APES (Advanced Paramotor Expeditionary System)

Robotic Research proposes applying our expertise and technology from unmanned aerial and ground systems (UAV/UGV), precision navigation, and electric vehicles (EV) to make the Advanced Paramotor Expeditionary System (APES), a system which could revolutionize the military utility of PPGs for the Marines and other American military forces. Robotic Research has extensive experience optimizing size, weight, and power for restrictive requirements on our Pegasus family of hybrid UAV/UGV’s (Figure 3, Left/Center).  Of particular relevance to this project, we have developed test stands, equipment, and methodologies for selecting motors, propellers, and batteries to optimize thrust and flight/time efficiency for UAVs from 5 lbs to 55 lbs.  Additionally, we have developed advanced monocoque carbon fiber body designs, rugged/lightweight track systems, custom UAV power electronics, flight controllers and computers that can accept a wide variety of connectivity and payloads in order to meet the difficult requirements and diverse capabilities required of the systems. Robotic Research’s greatest technical strength lies in coordinated localization and planning of people and vehicles, particularly in GPS-denied environments.  We also have a successful history of developing new robotic platforms and retrofitting manually operated vehicles for autonomous operations. Although pilots can typically rely on GPS, the ability to operate without it is critical in potentially hostile environments where it can easily be jammed. Robotic Research has developed a “Family of Systems” (FoS) under the MACS-B program, a group of asymmetric assets which work together to explore, map, and observe.