PackBot
PackBot is a range of military robots made by iRobot .
commitment
The robot allows the emergency services to spy out buildings, bunkers, caves, tunnels, sewers and ruins from a safe distance and under cover. In this way, enemy IEDs , mines , weapons stores and soldiers are to be recognized.
The PackBot has been used by US troops in Afghanistan since 2002 , and in Iraq since 2003 for house-to-house fighting and vehicle controls. In 2007, more than 800 PackBots were in service worldwide.
technology
In the PackBot version currently in use, the small robot weighs 18 kilograms (later versions should weigh less than 15 kilograms) and can reach a top speed of 14 kilometers per hour. In addition to a normal rubber chain with which it can negotiate gradients of up to sixty percent, the robot also has so-called flippers . These "upstream chains" can be rotated 360 degrees and enable the vehicle to overcome higher obstacles, to "stand on tiptoe" or to tilt by 180 degrees if the PackBot is on the floor of the vehicle or is driving up stairs. The robot is submersible to a depth of two meters and can be thrown through windows.
The SUGV contains a GPS receiver and an electronic compass . Optical and infrared sensors located in the "head" can be extended up to 0.5 meters through the "neck". It is controlled by a Pentium processor and its modular structure includes USB connections, Ethernet and network capability. It is controlled either via a laptop PC or a mini display in front of the operator's eye and a control controller in his hand.
Technical specifications
- Neck length: 0.5 m neck
- Price: approximately $ 45,000
- Top speed: 14 km / h
- Head: 360 ° viewfinder rotation
- Climbing ability: up to 60% incline
- Diving: up to 2 m deep
- Weight: 18 kg, later <15 kg
XM1216 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV)
The XM1216 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle ( SUGV ) is a project to develop a remote-controlled, light reconnaissance robot . It is based on the PackBot Explorer. Another version is said to be suitable for the detection of chemical warfare agents . Delivery of the basic version began in 2008 for testing purposes.
The further developed variant should be able to be used for up to six hours on one battery charge, up to one kilometer above ground and up to 200 meters in tunnels from the control system.
