Wireless Radio Frequency Communication Link for Small Unmanned Ground Vehicles

Reconnaissance of tunnels, buildings, or other enclosed spaces is extremely dangerous for the modern warfighter. Small Unmanned Ground Vechicles (UGVs) are ideal for this mission. Unfortunately, convential RF communications links do not function well inthese enclosures due to multi-path effects, and tethered links are impractical due to tangling and susceptibility to cutting. Time Domain Corporation has developed patented ultra wideband (UWB) technology, that can overcome these problems. Previousexperiments have shown that TDC UWB technology actuall exhibits enhanced performance in enclosed enviornments. In this proposal, TDC presents an approach, based on sound engineering principles, that lead to a prototype wireless RF communications link for UGVs, based on TDC patented PulsON Application Demonstrators and our own prototype UGV in real worldenvironments and from this testing, develop a prototype RF design for Phase II implementation. The result will be a well developed design that will enable the use of UGVs in enclosed enviornments.