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- Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Scenarios
- Scenario 2: 5-and-25 Clearance (Mounted Infantry)
- Fireseeker UGV
OverviewFor our troops in Iraq, who face daily attacks with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Fireseeker is an autonomous robot that can find IEDs in urban environments. Unlike hand-held explosives detectors, Fireseeker allows warfighters to maintain a safe standoff distance from potential IED locations and frees warfighters to perform other tasks. US soldiers in Iraq are currently testing PackBots equipped with Nomadics Fido explosives sensors to determine their ability to detect IEDs placed by insurgents. While teleoperated robots provide some additional standoff distance for warfighters, Fireseeker takes this capability to the next level, allowing soldiers to specify a particular area to be searched for explosives and enabling the robot to perform the search autonomously. Each Fireseeker UGV provides the following benefits: Can autonomously search for IEDs and VBIEDs in urban terrain Frees warfighters for other tasks Reduces manpower requirements Increases standoff distance from suspected IEDs and VBIEDs Man-portable for quick, easy deployment Battle-tested PackBot platform (over 200 deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan) Field-tested Fido explosives sensor Established logistics and maintenance support capabilities Each Fireseeker UGV is capable of performing a wide range of IED search missions including: Perimeter Search Search a building perimeter for IEDs and/or VBIEDs and mark their locations on a map 5-and-25 Clearance Deploy from a stopped vehicle carrying mounted troops and search a 5-meter radius around the vehicle for IEDs and then a 25-meter radius In each case the Fireseeker UGV operates completely autonomously and relays its findings back to its Operator Control Unit (OCU) in real-time. Concept of Operations (CONOPS) ScenariosScenario 1: Perimeter Search (EOD Team)In the first scenario, an EOD team is called to investigate possible explosives in a specified city area. The EOD team deploys a squadron of Fireseekers and they spread out over the terrain and autonomously perform perimeter recon around each block. If any robot discovers a suspected IED using its onboard Fido explosives sensor, it transmits the suspected location of the device to the troops on the scene, as well as any observers back at headquarters. SRI’s coverage algorithm will let the operator specify the area where he wants the robots to search. He could also specify additional mission parameters like areas where he wants the robots to focus the search (intersections, building entrances). The operator then simply selects how many robots he wants to deploy. The coverage algorithm generates a search pattern for all the robots, computes the ETA for the mission completion, and displays the progress of the search. If an IED is detected, the robot will send the approximate position of the possible threat. EOD technicians investigate the suspected IEDs, using a robot such as the PackBot EOD to approach and examine the suspected devices. The EOD team then destroys any devices that are deemed to pose a threat. Once the Fireseeker robots have completed reconnaissance of the entire area, they signal the operator that the search is complete. Scenario 2: 5-and-25 Clearance (Mounted Infantry)Warfighters in a HMMWV are patrolling an urban area known to be frequently targeted by insurgents. They are ordered to stop at a specified location and rendezvous with other troops. According to the Joint IED Defeat Task Force’s 5-and-25 doctrine, they first search the area in a 5-meter radius around their vehicle for potential threats, and then search the area in a 25‑meter radius. Instead of dismounting their vehicle and exposing themselves to IED attack or enemy fire, the warfighters deploy a Fireseeker robot from the Humvee. The robot then autonomously searches the area within a 5-meter radius, using its Fido sensor to detect any explosives present. If the 5‑meter zone is clear, the robot then autonomously searches the area within 25-meters, while the soldiers remain protected inside the vehicle. If any IEDs are found during either phase of this search, the robot sends an alert to the warfighters. The Humvee can then be relocated to a safe position, and an EOD team can be dispatched to disarm the device. Fireseeker UGVPackBot PlatformWe have selected the highly-robust, all-weather, all-terrain, man-portable iRobot PackBot as the UGV platform for Fireseeker. PackBot was developed under the DARPA Tactical Mobile Robotics program (contract F04701-01-C-0018). PackBot is equipped with two main treads, used for locomotion, and two articulated flippers with treads that are used to climb over obstacles. PackBot can travel at sustained speeds of up to 4.5 mph. On a full set of batteries, PackBot can drive at 4.5 mph continuously for 8 hours, for a total range of 36 miles. Standing still, PackBot can run its computer and sensor package for 36 hours. PackBot is 27 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 7 inches tall, and weighs 40 pounds. All of a PackBot’s electronics are enclosed in a compact, hardened enclosure. These electronics include a 700 MHz mobile Pentium III with 256 MB SDRAM, a 300 MB compact flash memory storage device, and a 2.4 GHz 802.11b radio Ethernet. Each PackBot can withstand a 400G impact, equivalent to being dropped from a second story window onto concrete. Each PackBot is also waterproof to 3 meters. Three modular payloads fit into the rear payload bay. Each payload connector provides power, Ethernet, and USB connections from the PackBot to the payload module for a highly-flexible mission capability. PackBot is a robust platform for all-weather, all-terrain mobility. PackBot is at home in both wilderness and urban environments, outdoors and indoors. In the wilderness, PackBot can drive through fields and woods, over rocks, sand, and gravel, and through water and mud. In the city, PackBot can drive on asphalt and concrete, climb over curbs, and climb up and down stairs while carrying a payload. PackBot can also climb up, down, and across surfaces that are inclined up to 60 degrees. In addition, PackBot can climb up and down inclines of up to 55 degrees, and across inclines of 45 degrees, while carrying a 22.5 pound payload. Heavier payloads can be carried over less steep terrain. PackBot is equipped with a sensor head that includes a color camera and a low-light black-and-white camera. The sensor head provides real-time digital video (320 x 240 color images at 30Hz) transmitted over the radio Ethernet to the Operator Control Unit (OCU). Alternative cameras such as an Indigo Omega FLIR (forward-looking infrared) camera or a Sony FCB-EX780S zoom camera (25x optical zoom, 12x digital zoom, 300x combined zoom) can also be mounted in the sensor head. 
Figure 1: U.S. Army soldier uses a PackBot to explore a cave complex in Afghanistan In Afghanistan, soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division have successfully used PackBots to explore cave complexes and suspected al Qaeda compounds. Figure 1 shows a soldier using a PackBot to explore a suspected al Qaeda cave near Qiqay, about 20 miles from Khost in eastern Afghanistan. 
Figure 2: PackBot pulls a wire from a roadside IED in Iraq PackBots equipped with EOD manipulator arms are used on a daily basis to help US soldiers inspect and disarm suspected IEDs in Iraq. Figure 2 shows a teleoperated PackBot pulling a wire from a roadside IED.
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