LEVEL 1 - 4 OF 18 STORIES Copyright 1989 Information Access Company, a Thomson Corporation Company ASAP Copyright 1989 American Society of Mechanical Engineers Mechanical Engineering-CIME May, 1989 SECTION: Vol. 111 ; No. 5 ; Pg. 82; ISSN: 0025-6501 LENGTH: 3295 words HEADLINE: Robo warriors; military robots and unmanned aircraft BYLINE: Siuru, Bill BODY: Robo Warriors In warfare, manpower can sometimes be replaced by electronic power-- unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) and battlefield robots. Although research into these systems has been on the back burner in the United States, there has been a recent surge of interest in them. Military experts say that if we ever fight the Soviets and Warsaw Pact nations in a conventional war, NATO forces will be outnumbered not only in troops but also in aircraft, artillery, and missiles. Until recently, our chief counter to these odds was tactical weapons. But if negotiations to eliminate these nuclear weapons succeed, the West still has a lead in computers, micro-electronics, robotics, optics, and artificial intelligence. After our experience in Southeast Asia, the American public would probably protest any troop deployment that put large numbers of lives at risk. Unmanned aircraft and robots can be used on high-risk missions with greatly reduced threat to their operators. In addition, by 1995, the pool of 17- to 21-year-old American males will decrease by about 1.8 million. In Germany, the NATO partner that currently has the largest army in Europe, the draftee pool will be cut inhalf by the mid-1990s. This means each soldier, sailor, or airman would need to function as two, three, or even five humans. Planes Without Pilots Israel's success with remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) provided the inspiration for UAV development. When the Israelis used harrassment drones in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the drones confused enemy air defenses. While the Egyptians reloaded their surface-to-air missile batteries after wasting them on the RPVs, manned Israeli fighters flew to their targets. In 1982, RPVs were used to ferret out Syrian SA-6 missiles in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Disguised to look electronically like Israeli fighters, they led the Syrians to turn on their radars. Then Israeli antiradiation missiles had a beam to home in on. UAVs are not new in the United States. The Teledyne-Ryan family of Firebee drones flew thousands of missions during the Vietnam War, performing day and night reconnaissance, high-altitude surveillance, electronic intelligence, even distribution of propaganda leaflets. Firebees have since been adapted for diverse duties, including use as targets, performance of photo reconnaissance, and flight testing of new aerodynamic concepts. UAVs, including drones, remotely piloted vehicles, and robotic aircraft, can be significantly cheaper to develop, build, and use than manned aircraft, which require sophisticated life-support systems. The UAVs can be especially inexpensive if they are expendable. Typically, however, they have been given low priority in the United States, especially in peacetime, even though many UAVs have been under development at several aerospace companies for years. When Congress pressured the services to develop UAVs, the military said that they were unreliable and inaccurate. They cited programs like the Army's Aquila that turned out to be less capable and more expensive than originally planned. With the renewed interest in UAVs, Congress has mandated a master plan to prevent duplication among the services' UAV programs. It has set up a joint program office to oversee all nonlethal UAV developments. Over $ 1.5 billion has been allotted for UAV systems between 1990 and 1995. There are also plans for a common site for testing, evaluating, and training. Since many UAV programs are under development in the United States and abroad, there is ample reason for the Congressional efforts to avoid duplication. Although the array can be confusing, a look at several of the projects will provide a sense of UAVs' versatility. Remotely Piloted Vehicles Israel's experience has provided not only inspiration, but also hardware. The United States uses the Israeli-developed Pioneer RPV for reconnaissance missions with either a high-resolution TV camera in daytime or a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera for nighttime work. Pioneers have flown several hundreds of hours in the Persian Gulf. One Navy/Marine Corps program is developing a joint systems common airframe multipurpose system (JSCAMPS), which would provide a medium-range RPV with a common airframe that could carry a variety of payloads and be used as a target for training and weapons evaluation. Several teams of U.S. aerospace firms are currently proposing designs to meet the JSCAMPS requirements. Rotary Wing Prototypes. One of the problems with most UAVs that fly like airplanes is in launching and recovery, especially under combat conditions. While a catapult can launch a UAV, recovery usually requires parachutes or complicated netlike devices. One way around this is to use UAVs that land and take off like helicopters. Thus, many rotary wing RPV prototypes have been built and successfully tested. Besides facilitating launch and recovery, rotorcraft can hover. This makes it easier to loiter over enemy territory, performing intelligence missions or detecting and designating targets. Canadair of Montreal and Texas Instruments have developed the peanut- shaped CL-227 Sentinel remotely piloted helicopter. ML Aviation in England has a similar vehicle, the Sprite. Both use counterrotating rotors to eliminate the tail rotor that opposes main rotor torque. These RPVs can change payloads easily. Boeing Helicopters and Bell Helicopter Textron have the Pointer, a miniature, unmanned RPV version of the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport, under development for all four military branches. Like the V-22, the Pointer can land and take off vertically and hover. It can also fly at speeds up to 160 knots. Fire-and-Forget. Many RPV concepts have died of complexity. If an RPV is too sophisticated, building it; training its operators; and launching, flying, and recovering it become too costly, especially under battlefield conditions. The Boeing robotic air vehicles (BRAVE) family of low-cost fire-and-forget drones might solve this problem for many missions. Instead of the radio control equipment and TV cameras needed to fly a UAV from the ground, BRAVE uses a dead reckoning navigation system with the flight plan algorithm programmed before launch. Control surfaces are steered by a digital autopilot according to the pre-programmed plan. BRAVE UAVs could be stored in modular containers for years.When needed, they would be unfolded, refueled, programmed, and launched with a rocket boost by a two-man crew. Boeing also is developing a BRAVE-200 vehicle for the Air Force's Seek Spinner antiradar weapon that homes in on and attacks enemy radar installations. The vehicle's injection-molded, composite-structure, expendable airframes could be mass-produced inexpensively and used in electronic warfare, battlefield surveillance, and search-and-destroy missions behind enemy lines. The BRAVE- 2000 lies at a top speed of 140 mph on its 28-horsepower, twin-cylinder pusher engine/propeller. A third version, the jet-powered BRAVE-3000, could reach 440 mph. Another fire-and-forget weapon is the Tacit Rainbow air-launched, jet-propelled, antiradar UAV, under development by Northrop for the Air Force and Navy. After launch from an aircraft, the Tacit Rainbow flies a preprogrammed course to the target area, where it waits for an enemy radar signal. Once a radar source is detected and identified, the UAV homes in to destroy it. With the enemy's defense system negated, the main strike force can fly to their targets with a much greater chance of survival. Other Systems. Teledyne-Ryan has developed the Scarab, a composite fuselage Model 324 aerial reconnaissance RPV, for the Egyptian Air Force. Another Teledyne-Ryan project is the Model 410, a 1600-pound vehicle with a 31-foot wingspan. Its twin-tail, pusher propeller fuselage is made of fiberglass and foam sandwich composites, and the landing gear and wing spans are graphite epoxy. Both the Models 324 and 410 are being developed in conjunction with Scale Composites (Mojave, Calif.), a leader in the design and construction of composite aircraft. Scale Composites designed California Microwaves' C-44 with a foam and fiberglass airframe and a three-bladed composite propeller. The propeller--plus its top-mounted engine inlets and flap fuselage surfaces--gives the C-44 "stealthy" characteristics. Lockheed has used technology from the canceled Aquila for its Altair, a multipurpose, recoverable UAV. Altair uses a preprogrammed flight plan to fly autonomously. It can be redirected while in flight, but redirection does not require pilot skills. Martin-Marietta is developing the supersonic low-altitude target (SLAT) to simulate a low-altitude, antishipping missile for evaluating equipment and training crews to defend against attack. The SLAT uses an integral rocket/ramjet propulsion system to achieve a speed of Mach 2.5 "on the deck." Soldiers That Don't Need Courage Missions for robots cover the gamut of military operations, from reconnaissance and surveillance to engagement of the enemy. The robot is especially attractive for high-risk missions that include not only face-to-face combat, but also minefield clearing; firefighting; nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) detection and decontamination; ammunition and hazardous material handling; and explosive and ordnance disposal (EOD). Although UAVs can be significantly cheaper than their manned counterparts, robotic ground vehicles will probably always be more expensive than men doing the same job. However, they reduce the risk to human life, and their strength and versatility make them good force multipliers. The U.S. Army and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are taking the lead in research and development of robots that can replace or enhance the soldier and his weapons. The other armed services also have initiated robotic research programs. ALVs. One of the major robotic vehicle programs comes under DARPA's Strategic Computing Program. The program's objective is to improve machine intelligence technology. A key DARPA project is the autonomous land vehicle (ALV), a test bed for sensor, AI, and computer technology. The eight-wheel ALV, under development by Martin-Marietta Denver, has a 10-foot-long fiberglass body filled with advanced computers and sensory-perception equipment. It can operate autonomously, using a blend of artificial intelligence, sensors, and parallel processing computers, and it can be controlled remotely from a van. TV cameras and laser scanners provide a picture of the terrain in front of the ALV. Computers process this information to direct the ALV's maneuvers. Because the vehicle can move only as fast as its computers can process the data, rapid parallel processing is crucial. The ALV has already demonstrated that it can plan and maneuver at speeds up to 12 mph, avoiding obstacles and negotiating sharp turns. Plans for its future include trips over mountainous terrain and long-distance trips that rely on its internally stored terrain data. Some ALV technology is already being used in the DARPA-sponsored advanced ground vehicle technology (AGVT) program. For example, the robotic research vehicle 3 (RRV-3) is a Cadillac Gage commando scout vehicle that can be converted for either autonomous operation or teleoperation. In the teleoperated mode, an operator controls the RRV-3 from a mobile command and control center via a microwave link. The steering wheel and foot pedals provide feedback on steering torque and brake pressure, giving the operator the feel of the road; engine, suspension, and transmission sounds also are transmitted to him. This realism allows operation with minimal training. The driver views the RRV-3's route on several color TV monitors that process information from either video cameras or a thermal imaging sight for night driving. However, autonomous operation, derived from the ALV program, is the main purpose of the RRV-3. An explanation of the AGVT system demonstrates the ALV approach to autonomous navigation and control. The AGVT features equipment and algorithms that convert video images of the road into a digitized road model in the form of road edges. An onboard computer converts the road edges into a reference trajectory. The pilot software uses this trajectory for steering, braking, and throtle commands to the RRV-3's servo-control system. The autonomous navigator and pilot equipment are on the RRV-3, but the vision- processing equipment is in the remote vehicle, to which information is transferred by microwave. The RRV-3 has operated at speeds up to 8 mph over a hilly two-mile course and has even worked well in snow. Kamikaze Ground Missions. The infantryman's lot in battle has always been a dangerous one. One effort to make it safer is Grumman's teleoperated mobile antiarmor platform (TMAP). The four-wheel-drive, all-terrain TMAP is about the size of an electric golf cart. Built of battle-resistant composite materials, it weighs only about 600 pounds, but it can pack potent weapons. Typically, these include several tank-destroying or antiaircraft missiles and several machine guns or grenade launchers for self-defense. The TMAP has four wheels, laid out in a diamond pattern, and a segmented, pitch-articulated body. These features provide stability and maneuverability on rough terrain. The operator can guide the TMAP from as far away as 2.5 miles, where he could be safely hidden from enemy fire. TMAP sensors allow the soldier to control the robot, locate targets, and fire weapons. Communication is by radio links or fiber-optic cables to a portable control unit carried in the soldier's backpack. The Fire Ant is a teleoperated robotic antiarmor system from Sandia National Laboratories. It is a one-shot weapon--its single munition is destroyed with the enemy tank or armored vehicle it attacks. Even though each weapon might cost several thousand dollars to build, if it were used to destroy a multimillion-dollar tank, the economic tradeoff would be good. The Fire Ant can detect and destroy armored vehicles on the move at distances up to 550 yards. The soldier controls the mission by radio, but he only positions and aims the vehicle. TV pictures from a small video camera mounted on the Fire Ant are displayed on a small screen on the remote control unit and the operator uses a joystick and switches to control the vehicle. Once the vehicle has been positioned and aimed, the computer takes over to arm and fire. The weapon is a 22-pound copper slug that is propelled at 6600 feet per minute to distance up to one-third of a mile away. There is no gun barrel per se; the slug is fired from a device that looks like a spotlight on top of thevehicle. To keep the costs of the expendable parts of the system to a minimum, the high-cost items, such as infrared imagers, inertial guidance systems, and computers, would be contained in the reusable control unit. Besides being used as a self- destructing weapon, the Fire Ant model could be used for reconnaissance. Another idea for a single-mission weapon is the remotely controlled Sprinkler, proposed by Universal Military Robot Corp. This $ 2000 vehicle, which is about four feet long and carries a machine gun, could move in among the enemy and spray bullets at 720 rounds per minute until it is destroyed or out of ammunition. Foot Soldiers. Not all robotic combat vehicles travel on wheels or tracks. Some do what real soldiers do--walk. This is necessary since about half of the earth's surface is inaccessible to wheeled or tracked vehicles. Researchers at Ohio State, Carnegie- Mellon, and Odetics, Inc., have developed Odex, a cylindrical robot that walks on six articulators. On top of Odex are a video camera and an articulated arm with two "fingers" that can be used for manual tasks. Using the microprocessors that are its brain, Odex can move at speeds up to 8 mph, lift more than a ton (five times its own weight), climb stairs, or move over obstacles up to 33 inches tall. Ground Crews. Robots are joining the Air Force, too. One of the Air Force's biggest potential problems is bomb-cratered runways, especially if an airfield were the target of NBC warfare. John Deere is developing its rapid runway-repair excavator, which can fill craters and remove bomb remnants. It could be either manned or operated by remote control from a safe distance. The Air Force's Harry G. Armstrong Aerospace Research laboratory is developing Marvin, a 51-inch robot that works and looks like a human, with molded plastic "skin" covering its sensitive electronics and computer. Marvin can turn its head, move its arms, and grasp and lift objects. Instead of walking, it rolls on wheels. In addition to repairing runways, robots like Marvin can fight fires and repair, refuel, and rearm aircraft in an NBC environment. To overcome future manpower limitations, one operator could control perhaps half a dozen Marvins, which would be preprogrammed to perform their tasks autonomously unless they ran into trouble. Naval Guards. The Navy is developing robots, like Robart II, to detect smoke, fire, compartment flooding, hazardous gases, even intruders aboard ship or on shore. The 50-inch-tall Robart is made of plastic and fiberglass and uses a combination of microwave, ultrasonic, infrared, optical, and auditory sensors to do its job. It has a voice synthesizer that enables it to communicate with humans. Robart's infrared sensor could detect an intruder's body temperature; the robot would then challenge the intruder verbally or summon human help. UAVs and robots are not problem free. Of course, there are political questions. Will UAVs and robots encourage war because human life is less likely to be at stake? Will robots take prisoners? There are also important technological challenges. A key to the success of UAVs and robots is keeping them simple. Unbounded complexity has already caused the demise of several remotely piloted vehicles. UAVs and robots will not be operated by engineers in the comfort of their laboratories but by soldiers in combat. Ideally, the military wants sophisticated systems with microprocessors that can handle complex algorithms but are still user-friendly.