Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance - Spawar

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INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE
tunnel inspection. The MPRS program will help develop the supporting
technology required for the Future Combat Systems (FCS) Soldier
Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) program.
URBOT System Description
The URBOT (Figure 1) is a tracked platform 36 inches long, 24 inches
wide, 11 inches tall, and weighing 65 pounds. It is completely invertible
and watertight, with front, back, top, and bottom video cameras. The
high-resolution front inspection camera has zoom, auto-focus, and electronic
image stabilization capability. This camera is mounted in a motorized
housing that can tilt a full 180 degrees, with two halogen headlights
and a microphone. The tilt housing was designed to be a modular unit
that could be replaced with other payload packages (i.e., night-vision
cameras, thermal cameras, or a small robotic arm and gripper) in an
almost plug-and-play manner.
Autonomous Control
The URBOT is operated via a wearable watertight
Operator Control Unit (OCU) (Figure 1 also). A
waypoint navigation capability supports the foreseen
need for more automation and less reliance on the
human operator. This capability allows the operator
to send the URBOT through a set of global positioning
system (GPS) waypoints selected from an aerial
photograph or generated by an outside source, such
as another GPS-equipped vehicle (Figure 2). Due to
the tactical nature of the URBOTs, this system is
also able to operate without the use of a differential
GPS master station.
Chemical Sensor Payload
A modular chemical, radiation, and environmentalgas-detection
package was also developed and integrated
into the URBOT (Figure 3). The chemical
payload package allows the robot to carry the same
sensors normally used by the warfighter, thus yielding
a remote detection capability. The modular package
accepts three sensors: the Joint Chemical Agent
Detector (JCAD) for chemical warfare agents, the AN-UDR-13 radiation
sensor, and the MultiRAE environmental gas sensor. A Limited Objective
Experiment (LOE) to test the fundamental concept of employing chemical
sensors on a robot was conducted at SSC San Diego in February 2003.
In January 2003, the initial payload package had been modified to fit the
Mesa Associates, Inc., Matilda robot, and another modification was made
in March for the iRobot Packbot. In-theatre demonstrations were conducted
in Kuwait in March 2003 to assist in the development of an
Operational Needs Statement prior to further production.
Mobile Detection Assessment Response System (MDARS)
The Mobile Detection Assessment Response System (MDARS) is a joint
Army–Navy development effort to field mobile robots at DoD sites for
physical security and automated inventory missions. There are two types
of autonomous platforms: interior to patrol inside warehouses and exterior
to patrol the outside of storage facilities. The units carry payloads for
intruder detection, inventory assessment, and barrier assessment.
FIGURE 1. MPRS URBOT and wearable
OCU.
FIGURE 2. Screen shot of MPRS control station for waypoint
navigation.
FIGURE 3. Chemical payload package on
the MPRS URBOT.