Smart bomb robots

This robot makes bomb-disablement safer and easier for police.

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed software for police robots that will save precious minutes during bomb-displacement missions.

Sandia developed the software in collaboration with REMOTEC of Oak Ridge, Tenn. by borrowing one of the company’s Wolverine robots and developing software that automates the robot’s movements but leaves the operator in control of its behavior.

The software, called Sandia Modular Architecture for Robotics and Teleoperation or SMART, is expected to make police robots safer, quicker, and easier to operate, giving on-scene commanders more tools for responding to various situations.

The robot was unveiled at the International Assn. of Bomb Technicians and Investigators in-service training conference in Albuquerque, N.Mex., where the Sandia project was headquartered.

Law enforcement agencies worldwide welcome the use of robots in their special ops units because they can enter areas that would be dangerous for officers. Robots, using cameras, grippers, sensors, and other tools, can enter hazardous areas while the operator is hundreds of feet away.

The problem with current police robots is that they are difficult to operate. The operator must control all the robot’s joints, grippers, and other tools using a camera view that could be upside down or backwards, and do it under the pressures of limited time and potentially severe consequences.

“Sometimes it’s like playing a video game with a seven-lever joystick sitting upside down, with one eye closed, and with your boss looking over your shoulder,” says Sandia project leader Phil Bennett.

A SMART-based robot could be programmed using software control sequences that allow it to grip a tool or go to a specific location rather than having each separate movement controlled by the operator. According to Bennett this frees the operator to think about what needs to happen next rather than focusing on each individual movement.

SMART software can also integrate different hardware components electronically into one system that is stable. The patented algorithms and SMART’s “stackable” software modules allow components from different vendors to be integrated quickly and work the first time.

“A sergeant can look at the situations and problems officers are encountering in the field and essentially add this tool or that behavior to the robot’s portfolio without the technical difficulties normally associated with changes to the system,” says Bennett.

Prior to incorporating SMART into the REMOTEC robot Bennett worked with the FBI surveying law enforcement robot operators and tracking which problems they encountered most frequently. He also observed challenges encountered by the Albuquerque Police Department bomb squad when they practiced using mock explosive devices and their own REMOTEC Wolverine.

The Wolverine can now perform automatic tool changes, tool placement, bomb-disrupter aiming, and telerobotic straightline movement in all directions. During a demonstration at the FBI Hazardous Devices School the robot shaved minutes off of typical bomb responses of even the most skilled FBI robot operators.

REMOTEC is in the process of licensing the use of SMART software. According to Bennett, Sandia and REMOTEC will soon introduce new tools, sensors, and behaviors for additional law enforcement needs.

It’s show time

Design and manufacturing engineers and suppliers will team up to conquer today’s system engineering challenges October 23 to 25, at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, Pa.

Engineers attending will experience the convenience of three shows under one roof: the Motion System Design Show, the Hydraulics & Pneumatics Show, and the Greater Philadelphia Design Engineering Show. In addition to supplier exhibitions highlighting the latest system technology, tutorial sessions sponsored by Applied Industrial Technologies will cover topics ranging from motion control fundamentals to remote plant maintenance.

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