Unmanned Systems

Unmanned systems are proving their value every day on missions conducted by military personnel and first responders. From small, man-portable robots used for scouting and IED mitigation, to unmanned vehicles transporting supplies, to aerial surveillance, unmanned systems are being deployed with tremendous success. Now, Unmanned Systems are moving inevitably from remote control operation to increasing levels of autonomy. Congress has decreed that by 2015, one-third of America's combat ground-vehicles must be autonomous. With the requirement for autonomy, there is a requirement for real-time 3D perception.

3D Vision applications include:

• Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), including the detection and detonation of roadside bombs, car bombs, and unexploded ordnance
• HazMat detection, including the detection of chemical, nuclear, or biological hazards
• Long-term surveillance (sometimes called Persistent Stare) of a location
• Structure mapping, such as surveying buildings before personnel enter them
• Route clearance, such as advanced recognizance for the path of a convoy
• Navigation for vehicle convoys, as well as for unmanned vehicles for agriculture and mining.

Benefits

The TYZX 3D Vision system offers these important benefits for unmanned systems:

• 3D vision systems calculate range data based on passive stereo vision, rather than on LADAR or RADAR which emit energy that can be easily detected.
• Real-time range detection (up to 60 fps), giving unmanned systems time to react to events, even when in motion.
• Low power consumption enables the batteries on man-portable unmanned systems to last longer.
• Compact packaging reduces payload weight and leaves room for other payloads, such as mission-specific devices.

iRobot and TYZX

iRobot Corporation has chosen the TYZX DeepSea G2 Embedded Vision System (EVS) for several military robotics research projects requiring real-time vision and depth-perception.

The TYZX G2 EVS provides the following capabilities for iRobot systems such as the PackBot:

• Enhanced Situational Awareness via 3D Visualization – Standard monocular cameras provide video footage that is “flat,” sometimes making it difficult for a robot operator to judge distance. 3D visualization provides depth perception and a more detailed view of the environment. Using an operator control unit (OCU) integrated with TYZX stereo vision data, the robot operator can more easily manipulate objects such as unexploded ordnance.
• Person Detection and Person-following Capabilities – Using the TYZX system for person detection, iRobot researchers are developing advanced autonomous navigation algorithms to demonstrate person following capabilities. Using onboard sensing from the TYZX system, iRobot’s tactical mobile robots have demonstrated the ability to detect, recognize, track, and follow specific persons of interest.
• Obstacle Detection and Obstacle Avoidance (ODOA) Capabilities for Increased Autonomy – TYZX G2 technology has enabled iRobot’s SEER payload for its PackBot and Warrior platforms to support autonomous ODOA for complex vertical structures. Whereas traditional planar LIDARs provide only a 1D horizontal sweep of obstacles, TYZX technology provides range details in 2D. This allows the robot to sense how high an obstacle is and to determine if it can overcome that obstacle.

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