Northrop Grumman - RemotecCharreau BellChris CampisBen DowellMike DuffyDrew SchnabelTom Waddell

Introduction• Remotec is a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman

• Founded in 1980 to provide remote handling consultation to the nuclear industry

• Experience gained by supporting the nuclear industry, identified the opportunity to expand and apply core competencies to meet robotic requirements outside of the nuclear field

• Industry leader in hazardous duty robotics by continually improving technology to meet the ever-changing challenges

• Recognized for the outstanding support to fielded systems with 24 hour on-call technical support and the ability to rapidly provide spares support to customers around the world

Stakeholders• Northrop Grumman - Remotec

▫ Point of Contact: Bill Whiteley

• This tool will be very valuable in the neutralization of Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIED)

• Additional Stakeholders▫ Military: Navy/Army/Air Force▫ Law Enforcement Agencies

Situation• Robots are employed to evaluate suspicious packages or vehicle: open

doors, break windows, open trunk, jaws of life

• Neutralization of bomb: high pressure water cannon, drop charges, or tear package apart

• Access to car may restricted due to obstacles: move car to safer area to investigate the car

Design Proposal:Large Vehicle Movement Tool

• Northrop Grumman currently has three robots in the 400 - 900 lbs range

• User community desires the capability to use these robots to move a common automobile a short distance, such as across a parking lot, but not up or down a hill or across uneven terrain

• Robots have plenty of power (have towed a school bus before) but no way to lift one end of a parked vehicle

• Tool must be able to be attached in someway to the robot and must be capable of lifting a must common car (~4000 lbs) enough to tow it to a new location

• Tool provides all of the lifting power and must be controlled in someway from the command console

Robot Platform: F6AFeatures• Full camera suite system• Multiple-mission tool/sensor mounts with plug-and-play capabilities• Gripper with continuous rotate • Manipulator arm's seven degrees of freedom ensure optimum dexterity • Quick-release pneumatic wheels for rapid width-reduction, no tools

required • Patented articulating tracks for traversing ditches, obstacles and the

roughest terrain• Increased height to meet mission requirements• Dual accessory mounts on arm allow simultaneous, multiple

weapon/sensor deployment

Communication• Fiber-optic cable – deployed from the vehicle• Radio control (wireless)• Hard-tether cable

Specific Requirements• Goal: Design of tool

▫ Pending approval: prototype followed by production

• Cost: $12,000 - 15,000 tool▫ Target: build for $6,000 - 7,000 including materials and assembly

• High probability of moving the car▫ Not every vehicle will be moveable

• Communication: must provide serial communication protocol and interface for operation of tool

Procedures – Progress Reports• Frequency: Bi-Weekly

• Medium: E-mail

• Template: PowerPoint▫ Received from POC

Actions• Began preliminary design

▫ Receive CAD model of robot from POC

• Began development of project requirement definition▫ Rough draft completed and sent in 2 weeks

• Develop project schedule▫ Rough draft completed and sent in 2 weeks

• Schedule visit to facilities for on-site research▫ To be determined (mid-late November)

Questions