Microrover for Tactical Land Warfare

The objective of this research effort is to design a mobile robotic platform, and the related operator interfaces required for remote operation, which enhance a soldier's abilities to accomplish mission goals. This system will be modular in design, scaleable, low cost and rugged. The size and weight of these platforms will range form a meter long and 200 pounds, to a few centimeters long and about 3 pounds. Each of these platforms will be capable of inverted operations. The particular platform to be fabricated in this proposal will be approximately 30 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm in volume and weighs 10 pounds. There are five main technical challenges that will be addressed in this project: computer platforms; communication modules; power supplies; operator interfaces and modular design. ViA, a leader in the design of high performance wearable computing platforms, will be developing the computer platform, operator interface and modular design. The University of Minnesota's Center for Sensors and Battery Systems will identify potential power supply solutions such as their DDARPA funded Vanadium cathode rechargeable Lithium batter. Finally, the University of California at Berkeley's Wireless Research Center, leveraging their DDARPA funded mobile computing effort, will be investigating potential communication modules.