Growing competition in UGV
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Illustration-Photo-Credit-GUARDIUM-MK-I-By-G-Nius
Israeli companies developing unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) are facing a growing competition from American companies
CNIUS a joint company of Elbit systems and Israel aerospace industries (IAI) has developed the Gurdium , already operated by the Israeli defense forces. It is considered the most advanced in it category.
Northrop Grumman Corporation has launched CUTLASS, its latest generation UGV, expanding its range of capabilities in unmanned systems for the remote handling and surveillance of hazardous threats.
CUTLASS has been designed, developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman in the U.K., and according to the company includes significant advances in technology and performance and a range of features that provides state-of-the-art capabilities for national security and resilience applications.
CUTLASS will be on display in Northrop Grumman’s exhibit at the Counter Terror Expo, where it will also show its range of capabilities in daily live scenario-based demonstrations. The international exhibition and conference Counter Terror Expo takes place at the National Hall, Olympia, London, April 24-25.
Northrop says that CUTLASS offers the latest technology in a modular design, enabling the user to deal safely with the full range of hazardous threats from a distance, including the detection and disposal of explosive ordnance. Its highly versatile design means that it is capable of accommodating a wide range of payloads, sensors and tools. It carries all of the tools and sensors it needs to perform the full range of operations required for explosive ordnance disposal and other applications, avoiding the need to deploy two standard UGVs. CUTLASS saves up to 50 percent on the through-life costs when compared to owning and operating two standard UGVs.
The manipulator arm is equipped with a three-fingered, state-of-the-art gripper and has nine degrees of freedom for greater movement and agility inside limited spaces. With a specialized sensing system it provides a high level of control and dexterity to minimize damage to property and preserve forensic evidence.
Using CUTLASS, a hazardous situation can be restored to normal up to four times more quickly than with any other UGV. The combination of the speed of the wheeled platform, which can reach speeds of up to 12 km/h, and the ability of CUTLASS to carry multiple tools and sensors negates the need to return to the incident control point, thus saving considerable time. The robot is able to creep along at deliberately slow speeds for delicate operations and may accelerate to high speeds to enable rapid travel. The six-wheeled design offers mobility on all types of hard and soft terrain and in all weather conditions.
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2013-04-24 05:02:18
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