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| Science & Technology |
| Bolo Mark I |
| 2005-10-13 |
| October 13, 2005: One of the radical new weapons the U.S. Army expects to have in the next decade is the ARV (Armed Robotic Vehicle). This will be a 10-ton tracked or wheeled armored vehicle, for use either in combat or reconnaissance missions. Like much of the new military technology that has appeared of late, this one will show up gradually, piece by piece, feature by feature. To that end, BAE systems has developed, with their own money, the Armed Robotic Demonstrator (ARD), this is a system that provides a remote control system for an armored vehicle. In this case, an M-2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle was used. The control unit is like a game console controller, with small video display built in. Via this display, the VRD operator can see what the Bradley’s Commander's Independent Viewer (a video thermal sight system) can see. In this way, the operator can control the Bradley and some of its weapons. The operator can drive the Bradley down a dangerous road , or into a risky part of town, and look around, without risking the lives of any troops. This may become a standard piece of equipment for Bradleys, but it is also the first step on the way towards developing an ARV. The next step in the ARV project is the incorporation of robotic driving systems, so the vehicle can find its own way from one place to another. Much progress has been made in this technology in the last few years. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 I think the real objective of the DARPA prize is to replicate was is sometimes called "horse and rider". That is, if you look at a tracked vehicle, it has as a minimum, two people: a driver and a commander. The driver has to concentrate on driving, and the commander tells him where to go. (Much like a horse knows where to put its feet, but its rider tells the horse where to go.) In this case, the robotic brain takes over from the driver, and the commander directs the vehicle remotely, through a different system. By splitting the two tasks, you improve efficiency. The remote commander spends his time doing long-range navigation, identifying targets and engaging targets, and coordinating with other commanders. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-10-13 16:47 |
| #4 DO: Would that be the Rachel Corey Memorial Prize competition? |
| Posted by: Mike 2005-10-13 15:14 |
| #3 I would like to see DARPA create another robotic vehicle competition. This one involves programming D9s to scrape a town or small city from one location to another, preservation of building integrity or human life is not necessary. Killdozer 2006! Enter your team today. |
| Posted by: DO 2005-10-13 13:43 |
| #2 Add the software from the recent DARPA race so they don't need remote operators except to approve targets. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-10-13 13:27 |
| #1 I, for one, welcome our new robot IFVs. |
| Posted by: Mike 2005-10-13 12:50 |