A Look Into The Future:  Chemicel Scanners

A Look Into The Future:  Chemicel Scanners

U.S. Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) wear M-40 gas masks during a recovery scenario at Fort Campbell, Ky., Sept. 10, 2009. The training consisted of locating a downed aircraft and recovering the crew from hostile forces. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Joe Padula/Released)

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Researchers from US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) tested a quadcopter dubbed Deep Purple during the SK Challenge at Utah’s Dugway Proving Ground, joining dozens of other developers trying out hardware against simulated chemical agents. Chemical sensors on the drone were able to detect such an agent, researches found.

A biological-agent sensor also succeeded, but did so while mounted to an unmanned Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System vehicle, known as MDARS.

ECBC research chemist Alan Samuels claimed: “ The sensor package needs to be miniaturized for use with the aerial drone. The SK Challenge proved its value to ECBC by revealing what our system does well and where it needs more work. We’ll come back next year having built upon what we learned this time.”

Researchers have designed the drone payloads to be modular, Samuels said, allowing units to swap out detection devices based on likely threats. Soldiers can receive information from the drone from up to 2 miles away, in real time.

According to armytimes.com, soldiers attempting to detect a possible gas attack now need to rely on a Joint Services Lightweight Standoff Chemical Agent Detector, which is mounted on a modified Stryker and can detect threats up to 2 kilometers away.

The ACORNS sensor array itself wouldn’t have to be drone-based, Samuels said: “It could just as easily be delivered via ground robotic systems or even projected onto the battlefield by a launcher or gun tube.”

Significant testing remains before soldiers will see such materials in the field, Samuels said. The drone is not part of a larger US Army program, and there are no concrete plans to incorporate deployable sensor payloads into existing gear sets.