Foster-Miller, under the sponsorship of LTC John Blitch's DARPA TMR program, has developed a number of prototype payloads that can be fit onto small robotic platforms for the purpose of performing various search and rescue functions. Presently they have been designed for the Lemmings-type vehicle but the intent in to construct them so that they are plug and play modules for a larger variety of systems. The function modules include: modified image intensifiers and thermal cameras for dark terrain search; two-way voice communications; fingerprint identification; door breaching for operation in hazardous environments; water, material and air sampling and monitoring kits; deployable combat casualty rescue nets; and rescue line launchers with fire control. The vehicle is amphibious to 90-ft and has been fitted with various underwater sensors for search and recovery operations. The vehicle can be fitted with a 14, 18 or a 40-in fold-up mast for out of reach operations. This paper will discuss the functionality of the subsystems and how they relate to robotic platforms.
The mission and payload package acutely control the design of small robotic systems. Too often there is an emphasis on the vehicle technology with little thought to mission capability under field conditions. To meet a broad class of mission needs, Foster-Miller has developed a basic robotic family, referred to as Lemmings, which is highly scalable. The Lemmings family of portable robotics can accommodate a wide variety of payloads and control systems from pocket sized systems to desk-sized workhorses; all are based on the same drive and control principles. This paper gives examples of some of the missions, ranging from under water to dry land applications, and discusses how the missions have effected overall system design.
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