Most robotic platforms have, up to this point, been designed with emphasis placed on improving mobility technologies. Minimal emphasis has been placed on payloads and mission execution. Using a top-down approach, Mesa Associates, Inc. identified specific UGV mission applications and structured its MATILDA platform using these applications for vehicle mobility and motion control requirements. Specific applications identified for the MATILDA platform include: Target surveillance, explosive device neutralization, material pickup and transport, weapon transport and firing, and law enforcement. Current performance results, lessons-learned, technical hurdles, and future applications are examined.
The advantages of an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) team include application of UGVs to a wider range of missions, reduced operator workload, and more efficient use of communications resources. Several mission applications for multiple UGV systems are described. Many single-UGV missions can be performed more quickly with a larger group of vehicles partitioning the workload. Certain missions, however, are possible only with a team of UGVs, or are greatly enhanced by cooperation among the vehicles. The four-vehicle surrogate semiautonomous vehicle system developed under the UGV/Demo II program is reviewed, and its capabilities for multi-vehicle operations are described. This system implements unmanned mobility, reconnaissance and surveillance, tactical communications, and mission planning and monitoring. The four semi- autonomous vehicles may work independently or as a team, controlled and monitored by a single operator. Ongoing development efforts for Demo II are described and longer-term directions for multiple UGV systems are presented.
The unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) demonstration C was completed in July of 1995. This was the third of four planned UGV/Demo II demonstrations. Demonstration C highlighted multivehicle premission planning, mission execution monitoring, multivehicle mobility cooperation, target detection from moving and stationary platforms, obstacle avoidance, obstacle map sharing, stealthy movement, autonomous turnaround, formation control/zone security, cooperative reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, and hill cresting. This demonstration was the first to have two autonomous vehicles working cooperatively while performing a militarily relevant mission. This paper begins with a background of the UGV program and then focuses on Demo C. The paper finishes with an overview of the Demo II missions.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.