Home : Research : Projects : Terrain-Aware Robotics (TAR)

This project investigates driver-assist technology for remotely operated Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and surveillance robots at high speeds. EOD robot deployment is a relatively slow process as it requires manual positioning of a heavy and slow vehicle to a relatively close proximity to IEDs and other threats. The slow speed of deployment, the need for manual handling of the robot, and the requirement for close human coordination leaves the human operators as slow-moving potential targets in a potentially dangerous area. One low-cost solution to this problem is to develop control technology that allows a higher-speed operation of robots, or robot speeds greater then 5 mph, and preferably up to and past 15 mph, thereby representing a robot platform that is fully capable of matching the speed of a human patrol.

Throughout operation, the robot assumes the task of maintaining stability in position tracking and rollover events, while the driver's operational task is simplified to that of target identification and confirmation of goal achievement. This technology can greatly increase the speed of deployment and ability to remotely operate a robot. This has application to surveillance and perimeter monitoring, EOD disposal, search-and-rescue in dangerous areas, and other applications where the robot can be used to isolate the operator from danger.

This project provides dynamic models of high-speed robot motion, algorithms to prevent robot rollover, algorithms to autonomously or semi-autonomously search an area, terrain-mapping and/or terrain-following abilities.

• Dean, Adam J. and Brennan, Sean N., "A Low-order Dynamic Model of a Tracked Robot Inclusive of Nonlinear Slip", accepted by Int. J. Heavy Vehicle Systems, (June 2007)

Sean Brennan, Mechanical Engineering
Adam Dean, Mechanical Engineering

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