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Israel’s universities and institutes have teams developing various robots which will be capable of travelling across tunnels, overcome barriers and map their surroundings.
The last session of the AUS&R 2014 conference marked the issue of terror tunnels. The IDF and Israel’s defense establishment have referenced Israel’s academic institutions to formulate solutions to this issue.
Dr. Amir Shapira of Ben Gurion University proposed a team of two robots built at the local robotics lab. These robots can over slopes, slides and slips and are capable of making their way autonomously between two points within a tunnel and map it.
Unmanned systems conference 2014 – Israel
Dr. Boaz Ben Moshe of Ariel University was the only lecturer today who not only addressed the audience, but also conducted a live display. He flew a small robot as part of his presentation. This small robot is not yet operation, but rather still in experimental stages. The robot, which has numerous sensors, is designed to fly inside a “suspicious” tunnel and map it. Dr. Ben Moshe’s small robot, which is designated as a micro drone, is also designed to carry out missions within closed spaces.
Gal Goren from ROBOTEAM showcased the MTGR robot: Micro Tactical Ground Robot, which is also operated by the IDF and the US forces in Afghanistan. This lightweight robot, which can climb stair and move inside tunnels, is made of compound materials. It features a day and night camera, as well as a robotic arm which is capable of handling explosives and suspicious objects. The MTGR robot is designed to assist a commander whose unit is fighting in an urban area to track his soldiers and contact them.
