AF researchers develop robotic package to protect convoys

  • Published
  • By Mindy Cooper
  • AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Researchers with the Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate Airbase Technologies Division (AFRL/RXQ), at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., in conjunction with the University of Florida and Autonomous Solutions Incorporated, of Petersboro, Utah, have developed a robotic package for military convoy vehicles which allows military personnel to be more vigilant of their surroundings while on the move. 

Joint military personnel supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom constantly face the threat of injury or death due to IED attacks while out on convoy missions. Researchers at the Airbase Technologies Division began considering what type of equipment may help make military personnel safer by either taking them out of harm's way or helping them maintain better situational awareness. The researchers determined that one possible solution would be a robotic convoy package with a tether system that can be used on any type of vehicle with a trailer hitch.

"The system developed uses a lead vehicle and a follower vehicle," Mr. Brian Skibba, Technical Lead for the Robotics Research Group explained. "The lead vehicle is driven by a person, while the follower is operated robotically, allowing the person in the driver's seat of the vehicle to concentrate on locating possible threats. The follower has a cable that is connected to the towing hitch of the lead vehicle. The cable is spooled out as the lead vehicle moves. Inside the follower vehicle, a computer measures the cable's length and angle to determine the exact location of the lead vehicle. This information is saved into the computer, which continually saves the data points. Actuators are attached to the steering wheel column, the brakes and the accelerator and hard-wired to the computer. The computer sends electric signals to the actuators according to the stored data points. These signals tell the actuators how to steer, and when to brake or accelerate. The system was successfully tested within a controlled environment with personnel inside the follower to see if the vehicle was responding properly. The system did not experience any problems."

Mr. Skibba also explained that in addition to the tether system, a vision system is in its initial developmental phase. This system is similar to the tether system, but relies on a camera in the follower vehicle and infrared light emitting diode dots on the lead vehicle. This system measures the light emitting diode dots of the lead vehicle to determine the distance between the two vehicles.

"Both of the packages help military personnel inside the follower vehicles to focus less on driving, and more on the surrounding areas. The US Army's Tank and Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Command (TARDEC) conducted tests on automated vehicles where researchers drove the follower vehicles manually first, while simultaneously trying to spot cones placed along a course," Mr. Skibba said, "Next, the vehicle was driven robotically while researchers tried to spot the cones. The results showed that researchers spotted the cones more effectively while not trying to drive."

After initial testing of the system, RX researchers began collaborating with personnel from TARDEC and demonstrated these robotic systems to researchers working on the Army's Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) Convoy Assisted Safety Technologies (CAST). The response was positive and there are plans to take it further. In October 2008, RX and Army researchers will meet again to perform the Warfighter Experiment II in Nevada. For this experiment, AFRL's tether system and truck will be integrated into the CAST system in order to test a more robust robotic convoy system and to train the personnel who would be using the system in theatre.