1.

MILITARY ROBOTS

CONTENTS:
 v INTRODUCTION
v TALON
v PREDATORS
v PACKBOT
v MATILDA
v MATILDA SPECIFICATION
v ACER,ARTS,RAAS,ARV
v UAV
v GLOBAL HAWK
v POINTER SPECIFICATION
v CONCLUSION

1.INTRODUCTION
Robots come in many shapes and sizes, and although there isn't really any single definition of a robot, one common
definition is this: a machine that is controlled, in whole or in part, by an onboard computer. Robots also have sensors that
allow them to get information from their surroundings, some form of locomotion and a power source if military robots aren't
shaped like humans. It depends on the kinds of jobs the robot is built to carry out. Robots that have to negotiate difficult
terrain use tank treads. Flying robot look pretty much like small airplanes. Some robots are the size of trucks, and they look
pretty much like trucks or bulldozers. Other, smaller robots have a very low profile to allow for great maneuverability
Today’s military robots don't do a whole lot on their own. Their computer brains aren’t very sophisticated in terms of
artificial intelligence (AI). AI is a form of computer program that allows the robot to process information and make some
decisions on its own. Instead of independent AI, most military robots are remote-controlled by human operators. The
military doesn't usually use the term "robot" -- it calls them unmanned ground vehicles (Gus) or unmanned aerial vehicles
(Eaves).
And some of them are even on the front lines Robots designed to help soldiers on the battlefield have to be carried onto the
battlefield by those soldiers. For that reason, robot builders try to design "man-portable" designs. A man-portable robot can
be carried by a single soldier, usually in a special backpack.

2. TALON
The most common robots currently in use by the military are small, flat robots mounted on miniature tank treads. These
robots are tough, able to tackle almost any terrain and usually have a variety of sensors built in, including audio and video
surveillance and chemical detection. These robots are versatile, with different sensor or weapon packages available that
mount to the main chassis. Virtually all of them are man-portable.
The TALON is a man-portable robot operating on small treads. It weighs less than 100 lbs (45 kg) in its base configuration.
TALON is designed to be very durable -- one of the robots reportedly fell off a bridge and into a river in Iraq. Some time
later, the soldiers set up the TALON's control unit and simply drove it out of the river. That brings up another important
feature of the TALON -- it's amphibious.
TALON is operated with a joystick control, has seven speed settings (top speed is 6 feet/1.8 meters per second) and can use
its treads to climb stairs, maneuver through rubble and even take on snow.

Photo courtesy FOSTER-MILLER

3. Predator

Reconnaissance plays a key role in military planning -- drones help military commanders keep track of their own troops and
also spot enemy troops that might be waiting to ambush U.S. soldiers.
Flying robots like the Predator provide constant real-time data on troop movements, enemy locations and weather. In at
least one case, a flying robot did a lot more than just spot the enemy: Predators can be fitted with Hellfire missiles, and
when one of these Air Force drones spotted an anti-aircraft gun in southern Iraq in March 2003, it used one of the Hell fires
to take it out Today's military robots are limited in their autonomy and their range. They are essentially tethered to human
controllers. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. government entity that funds and
develops new technologies for military use, recently held a widely publicized robot race to see how far along robot AI had
come. It turns out that AI is still pretty limited -- not a single robot completed the course. So even as the abilities of robots
increase, it seems that for the foreseeable future, a human soldier will still be required at the control unit.

Small Bots: Packbot

The Packbot is another small robot that operates on treads. It's even smaller and lighter than the TALON, weighing in at
about 40 lbs (18 kg) in the basic Scout configuration. Packbot is man-portable and is designed to fit into the U.S. Army's
new standard pack, the Modular Lightweight Load Carrying Equipment (MOLLE).

A Packbot Scout searches for booby traps on this truck at Najaf airfield, Iraq, on March 31, 2004.

Controlled by a Pentium processor that has been designed specially to withstand rough treatment, Packbot's chassis has a
GPS system, an electronic compass and temperature sensors built in. Packbot manufacturer iRobot says Packbot can move
more than 8 mph (13 kph), can be deployed in minutes and can withstand a 6-foot (1.8-meter) drop onto concrete -- the
equivalent of 400 g's of force.
U.S. soldiers regularly take advantage of this ruggedness, tossing Packbot through windows of hostile buildings and then
using it to search and find out where enemy combatants are hiding. Even if Packbot lands upside down, it can right itself
using powerful treaded flippers, which also help it climb obstacles

3. PACKBOT

Packbot motion
Packbot comes in several different versions in addition to the basic Scout unit. Packbot Explorer adds a square "head" that
can raise up on a metal arm, pan and tilt, provide gun-sighting video and generally act as a lookout for soldiers who need to
peer over obstacles or around corners. Packbot EOD is used to disarm or safely detonate dangerous explosives. It uses a
mechanical arm with a gripping hand plus a full range of audio and visual sensors.
.

The robot has a top speed of 3 feet (1 meter) per second and a single-charge run time of four to six hours. In the event of
tread damage, the quick-change tracks can be swapped in about five minutes.

MAUD weighs less than 30 pounds (14 kg).

4.1MATILDA Specifications
§ Width: 21 inches (53 cm); Height: 12 inches (30 cm); Length: 30 inches (76 cm)
§ Weight: 61 pounds (28 kg)
§ Power: Four rechargeable 12-volt DV NiMH battery packs
§ Run time: four to six hours per charge
§ Speed: 3 feet per second (1 m/s)
§ Payload bay dimensions: 13.5x16.5 inches (34.3x41.9 cm)
§ Payload capacity: 150 lbs (68 kg)
§ Towing capacity: 475 lbs (215 kg)
§ RF and fiber-optic control
4.1.1. Briefcase Operator Control Unit
§ Weight: 25 lbs (11 kg)
§ Power: 12-volt DC NiMH, 12-volt AC adapter
 § 12.1-inch (30.7-cm) daylight-readable screen
§ Four control joysticks
4.1.2. Handheld Operator Control Unit
§ Weight: 23 lbs (10 kg)
§ Power: 12-volt DC NiMH, 12-volt AC adapter
§ inch (16.3
§ -cm) daylight-readable display

Mesa Robotics is also developing the lightweight MAUD robot and the low-cost MARV, a treaded robot designed to be
expendable.

MARV

Big Bots: ACER

Larger military robots are basically trucks or tanks with computers in them, operated by remote control.
ACER
ACER is another robot made by Mesa Robotics. This robot is about the size of a small bulldozer or a Zamboni.
One of ACER's more innovative uses is as a firefighting/decontamination platform. Equipped with a pan-and-tilt nozzle,
ACER can pull its own decontaminant in a 350-gallonThree of ACER's possible configurations (1,325-liter) tank. A
nozzle can also be mounted on a mechanical arm for very precise aiming.
Obviously, ACER is not man-portable -- it weighs 4,500 lbs (2,040 kg). This heavy-duty robot has a maximum speed of 6.3
mph (10 kph) and runs on diesel engines. The fuel tank holds 19 gallons (72 liters).
Big Bots: ARTS, RAAS and ARV
ARTS

The All-Purpose Remote Transport System (ARTS) was developed by the U.S. Air Force for one purpose -- the help
dispose of dangerous explosives. ARTS is basically a bulldozer, but instead of a bulldozer's blade, it has mine-clearing
devices, a mechanical arm and a water cutting tool attached. ARTS can be remotely operated from a distance of up to 3
miles (5 km) with line of sight. It can also set charges to detonate explosives from a distance. ARTS weighs 7,500 lbs
(3,400 kg).
ARTS, equipped with a Harley Box Rake, begins explosive-ordnance disposal activities.
RAAS and ARV
The Robotic Armored Assault System (RAAS) and the Armed Robotic Vehicle (ARV) are both in development by the U.S.
military. These are large-scale robots (ARV will weigh 5 to 6 tons) capable of carrying up to 1 ton of payload.
Potential weapons to be mounted on these tank-size robots include the 30mm Mk 44 chain gun or a turret system capable of
firing Hellfire missiles. They have been designed so that they can be carried and deployed by the military's primary cargo-

carrying aircraft, the C-130 and the CH-47.

U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft
Flying Bots: Global Hawk and Pointer
The military uses several different flying robots, mainly for reconnaissance. Instead of UGVs, these are known as UAVs
(unmanned aerial vehicles), and they are sometimes referred to as drones. UAVs look like model aircraft, and they range in
size from small planes that can be held by a person and launched with a good throw, like the FQM-151 Pointer, to full-size
airplanes that operate by remote control, like the RQ-4A Global Hawk.
RQ-4A Global Hawk
Global Hawk Specifications
Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk
• Length: 44 ft 4.75 in (13.53 m)
• Wingspan: 116 ft 2.5 in (35.42 m)
• Height: 15 ft 2.5 in (4.64 m)
• Weight empty: 14,800 lb (6,710 kg)
• Weight max: 25,600 lb (11,600 kg)
• Speed: 403 mph (648 kph)
• Ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,800 m)
• Range: 11,730 nautical miles (21,720 km)
• Endurance: 36 hours
• Propulsion: Rolls-Royce/Allison F137-AD-100 turbofan

Pointer Specifications

AeroVironment FQM-151 Pointer

• Length: 6 ft (1.83 m)
• Wingspan: 9 ft (2.74 m)
 • Weight: 9.6 lb (4.3 kg)
• Speed: 50 mph (80 kph)
• Ceiling: 985 ft (300 m)
• Mission radius: 2.7 nautical miles (5 km)
• Endurance: Primary batteries - 1 hour; Rechargeable batteries - 20 min
• Propulsion: Electric motor
Although these robots were designed primarily for use by military forces, they have civilian uses as well. Law enforcement
agencies use robots to disarm or detonate explosives -- there's a good chance there's a robot on your local police force.
Unmanned assault robots and scout robots can be useful in armed standoff situations.
Health and safety officials and fire departments are finding uses for these robots as well. Industrial fires can be deadly for
firefighters because they can never be sure if there are explosive chemicals involved. Sending in a robot to check it out can
save lives. The ability of robots to safely investigate and decontaminate hazardous materials might make them regular staff
members at major hospitals and on Hazmat teams.

The MQ-1 Predator Hunter/Killer is equipped with two

Hellfire missiles and a targeting system.
CONCLUSION:
Thus I conclude with some facts that though robots are also making their way into domestic applications,
Robots are still a wee bit challenged in the intelligence front
“one machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. But no machine can do the work of one extraordinary man yet”