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Secured robots are becoming more commonplace in the framework of military service, as well as other forces, including HLS. Being able to send out a scouting force’ without putting human life in harm’s way, has led the IDF too to deploy secured robots along the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Residents of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, who are concerned with the IDF reduction of forces nearby, recently acquired an Amstaf robot from its Israeli developer and manufacturer, Automotive Robotic Industry. The robot’s mission: protecting their community and thereby bolster the local residents’ sense of security.
Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) are used to provide deterrence, intelligence, reconnaissance and first response using integrated onboard cameras and a variety of dedicated devices and equipment.
Each of these UGVs comes complete with five cameras which relay video feeds over Wi-Fi to the control center. All five cameras transmit to the onboard computer, which then analyzes the data.
The video analysis generated from the video and footage is carried out using a movement-identification algorithm developed by Israeli company ProTrack. The cameras also feature target-lock once they identify an object, and then they can continue to monitor it. In tandem with the movement identification algorithm, the robot’s system also features a stabilizing algorithm designed to assure smooth and vibration free video streaming.
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“The more cameras you use, and the more advanced the algorithms you apply, the greater the burden you apply on the robot’s imbedded computer processor, which receives all this data,” explains Dan Mor, HPRC Officer at Aitech. “The challenge here is to find a balance between a computer with a high performance processor and a system the computer is capable of carrying anywhere, in all weather conditions.”
Aitech’s solution can in the form of adapting an A191 RediBuilt computer to the UGV’s requirements. “In addition to this computer’s Frame Grabber feature, it also comes complete with an Intel Core i7 4G processor and a very powerful graphic board,” elaborates Mor. “They did not really need the graphics feature because their algorithm knows how to work with the processor alone.”
In order to save on volume and room, they chose the A191 model, which is based on the Cold Plate cooling method, which enables heat dispersal by attaching the computer to the UGV’s hull. “The result is a computer capable of processing all the incoming data without slowing down or crashing,” Mor says in conclusion. “In an emergency, processing speed and rapid action can make all the difference.”
An Amstaf UGV complete with ProTrack’s software on an Aitech computer was recently showcased at the recent i-HLS AUS&R Conference and Exhibition in November 2014.
