Scorpion: Small Unmanned Ground Robotic System

Recent wars have demonstrated that small robotic ISR platforms have outsized effects on the battlespace, enabling forces to observe and orient on the enemy while remaining concealed. To date, sUAS has dominated robotic ISR, but they have limited utility in urban environments and tunnels. The Israel Hamas war highlights a gap in fielded robotic ISR technology. Hamas is reported to have over 300 miles of tunnels and often hides within dense urban areas, requiring Israel to either reduce significant numbers of civilian structures or insert their troops without proper reconnaissance. Neither choice is viable for the U.S. Special Operation Command (USSCOM), which aims to ‘respond swiftly to crises worldwide and accomplish high-risk, politically-sensitive missions with a low signature and small footprint.’ To close this gap, Systems Engineering, Inc. (SEI) and Sher Industries (Sher-I) will develop general-purpose ground robots capable of working in urban (e.g., tunnels) and rural (e.g., trenches)  environments and across various terrains. Our solution will enable special operators to perform tactical remote ISR while remaining covered and concealed, increasing their lethality and survivability. SEI and Sher-I propose to design two versions of Scorpion, one that weighs between 2- 10 pounds and a second that weighs between 40 - 100 pounds. To mitigate the development risk, we are enhancing existing prototypes. SEI and Sher-I will work with the technical point of contact to determine their priorities for the Scorpion system. For example, system endurance and speed are inversely related, meaning if I increase the maximum speed of the system, I will decrease the system’s endurance. Through stakeholder interviews with the TPOC and existing SEI military advisers, we will determine the system's tradeoff matrix and minimum requirements. Based on this analysis, we will design a light and medium-sized Scorpion system that achieves the requirements. A unique capability of scorpion is that it can be reconfigured for different missions. Military operations require a commander to analyze Mission, Enemy, Terrain and Weather, Troops, Time Available, and Civilian Considerations (METT-TC). The maneuverability of the Scorpion robot depends on terrain, weather, and the mobility method the Scorpion uses. Our team has developed tracked and screw drive-based mobility options, which enable maneuverability across a wide variety of terrain types, such as water/littoral, marsh, sand, snow, dirt, mud, gravel, and improved roads. We will develop a light and medium version of the Scorpion drive system, which enables an operator to rapidly swap the mobility method of Scorpion (i.e., tracks and screw drive), which will provide Scorpion the flexibility to meet a Commander’s requirement.