Driverless Vehicle Could Bear Bomb Attacks Aimed at Soldiers
March 8, 2009
In Iraq and Afghanistan, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and roadside bombs have killed more than 2,000 soldiers so far. Because of these surprise bombs, the most dangerous vehicle in a traveling convoy is the front vehicle.
Having the front vehicle be a cheap, unmanned vehicle could be a cost-effective way to save many lives in the ongoing wars. Realizing this potential, researchers at Chico State University in California have built a driverless road-clearing robot that could lead a military convoy into hostile country and find hidden roadside bombs before the troops arrived.
Nick Repanich, director of the California Mechatronics Center, which is affiliated with Chico State, explained that there are already many unmanned vehicles in the Middle East, including large tanks.
However, for the convoy leader situation, the robotic vehicles would have to be plentiful and cheaply replaced if something happens to them. The researchers’ prototype costs about $45,000, which is 10 times less expensive than more sophisticated machines. Bill Wattenburg of Lawrence Livermore Labs, a senior researcher on the project, said that the loss of one of these scout vehicles isn't worth "a scratch on a soldier's arm."
The robot, a modified four-wheel-drive diesel Kubota utility vehicle, can be driven by a passenger in the vehicle behind it, up to a distance of a quarter mile. Inside the unmanned vehicle are video cameras that allow the operator to see the road in front of the unmanned vehicle. The vehicle can currently travel at speeds of up to 25 mph.
Once the design is complete, researchers at Lawrence Livermore will add sophisticated sensors to the robot so that it can detect roadside bombs and people hiding in ambush, which might not be seen by the vehicle’s camera.
via: MSNBC