iRobot Should Keep An Eye On This Little UGV
Northrop Grumman is now ready to offer EyeDrive, a smaller and lighter alternative to iRobot’s SUGV.
iRobot’s SUGV (Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle), which was developed for the Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, is built primarily for reconnaissance missions – practically the same kind the EyeDrive’s designed for.
But while a basic SUGV weighs 25 lbs, the Eyedrive comes in at an astounding 5.4 lbs. That’s right, some laptops are even heavier. It’s very handy too – LITERALLY – with dimensions: 11″ x 9.8″ x 4.3″.
Once deployed, the robot will give the operator a 360-degree view (plus audio) of its surroundings. Thus, he’ll be able to observe what’s happening behind, at the sides, or in front of the robot all at the same time. The machine’s cameras are capable of zooming in and out.
Another unique feature of EyeDrive is its navigation control system. Aptly called Point’n Go, it allows the operator to simply point to a target on the control unit’s screen and the robot will promptly move towards that direction. Through its lithium-ion battery, the robot can operate non-stop for 3 hours.
The EyeDrive is actually a product of Israel’s ODF Optronics. However, Remotec’s business development manager, Patrick Goode says ODF “weren’t set up to do high-volume manufacturing.” That’s how Northrop’s entered into the picture. Remotec is a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman and is also in charge of developing Andros, an anti-explosives robot.
We’ve included two videos below. One featuring the EyeDrive and another, the SUGV.
