year, Bignall said, the company already has secured well over $2.5 million in orders, and he estimates annual sales will reach $3.3 million to $5 million. Within two to three years, Bignall said that it's "very doable" that ReconRobotics could achieve $20 million in annual revenue.
Research to develop the robot began in the late 1990s at the University of Minnesota, and the military started expressing interest in the school's work at the beginning of this decade. The university received more than $6 million in government grants over several years to develop the robot. Professor Nikos Papanikolopoulos, who is also director of the university's Center for Distributed Robotics, spearheaded the research.
Casey Carlson, a product engineer who worked on the Scout at the school before joining the company, said one of the challenges of developing the product was ensuring the sophisticated technology within the unit's tube would not be damaged when the robot was thrown, literally, into action. The solution: large wheels on the ends of the robot's tube to absorb the shock, no matter how it lands after being thrown.
For its efforts, the University of Minnesota, which holds patents on the robot, now has an ownership stake in the company.
"We swapped stock in Recon-Robotics in exchange for the perpetual and exclusive rights to the university patents on the robots," Bignall said.
But the stand-alone company also needed to raise capital for the venture. During 2007 and 2008, ReconRobotics attracted $4 million in investments. Twin Cities Angels, an investment fund, and some of its individual members have invested $750,000.
"We thought it was the right race, the right horse and the right rider," said Phil Walter, chairman of one of the Angels' two funds.
"When the military breaks loose orders for this thing, it'll break loose in a big way," Walter said.
The robots are manufactured for ReconRobotics at MFG Solutions Inc. in South St. Paul.
Ryan Douglas, MFG's chief executive, said that each year MFG selects a company to invest in, with both cash and involvement ranging from business strategy to production management.
Douglas said ReconRobotics had "an excellent product," which has the ability to support troops and first responders in tough situations.
Military Recon Robot
When you first look at the Recon Scout IR it looks like a small dumbbell. But even at a tiny 1.2 pounds, this robot does some major lifting.
Built by a company in Edina, Minnesota, ReconRobotics, the robot transmits video images of dangerous environments before police and troops have to go in.
It is used by police SWAT teams to defuse violent situations and the military to assess hostile environments from a safe distance.
Recently, police officers used a Scout to find a person who was armed, suicidal, threatening officers and barricaded in a condominium complex. Standing outside, they could maneuver the robot through multiple rooms and get clear video images - even in the dark - of the home's layout. They found the exact location of the armed person's position so police could safely control the situation when officers entered the home.
Success stories like that have propelled ReconRobotics to millions in sales in less than three years. Recently, traveling cases of miniature reconnaissance robots were ready for pickup for the U.S. Army, which is buying 150 Scouts under a $1.35 million contract.
"What wakes us up in the morning is saving lives," said Alan Bignall, ReconRobotics, chief executive officer. He has led the company since it was spun out of the University of Minnesota in early 2007.
Planning to build the company in phases, he initially focused on getting one or two Scouts into the hands of law enforcement agencies across the United States. This year, Bignall and his staff are expanding ReconRobotics by marketing to branches of the military.
The robots range in price from $7,500 for the Recon Scout to $9,000 for its infrared-capable sibling, and they can pack lifesaving punches into the small, portable 7.5-inch-long frame. In 2007, its first year in business, Recon-Robotics generated $480,000 in revenue. Last year, the company entered the international market and sales rose to $1.65 million.
This year, Bignall said, the company already has secured well over $2.5 million in orders, and he estimates annual sales will reach $3.3 million to $5 million. Within two to three years, Bignall said that it's "very doable" that ReconRobotics could achieve $20 million in annual revenue.
Research to develop the robot began in the late 1990s at the University of Minnesota, and the military started expressing interest in the school's work at the beginning of this decade. The university received more than $6 million in government grants over several years to develop the robot. Professor Nikos Papanikolopoulos, who is also director of the university's Center for Distributed Robotics, spearheaded the research.
Casey Carlson, a product engineer who worked on the Scout at the school before joining the company, said one of the challenges of developing the product was ensuring the sophisticated technology within the unit's tube would not be damaged when the robot was thrown, literally, into action. The solution: large wheels on the ends of the robot's tube to absorb the shock, no matter how it lands after being thrown.
For its efforts, the University of Minnesota, which holds patents on the robot, now has an ownership stake in the company.
"We swapped stock in Recon-Robotics in exchange for the perpetual and exclusive rights to the university patents on the robots," Bignall said.
But the stand-alone company also needed to raise capital for the venture. During 2007 and 2008, ReconRobotics attracted $4 million in investments. Twin Cities Angels, an investment fund, and some of its individual members have invested $750,000.
"We thought it was the right race, the right horse and the right rider," said Phil Walter, chairman of one of the Angels' two funds.
"When the military breaks loose orders for this thing, it'll break loose in a big way," Walter said.
The robots are manufactured for ReconRobotics at MFG Solutions Inc. in South St. Paul.
Ryan Douglas, MFG's chief executive, said that each year MFG selects a company to invest in, with both cash and involvement ranging from business strategy to production management.
Douglas said ReconRobotics had "an excellent product," which has the ability to support troops and first responders in tough situations.
Military Recon Robot
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Robot Bomb Removal
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Feb. 19, 2009) -- Robotic technologies were used to detect and remove unexploded ordnance from training ranges at Fort Bliss, Texas, Feb. 10 in a demonstration sponsored by the U.S. Army Environmental Command.
Experts from the Army's Environmental Command joined bloggers for a special roundtable discussion on how the demonstration went and how robotics could improve safety, efficiency, and provide cost-savings in UXO removal.
"There's two things that we're doing," said Kimberly Watts of the Environmental Command. "We wanted to demonstrate to make sure that the equipment was actually working the way we were hoping that it would. It did. Yes, definitely for smaller areas. Yes, we need to scale up for the larger areas, larger ranges, but, you know, there are applications for it right now."
The command evaluated two basic robotics systems the Air Force Research Lab has developed: the All-Purpose Remote Transport System, or ARTS, and the Automated Ordnance Excavator, known as AOE.
The systems are remotely operated with attachments that can be added to aid with brush removal and extraction, said Gene Fabian, Range Sustainment Program Manager, U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center.
A third unit that has been demonstrated previously is an Advanced Mobility Research and Development System, or AMRADS unit. It is an autonomous unit that is used frequently for physical surveying because of its ability to run on its own based on plugged-in boundaries, Fabian said.
Fabian likened AMRADS to the Zamboni of hockey fame, saying its general pattern is very similar to what you'll see on the ice rink. But rather than washing away scuffs and chips, AMRADS will identify metallic anomalies in the area surveyed, before and after removal operations.
"We typically use that Zamboni pattern to make sure we get complete coverage," said Fabian. "And the data for our geophysical detection devices is very clean because it's very precise, fast: it tells you where to go. It doesn't waddle and wander all over the site like a human being would be, so we actually get much better data quality by using the robotic system."
Speed is critical for the U.S. Army, which currently has many areas in need of surveying and a limited supply of UXO technicians. They're looking at robotic removal options to make a big difference as they clear and maintain range sites, Fabian said.
But speed isn't the only factor - costs are also expected to be lower with the robotic technologies, according to Watts. They're currently using off-the-shelf technologies fitted with the robotics package. Combine that with the time savings and increased safety, robotics UXO removal could potentially benefit the Army's Range Modernization Program as well as Army clean up, Watts said.
Experts from the Army's Environmental Command joined bloggers for a special roundtable discussion on how the demonstration went and how robotics could improve safety, efficiency, and provide cost-savings in UXO removal.
"There's two things that we're doing," said Kimberly Watts of the Environmental Command. "We wanted to demonstrate to make sure that the equipment was actually working the way we were hoping that it would. It did. Yes, definitely for smaller areas. Yes, we need to scale up for the larger areas, larger ranges, but, you know, there are applications for it right now."
The command evaluated two basic robotics systems the Air Force Research Lab has developed: the All-Purpose Remote Transport System, or ARTS, and the Automated Ordnance Excavator, known as AOE.
The systems are remotely operated with attachments that can be added to aid with brush removal and extraction, said Gene Fabian, Range Sustainment Program Manager, U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center.
A third unit that has been demonstrated previously is an Advanced Mobility Research and Development System, or AMRADS unit. It is an autonomous unit that is used frequently for physical surveying because of its ability to run on its own based on plugged-in boundaries, Fabian said.
Fabian likened AMRADS to the Zamboni of hockey fame, saying its general pattern is very similar to what you'll see on the ice rink. But rather than washing away scuffs and chips, AMRADS will identify metallic anomalies in the area surveyed, before and after removal operations.
"We typically use that Zamboni pattern to make sure we get complete coverage," said Fabian. "And the data for our geophysical detection devices is very clean because it's very precise, fast: it tells you where to go. It doesn't waddle and wander all over the site like a human being would be, so we actually get much better data quality by using the robotic system."
Speed is critical for the U.S. Army, which currently has many areas in need of surveying and a limited supply of UXO technicians. They're looking at robotic removal options to make a big difference as they clear and maintain range sites, Fabian said.
But speed isn't the only factor - costs are also expected to be lower with the robotic technologies, according to Watts. They're currently using off-the-shelf technologies fitted with the robotics package. Combine that with the time savings and increased safety, robotics UXO removal could potentially benefit the Army's Range Modernization Program as well as Army clean up, Watts said.
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